Lambing

Expectant ewes - someone likes having their photo taken.

Lambing: exhausting, fun and deeply rewarding.  By the end of the day I’m utterly knackered!  I’m here in Devon with my sister-in-law, (who bred Moss our Collie dog) helping her with lambing her small flock of 26 ewes. 

And now loads of lambs!

It’s an entirely new experience for me, although I’ve always had animals, never sheep.  For a start I saw them as noisy fluffy numbers who smell, let’s say, distinctive.

Over the last few days I’m getting to spend time with them when they are at their most vulnerable. 

I’ve discovered a new-found curiosity and respect for shepherds. 

It’s a rather fascinating job.

I was plunged into the deep end, from the moment I arrived the lambs were appearing thick and fast.  No time for my normal squeamishness.  Just get on with it, and give these dear creatures the care they need.

I’m wondering if lady shepherds do it slightly differently from gentlemen shepherds.

When I arrived, there was a full-on maternity ward in operation.

I’m quite sure that doesn’t happen on all sheep farms.

This is my experience here.

Each ewe in labour is given a small pen with deep fresh straw, plenty of water, high protein nuts and sweet-smelling hay. 

They are being really well cared for.

Ideally the births have been going ahead with little intervention, but a lot of kindness and care.

I find watching the actual births fascinating.

The ewes seem to be so different form each other in temperament, some highly strung and nervous, others positively extrovert.

I watched one ewe giving birth in the paddock on a warm sunny day.  She was a particularly large ewe and seemed rather charmless.  I watched her circle, and pore at the ground, panting and heaving. Eventually she lay down and pretty quickly gave birth to her first twin. 

She appeared bothered and didn’t seem to take to her first born. 

We put a pen around her and went off for lunch.

I was concerned. 

Half an hour later I returned alone and watched as she prepared to birth her second twin.  It slithered out in its birth sack. 

She began to lick its face and the lamb bleated.

I was lucky enough to sit in the paddock alone and watch.

It took her quite a while before she began to attend to both her lambs, she seemed to bond with the second one first. 

They both struggled to their feet within about half an hour of being born, and then endeavoured to find their Mother’s teats and suckle.

That night they went into the maternity ward, on fresh straw, the ewe had a good feed of nuts and hay and plenty of fresh water.

When I visited them in the morning all the family, which I christened the Lately’s, were thriving. 

It was a privilege to witness.

And happily, all this was observed by the resident Collies, at a respectful distance.

AJK