Spot / Notspot / No1 - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 11 April, 2022

by Rosemary at 6:51pm in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 4^th April

Still feeling rough; didn’t even get up for the morning chores, which I’ve done the last two days. Tested positive for Covid. Quelle surprise.

Tuesday 5^th April

Woke at about 5.30am; raging sore throat. Could hear the ewes fussing. Out of bed, in the jammies, and round to the field. Kit had one lamb – she scanned with twins and wasn’t due until Saturday. It was cold and wet, so I got them into a pen and decided to leave her for half an hour to have the second. Went back in half an hour, still only one lamb. Looked around and here’s this wee, soaked, bedraggled lamb outside the field shelter – obviously the first lamb born. Whisked cold lamb into the kitchen and into a bowl of warm water until he warmed up, then towel dried and left wrapped up with a hot water bottle, on the floor (we have underfloor heating) until we moved his mammy and brother into a new pen in the barn, with a heat lamp. Two tup lambs, both a bit dim. Got them warmed up and latched on then gave them both some packet colostrum in a bottle to warm the up and give them some energy. By bedtime, they seemed to have found the milk bar and are quite content. Fingers crossed.

Kit and her two boys.

Wednesday 6^th April

Woke up at 6am feeling really chipper; eating honey yesterday seems to have killed the sore throat. Marched through the morning chores – found one of the lambs outside the pen, but snugged up under the lamp, so he was fine but no idea how he got out. By 10am, knackered. Still, just got to keep going – especially if Dan is going to succumb. Cleaned out the field shelter and blocked under the gate where Kit’s lamb fell through. This will be the first night of shutting the ewes in and checking at 10pm and 2am.

I’m topping up Kit’s lambs – they are so lively but so skinny. Might be their BFL blood? I put the three of them out in the vegetable garden so Kit could graze – lots of nice weeds in there for her. And the sun was warm. But it was piddling down by 7pm, by which time they were back in their pen. I’ll feed them at 10pm, then at 7am, I think.

Kit and her lambs getting some sun and Dr. Green.

Got some office stuff done, so nearly ready to do the last VAT return of the year and submit the year end stuff to the accountant.

Thursday 7^th April

Oh dear, I think I overdid it yesterday. Almost fainted in the field this morning – Dan had to rescue me. So back to bed. I couldn’t get to sleep after the 2am check – worrying about no grass, laminitis (the electric fence is Sheepfold isn’t working so we had to let the ponies into the middle of the field), the egg glut, milk powder for the lambs.

Anyway, Linda sorted the eggs and Kate took them to the local food bank; Janet brought half a bag of lamb milk powder and the ponies are fine. Thank goodness for friends.

Kit’s lambs are called Spot and Notspot.

Spot.

And his brother, Notspot.

 

Friday 8^th April

We both tested positive this morning. Tara came round to help with the chores. The weather is good so Kit, Spot and Notspot are back in the veg garden.

Saturday 9^th April

No more lambs yet.

Sunday 10^th April

No 1 due Monday but her water bag started showing at about 1pm. I could feel nothing, so left her to get on with it. After an hour, I could feel one foot. Dan thought I was over anxious but I knew something wasn’t right. Vet came out; her soft tissue hadn’t loosened off, so the vet did an episiotomy, and No1 lamb was born (a tup); No2 lamb (a ewe) followed swiftly but backwards; she was very yellow so quite stressed. Mus has plenty milk and they found the milk bar pretty quickly (for BFL!!!). We penned them in the field shelter and left No3 (due yesterday) in for company.

No1 and her mixed twins.

Woke at 1am; could hear a ewe fussing. No3 had started and very much wanted No1’s lambs rather than putting in much effort to get her own out. Dan caught her up for me; the lamb had locked elbows but once the legs were straightened, she came out in a whoosh. Very active lamb, so dipped her navel and left them in the field shelter to get on with it.

Heard No3 fussing at 5am – she has a very distinctive bleat – but all well.

Three down, three to go; seven lambs, three tups and four ewes.

Started hardening off the peas. Hoping to get themin Wednesday - it's forecast to rain Tuesday, so the ground should be damp on Wednesday. Dan bought the stuff to make the electric fence in Sheepfold run off the mains. He and Andy split logs, socially distanced.

Hardening off the peas.

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