The high heat and humidity is not only making us feel sluggish but our flock as well. The sheep do not enjoy grazing in the heat, thus their intake decreases and gains are not as significant as they are in cooler weather.
To beat the heat, the flocks spend a lot of time in the shade and close to their water sources. We also avoid working the animals to reduce the amount of stress they are exposed to during the heat of the day. If we absolutely have to work the livestock, we do it early in the morning to avoid the hotter parts of the day. Soon the heat will break and things can go back to normal. Until then we will have to be vigilant in providing cool drinking water and shade for our flocks.
As the saying goes, "only mad dogs and englishmen go out in the heat of the midday sun".
