Lambing 2014

As promised a post about this year's lambing...

With many hours of hard work and 4 am starts I am proud to say there are now 46 healthy, happy lambs running and jumping in the fields at the farm. I have enjoyed every minute...although I must admit I now feel a bit tired :-)

I don't say 'I'm proud' flipantly as a lot of planning and hard work goes into producing future conservation grazers that are up to the job and I am proud to be part of it. People often wonder why we breed from our sheep when, as conservation grazers, they live comparatively long lives, but I think it is one of the most important jobs because it allows us to...

• Regulate numbers without buying in new livestock that may potentially carry diseases that could be passed on to the whole flock.
• Breed out unwanted behavioral traits.This is important when our sheep have to be moved so frequently (it is very time consuming and frustrating when sheep don't want to be caught or they keep jumping out of the pen!!!) so we only breed from those with a calm temperament. Over several years of careful breeding we now have a mostly (there's always one or two :-) very happy and compliant flock.
• Breed for health which is really important as conservation grazing animals need to be able to withstand the rigors of hard grazing for several years so we only breed from those that are up to the job.

This years lambs are a magnificent lot.  All are a good size, strong, and healthy but as always there are those ewes and lambs that stick in one's mind and here are a few (all the names are made up for the blog)....

Can't Wait Carol:  This is a Herdwick ewe that, in theory, along with the other Herdwicks, should have given birth several days after the Beulahs and Jacobs as the Herdwick ram had been put in later than the other rams. However when we arrived on the first day designated to lambing (which was a few days before any lambs were expected!!) we were surprised to find this ewe couldn't wait and was already licking up her handsome baby...

Molly the Mother of the Year:  A few days later we arrived at first light and peered through the gloom across the field to see, a Jacob suckling her new born lamb and worryingly, alongside, a Beulah who was also suckling a Jacob lamb...Aghhh!!!.  It was obvious a bit of baby snatching had been going on. We quickly moved the Jacob and her two lambs to a mothering up pen in the barn where they could establish a proper bond but the poor Beulah was convinced we had stolen her baby and was distraught. Despite being in labour herself she ran up and down the field calling frantically which was worrying as she was expecting triplets so more prone to malpresentations. Suddenly all went quiet so we went out to check on her and thankfully there she was, joyously licking up her first (good sized) lamb, she then went on to produce another (good sized) lamb and the third (equally good sized) lamb plopped out so easily she didn't even realize she'd had it and walked off up the hill with the other two, leaving it behind. When I ran after her with the third lamb she looked most surprised but accepted it very happily giving it a good lick and feed and despite her large family she has been feeding all lambs well and they are thriving.

She is a really lovely Beulah with a superb temperament both with humans and other sheep. Often when we moved a new family in to the 'New Mums Field' she would trot happily over to greet them and if one of the wobbly new arrivals tried to follow her she would very,very gently push it away (usually the lambs are sent flying if they go to the wrong mum! :-) Her three lovely babies all seem equally confident and friendly often running up to us in the field. They are going to make wonderful conservation grazers:-))

I'll just mention one more...

Sandra the Caesarean:  This Jacob had been having a few problems with a prolapse so we were all a bit anxious as to what would happen when she gave birth. We arrived early one morning to see the water bag, which is an important sign of labour, but no other signs (she was happily grazing). We gave her a bit longer but it was obvious that things weren't progressing. So with some trepidation, as this was the first time I had ever needed to intervene, I carried out an internal examination. I could feel a lamb but it was way back and more worryingly I could also feel that the cervix hadn't fully dilated and with no further contractions I doubted it ever would. The vet was called who told us to try a calcium injection but it was to no avail so she came to the farm, confirmed that the lambs could not be delivered the normal way and that she would have to do a caesarean section.

It was strange to be part of an operation whilst sitting in a field but it was extremely interesting. The first lamb came out in a good state and was soon on its feet but the second was a little compromised and I had to work on it a bit to get it going so unfortunately missed the intricate stitching up phase. The operation had been carried out with local anaesthetic so once completed the ewe was amazingly straight back on her feet mothering her lambs as if nothing had happened. She has continued to recover very well but it will be too risky to breed from her again. However she is another sheep that has a superb temperament so she will be useful as 'nanny' ewe as she will have a good calming influence on the newly weaned lambs and show them what to do (and how to behave nicely with humans!!). Her own lovely lambs, who are both full of health, happy and confident, are also going to make excellent conservation grazers:-)

Here are just a few more photos...

I am an early bird so loved being at the farm doing my rounds listening to the dawn chorus and watching the sunrise...

However sometimes the mist made it a little difficult to see what was going on...under this three there is a ewe that has just given birth to the first of twins...

Sometimes the warmest place to be is snuggled up with your sibling...

Or better still snuggled up to mum's big,warm and fleecy backside...

And for the humans after the early morning rounds, it is back to the farm office for a reviving cup of something hot (I don't think hubby was quite so keen on the early starts :-))))...

But sometimes the sun does shine and then it is time for fun and games...

There are going to be a lot of changes within the Downland Project over the next few months and sadly, now that lambing is over, the Grazing Officer has decided to leave and return to her home country of Hungary. She has worked so hard to give the best care possible to the livestock and has coupled this with a lot of thought into doing the best for the sites we graze. My husband and I will miss her and wish her well.