As far as I can tell, the deer generally keep clear of the back field where the Morgans and the Scottish Blackfaces are pastured. Perhaps it's because the domestic animals eat down the grass, or perhaps the deer just don't like company. But a few days ago, I watched four white-tailed deer — a doe with three fawns, I believe, though such a group makes an unlikely family — chase twenty-two sheep out of the field and back to their fold. Sheep are notoriously skittish, but then, so are the white tails. It was a battle of cowards. It was especially painful to watch because one of the sheep was the ram, McCavish, and it's his job (aside from the annual servicing, at which he performed brilliantly) is to guard the ewes. McCavish is the "herd sire," new to the flock. He was recently imported from Wisconsin; his grandfather came from Scotland in the form of a vial of sperm packed in dry ice. What was Mr. McCavish thinking when he ran from the field? I was embarrassed for him and for the entire flock. Query: will the sheep stand their ground or will they allow themselves to be intimidated by the wild turkeys?
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