This year's lambing season will be the first to benefit from the new regime.
The cold snap a fortnight ago and the wet weather since then have added to farmers' fodder problems and have also made for a difficult lambing season in the hills.
Farmers do not want to be left high and dry in the lambing season.
Will hill farmers be able to close upland commons and hills during the lambing season?
One further point is that during the lambing season much the same considerations apply.
There is not so much danger after the lambing season, but before it the sheep are easily frightened.
One might have thought that the number would decrease, but it will increase to 150,000 sheep on 150 farms next spring after the lambing season.
In the lambing season especially the sheep are worried.
