Lambing 2004
1

This is specially for Samantha and Tyler, who were helping us just before lambing but had to leave before the first lambs arrived.

27th March

James went to check early yesterday and found a ewe with 2 lambs. She was licking one of them, but the other was being mothered by another ewe who isn't due to lamb till next week.

Unfortunately, this means that the ewe has only bonded with her ram lamb and is rejecting the ewe lamb. She fusses over the ram lamb, bleating softly to him and nuzzling him whilst headbutting the poor little ewe lamb. We are having to hold her head whilst the little ewe lamb has a drink.

We had triplets a little later. The first one was coming out backwards, so she needed some help. Just finished with her, and another set of twins.


First lamb. Looking bright in spite of being rejected by its Mum

It's difficult to drag myself out of bed in the middle of the night to go and check, but once I'm up I enjoy the walk up to the shed in the dark. Tigger greets me at the gate and follows me up to the shed. He went to sleep up on the hay, which we rearranged earlier so it's piled up against the back wall, blocking the drafts.

I love the shed at night when we're lambing. There's the occassional bleat from a lamb or a ewe, contented munching sounds, a high pitched whistle from the ewe who always whistles in the last stages of pregnancy, the rattle of the hurdles as a ewe rubs herself, strange snortings from the other side of the shed where the cows are sleeping, all combining to make a wonderfully peaceful atmosphere. Especially when there's nothing happening and I can go back to bed!

Lambing 2

Triplets just born