Lambs / Rainbows / Lambs - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Tuesday 2 April, 2019

by Rosemary at 11:46am in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 1^st April

Sunny, and with the wind dropped, much warmer feeling. No6 doing well with her two ewe lambs – weighed at 4.3kg and 4.5kg at 24 hours.  At 1pm, No14 lambed a black tup and a white tup; white one came head only, black one with a leg back. They’re all fine though; she has plenty milk and loves them both.

Yin and Yang.

Tuesday 26^th March

Had to get the vet out at midnight because Winter had a slight prolapse; he’s put a tape in, so I need to watch carefully for signs of lambing and untie it.

Dan’s birthday today so a bit of a day off; out to lunch then friends dropping in for cake and fizzy.

Man arrived to spread lime at 5pm with a couple of hours notice – but since we’re small and get fitted in with other jobs, we just go with it. So 14 tonnes of lime on 7 acres – waited two years for this, so glad it’s done. Just need some rain now to wash it in.

Wednesday 27^th March

Winter started to lamb about 5am; undid the tape and waited. And waited. Had a feel and there was a jumble of heads and legs – decided I couldn’t risk pulling the wrong legs and head, so called the vet, who lambed her in a jif. Twin tups – one black, one white; all doing well.

Dan’s going for Zolvix wormer this afternoon, so we’ll get No6 and No14, and maybe Winter, out tomorrow.

Lovely and sunny again but so windy. Dan’s harrowing Far Ditch – then it’s on to Laing’s Field.

Thursday 28^th March

Sunny, dry and breezy so turned out three ewes and six lambs. Topped, tailed and dosed and ready to go – could hardly trim their feet as they’re so hard, in this dry weather.

First ewes and lambs out.

Brought No7 into the maternity ward as she’s due 1^st April. Trimmed Urquhart’s and Teddy’s feet – they weren’t as long as I feared but, like the ewes, almost too hard to trim.

Let Niamh and the rest of the maternity ward on to the lawn for a nibble.

Ewes on lawn trimming duty.

Sorted out our business insurance and had a meeting about RHS2020 and the Shetland Cattle project – both very positive.

Friday 29^th March

So windy outside but it was summer indoors and Bertie was basking on the windowsill.

Bertie enjoying summer indoors.

No15 lambed a ewe and a tup. What a drama queen she was - running around, bleating – I feared there was something very wrong but no, lambs slipped out and bounced on to their feet.

Found the old boot rack and repurposed it where the ponies tie up.

Repurposed bootrack.

Dan finished pruning the apple trees – two days inside his deadline!

Saturday 30^th March

Sunny, calm (for once), so put No15 out. Her lambs look small next to the others but they’re both 4kg.

Went for hay while Dan built a hitching post for the ponies – yeehaa, cowboy! I’ll try it tomorrow.

Cowboy hitching rail.

It’s our first farm tour tomorrow so we’ve been tidying up  - grass had its first cut on lawn and veggie garden. Dan ‘s started to build some staging for the polytunnel.

First cut of 2019.

Sunday 31^st March

Had a visit from a local Rainbow group – and very good it was too. Kids interested with lost of good questions – not bad for 5 and 6 year-olds. They enjoyed the lemon muffins, double choc chip muffins and milk shakes, too.

The hitching post works well – good preparations for the Cowboy Cookout planned to mark out 10^th anniversary here in May 2020. Saloon doors and Boot Hill to follow!!! Leo behevd impeccably with the children.

Cowboy ponies.

Naimh and No8 hanging on – I was sure No8 would lamb last night but no, not a thing. She’s well bagged up but what do I know?