Afternoon feed time is usually quite a joy at the moment (this is what is happening in the photo, can’t you tell??): it is our chance to see all the animals in close up, a time to check everyone looks okay, is behaving as expected and an opportunity to see all the youngsters in particular. The time AFTER birthing is a time when one can be lulled into a false sense of security, especially when, as with us, all births have gone well and the result is a group of very healthy young stock. The problem is that firstly, numbers at this time of year have usually doubled at the very least and as such there is a lot more to keep an eye on. Also, young animals such as lambs and kids are very prone to exploring where they should not and getting stuck, lost or worse and, a little like human babies; they can be quite vulnerable to diseases and illnesses due to their immune systems needing time to develop. The colostrum they receive in the first 24/48 hours SHOULD cover them for a few weeks (as it will carry some of mum's immunity) but after that their immune systems become far more unpredictable about what they can deal with. Many sheep and goat farmers vaccinate the lambs and kids at 3-4 weeks against Clostridial disease and Pasteurella (see January 3rd). This is done at the3-4 week old point as this is when the immunity they received via their mums, starts to fade. A second vaccination 4 weeks after their first then totally protects them. In between times can be tricky as bizarrely , the lamb can be more vulnerable at this time so vigilance is essential!! Mrs White’s lambs are three weeks old now (where does the time go?) so the first vaccinations are imminent!!