Lambing 2021

It always feels significantly more ‘springy’ when the lambs are out in the fields and we are pleased to share that our first bunch of sheep have finished lambing. The last ewe of the group had two lovely lambs on Monday evening.

We feel this first lambing has gone fairly well. There are always losses at lambing season and one or two ewes had a tricky birth, but on the whole it was a good few weeks of extra hard work. At the moment our lambing percentage is 185%. This will change as time goes on since, sadly, there are often one or two lambs who don’t survive outside and when the next lot of sheep lamb the percentage will change. We work it out by calculating how many sheep were put with the rams divided by how many lambs have been born on the farm. At this time of year we are shepherding the outside flock twice a day as we feed them, keeping an eye open for any sickly looking sheep or lambs and bringing them back inside if needed.

Out in the fields, we have got sheep with red numbers which match them to two lambs with the same number and sheep with blue numbers which match them with one lamb with the same number. In the shed we are left with approx. 25 cade lambs - these are orphans, either their mum died, rejected them or she already had two lambs (which is plenty for a sheep!). These we rear by hand and when they are weaned off of milk and onto food they will join the other sheep and lambs outside. Also in the shed, we have the youngest of the lambs (they will stay inside until the weather turns nice again) and a pen of sheep and lambs that need a bit of extra care and attention at the moment.

I think that brings you fully up to speed on where we are with lambing at the moment and hopefully, the next bunch of approximately 185 will lamb as well as these did!

Lovely weather for putting ewes and lambs into the field

Enjoying the sunshine in the field by the offices

One of our cade lambs this year.