My Second Lambing Season
We started lambing just over a week ago. Phil the farmer (he owns the farm where we have a smallholding - I help out where I can) lambs early in the year with a second batch due in April.
I helped with lambing for the first time last year. I was very much a novice but I learned a lot, delivered several lambs over the months, was adopted by some ewes, especially Dot Dot, and did daily rounds.
This year it's a bit easier as I know the ropes but I still have a lot more to learn. But Phil feels confident enough to leave me in charge on days when he's away from the farm. So far, I've supervised several births, delivered a number of lambs, done a lot of feeding, lugging hurdles about, moving sheep and checking on everyone. It's my favourite time of year.
Although we try not to handle the lambs too much, I have cuddled a couple. We've had some really cute lambs with such sweet faces.
Dot Dot, who was my pal last year during lambing, is back and remembered me. I see her every day. She's currently in the paddock as she's not due to lamb yet.
After a while, it does become a blur and I try to remember the history behind each little family. But things change rapidly. We house newly delivered ewes in pens, especially those with twins or more. Once we can see they're OK, we may move them to the nursery or out into the orchard. The next stage is travelling over to Daffodil Field.
Before we met Phil I thought cows were my favourite farm animals but it's definitely sheep now. I still love the cows but sheep seem to engage more. I have three cade lambs, plus one, who look out for me every day. There's Dot Dot. And I'm sure there will be others this year.
