Sheep routes

[@dlm]

Just came up in random conversation with partner and meant to bring this up months ago. We buy in ewe lambs, lamb them and sell as shearlings, so basically we have a new flock each year. A while back we were looking at an aerial photo taken of farmhouse and included about 80 acres of our fields. Was taken late 1980s. Then for some reason was looking on google earth maps and viewed the same shot but taken in 2015. We grow 3 crops of corn and then a grass ley for 7 years, In between these 2 photos the field has been ploughed and worked down 9 times. One field in photo is 45 acres and has 2 water troughs either end of the field. The tracks to these troughs made by the sheep following eachother on the 2 different pictures is exactly the same , literally to the same inch. Whether air currents dictates this or what i dont know. As said buy in new sheep each year, dont keep lambs from them so not in any way like hefted sheep. Land being worked down that often i doubt there is a firmness to tracks that dictates them taking that route, and sure as hell not any firmness in field this winter!! Last 150 metres before one tank is on a 60ft bank and they go to tank in a semi circle going up around 45 degrees. So not direct route. Nothing earth shattering i admit, but just found interesting

 

[tr250]

In our new seeds every year dad goes and puts a mineral bucket check water trough etc in his mule and that’s the track they follow

 

[yellowbelly]

There must be unseen (to us) natural ley lines (for want of a better expression) that animals follow with some kind of instinct.

In a former life I spent a lot of time foxhunting. For many years being in the very privileged position of being 'on point' (sitting quietly alone on the corner of a wood, or other type of cover, watching for a fox to 'go away').
Time and time again, I've watched animals of all species (deer, hares, badgers, foxes, etc) make their way, independently, through a wood and all take exactly the same route.
There must be some kind of 'easy route' that we can't see.

I packed in hunting when Princess Tony banned it 'cos I'd done all my hunting away from the 'chattering masses', most of which couldn't give a toss about what was going on, many of whom never saw the hounds, let alone any foxes, and couldn't think of anything worse than following a field master.

I could still take you to places, in our hunt country, where foxes will leave a wood and run the same line of open country as though they were on rails.

That's my sixpenneth, for what it's worth.

 

[Agrivator]

I've often wondered why rabbits follow distinct tracks, which are, or at least were, just as obvious as public footpaths. Not only did they follow distinct tracks, they had the same landing bits or hollows about every yard along the track. And you set the snare about a foot beyond a hollow, which gave a far better success rate.

Sheep and to a lesser extent hill cattle, all have their tracks or trods.

 

[Bury the Trash]

They follow the driest ground , which will be the same In the field,
Well unless drainage or stone track laying or other major disruption take place I guess .

But sheep like other animals have a strong sense of smell.
Scent glands In their feet as well like other animals .
I guess a well trodden path would have a very strong lingering smell to them ..with all that traffic on it .

 

[yellowbelly]

I've often wondered why rabbits follow distinct tracks, which are, or at least were, just as obvious as public footpaths. Not only did they follow distinct tracks, they had the same landing bits or hollows about every yard along the track. And you set the snare about a foot beyond a hollow, which gave a far better success rate.

Sheep and to a lesser extent hill cattle, all have their tracks or trods.

Once they're established, out in the open, they find it easier to walk on them because they are firmer - you'll often see them follow a tractor wheeling and use it until it becomes a 'trod'.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Once they're established, out in the open, they find it easier to walk on them because they are firmer - you'll often see them follow a tractor wheeling and use it until it becomes a 'trod'.

Yeah, Except in the wet shite of the last 5 months

 

[Sharpy]

Next time you see a cow or sheep track start walking up it, then close your eyes and continue walking. Almost always you stay in the track, I think due to subtle changes in slope across the track.

 

[@dlm]

When pointed out i guess not rocket science @Sharpy , as i said not shortest route but a gentle climb rather than less yards but steeper walk. But did amaze me as we overlayed the 2 photos that is was the exact route to the inch. Although @Bury the Trash post makes sense with animals exceptional sense of smell. the land is fully drained, and reseeds would only be grazed in late may or june when land is dry as a bone so guessing theory of smell is more accurate for me rather than driest route. But after 3 years , fert, machinery it is quite amazing

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

I think you will find it is the driest route between two points one of which will probably be a source of water. I was always told to follow there paths as you won't fall in a bog!

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I have cattle tracks in fields that have been the same for years...all lead to water troughs

 

[Whitepeak]

Next time you see a cow or sheep track start walking up it, then close your eyes and continue walking. Almost always you stay in the track, I think due to subtle changes in slope across the track.

Hikers must walk with their eyes closed round here, they always end up on the cow tracks ?

 

[@dlm]

I think you will find it is the driest route between two points one of which will probably be a source of water. I was always told to follow there paths as you won't fall in a bog!

Doubtful id have thought, seeds sown spring and grazed in drought summer, there was no moisture for love nor money so driest route could have been anywhere. Obviously tracks led to a water trough but the starting point originates in 3 random areas in field. Id think the scent route suggested by @Bury the Trash has more reasoning behind it

 

[@dlm]

I have cattle tracks in fields that have been the same for years...all lead to water troughs

what after reseeding and within the inch the same, i find it amazing, or maybe up at nights with lambing getting to me

 

[Agrivator]

Hikers must walk with their eyes closed round here, they always end up on the cow tracks ?

Maybe that's because the tracks are following the contours.

Sheihallion mountain in North Perthshire has a very symmetrical conical shape, and it was used as the world's most ideal sight to measure:

1. It's mass
2. The world's mass
3. The mass of various planets.

During the measurements, lines joining points of similar altitude were traced, and so the Surveyors credited themselves with discovering Contours. But I reckon hill cows, children walking back home from school, hill shepherds and quarrymen would have discovered Contours many years previous.

 

[Treecreeper]

The route of least resistance applies in most cases for livestock and humans, once established it then becomes habit(or learned). Why do country roads meander like they do? Animals as mentioned will follow the same trails,again it's seldom the most direct, deer will follow the contour on steep ground. It's no surprise that deer use the same trails as they have a scent gland between their cleaves and many species native and otherwise scent mark. There are other considerations however, how is it that trails will resurrect after years of inactivity this I think when "other"factor applies, try dowsing these routes with metal rods, I get a strong reaction in many cases.

 

[Agrivator]

On a short tour of Norway, the bus stopped at a hotel for coffee. I hadn't realised that the bus ran on coffee, so while it replenished itself, I wandered round the back of the hotel garden and looked over a wall to see a cliff with a sheer drop of about 500 ft onto fertile farmland below.

When we got back onto the bus, and to my amazement, it drove down the sheer drop. A merit mark to the first person to describe how it achieved what I thought would be impossible.

On the same tour, the guide pointed out a rope ladder hanging down another cliff face (about 40ft?). Children climbed down it on their way to school. And I presume up it on their way home.

I wonder what the world would be like if it had been populated solely by Norwegians. I'll ask one or two of the more intelligent ewes when I go back out to the lambing shed.