Tuesday 21st March 2017
Weather!!!
It’s such a shame that the sheep cannot reach into the alpaca feeders – NOT!!! You may remember that Lamorna can (see 27th Jan) but she is not in the 4-acre field now of course and fortunately she did not pass on her bad habits to her brother Cadbury (white head, yellow and blue tags).
Talking of Lamorna, NO new lambs or kids!!! (Obviously!!)
Today has been a beautiful day, masses of sunshine, the odd shower, ALL the animals have been out all day (including Mrs B and Lamorna) and we have remarked what a fitting start it has been to the ‘official’ first day of spring!!
As we write this it is ABSOLUTELY tipping it down outside, Jack popped out to check the mums-to-be and found streams running across the fields and paths. Bizarrely the alpacas have not retreated to their field shelter but are sat out in it somewhere!! Those sheep not in the barn are sheltering in the 4-acre field shelter and likewise the ewes and their lambs in the 3-acre. It is SUCH a good feeling to know that all the animals have got somewhere to go to keep dry and warm. In weather like this, with a wind as well, new-born lambs are in serious danger of dying as the membrane they are born in gets no chance to dry (despite mum doing her best) and hypothermia sets in. The loses on the moor back in Minions were horrendous.
The next set of sheep (Ness, Whalsay and Noss) are due this weekend/early next week. We'd REALLY would like Mrs B and Lamorna to have given birth by then so we can get them outside and the new ones in. In truth though, we have no idea when to expect their lambs now: Mrs B’s udder is almost touching the ground, Lamorna’s remains small but IS swelling. We are not sure if they have gone beyond the 155 days mark OR whether the date we saw the coloured raddle on them from Jack-the-lad was not the date they actually were mated. Maybe they were giving off a few signs of being in season but actually weren’t and Jack caught them properly later. The only downside to that argument is that we should have noticed fresh red from the raddle, and we did not!!
Hey ho, well as the vet said last week, usually nature knows best so as long as both of the sheep are fit and healthy still, we won’t worry!! (‘She’ says..)
Talking of Lamorna, NO new lambs or kids!!! (Obviously!!)
As we write this it is ABSOLUTELY tipping it down outside, Jack popped out to check the mums-to-be and found streams running across the fields and paths. Bizarrely the alpacas have not retreated to their field shelter but are sat out in it somewhere!! Those sheep not in the barn are sheltering in the 4-acre field shelter and likewise the ewes and their lambs in the 3-acre. It is SUCH a good feeling to know that all the animals have got somewhere to go to keep dry and warm. In weather like this, with a wind as well, new-born lambs are in serious danger of dying as the membrane they are born in gets no chance to dry (despite mum doing her best) and hypothermia sets in. The loses on the moor back in Minions were horrendous.
The next set of sheep (Ness, Whalsay and Noss) are due this weekend/early next week. We'd REALLY would like Mrs B and Lamorna to have given birth by then so we can get them outside and the new ones in. In truth though, we have no idea when to expect their lambs now: Mrs B’s udder is almost touching the ground, Lamorna’s remains small but IS swelling. We are not sure if they have gone beyond the 155 days mark OR whether the date we saw the coloured raddle on them from Jack-the-lad was not the date they actually were mated. Maybe they were giving off a few signs of being in season but actually weren’t and Jack caught them properly later. The only downside to that argument is that we should have noticed fresh red from the raddle, and we did not!!
Hey ho, well as the vet said last week, usually nature knows best so as long as both of the sheep are fit and healthy still, we won’t worry!! (‘She’ says..)