Day 17 - spring lambing 2012

The highlight today has been a successful wet adoption. This is where a ewe is having a single and we put a triplet onto her and it all went well today which is great.

The Badger trend continues...3 more today! So it seems our new Hartline ram has an interesting gene which is producing our gorgeous little lambs.

We moved some lambs outside too which is such a lovely job and all the ones who are already outside are doing really well.

All set for tomorrow, not as hot as last weekend it seems, but we're looking forward to seeing everyone.

Day 16 - spring lambing 2012

Another beautiful day and some lovely lambs born, including a set of twins from Henry! Henry was our first orphan who we couldn't help but keep, and she is a real character. Unfortunately, when Roly arrived in the lambing sheds first thing this morning, she had already lambed and wasn't so keen on one of her lambs. We are keeping a close eye on her and hoping she will start to accept both her lambs by tomorrow.

We had a pre school group this morning from Oxford where our friend Carol works who helped us our first year here. She is a total star and its lovely that we've kept in touch and she brings the children out to see us. They had a cuddle with Badger and we even did a sheep manoevre with them too, which was great fun.

See attached photo of our two other little Badgers, aren't they sweet, particularly the one with the floppy ear!

Day 15 - Spring Lambing 2012

Just returned from the late night lambing shed check, where I was met by Akash with a big smile on his face. Akash, who is on his lambing placement from the Royal Veterinary College, had just successfully lambed a ewe, however having caught her and carefully placed her on her side, Akash realised he did not have his lambing ropes on him. Normally there would be someone else around to help, however not on this occasion, meaning he would have to release her, get his kit and then go through the whole process again, until he remembered a little trick. . . Akash quickly removed his jumper, placed it over the ewes head, where she just instantly layed motionless allowing Akash to dash off, grab his kit, and return amazed to find her still there!

On the lambing front, we have had another good day with 10 ewes having their lambs. We were also joined by our 'shepherd for the day' Sally Buttolph who got really stuck into every job. We also turned a batch of ewes and lambs outside, always a favourite job.

More to follow tomorrow

Day 14 - spring lambing 2012

It really could be July! We've all been in the lambing sheds in t shirts today, I can never remember that happening before! Very happy for it to continue while we are lambing and after this weekend when we are open again to visitors but after that we need RAIN! We can hardly remember what it looks like!

So, not only do we have one very special Badger, but now we have two more! See attached photo. One of our favourite ewes had triplets this morning, two of which have Badgers markings again and they are girls, the other little girl is white so completely different to her two sisters.

Badger is doing really well and charging around the nursery pen with all her friends. We had Goring preschool visit us today and Badger got lots of strokes which she seemed to like. Her coat really is so soft and so are her ears!

Henry our first ever pet lamb is expecting her first lambs any day now, in fact she has been hogging the same corner in the barn for the last 2 days - come on Henry!

The lambs which we have already put outside are growing by the day with the sun on their backs and their Mums are loving tucking into the growing grass.

Hope you like the photo which our friend Ian Beecher Jones took this morning of our amazing set of triplets after they had just been born....who is more proud Roly or their Mum?!

Day 13 - Spring lambing 2012

The great thing about having people join us on the farm to be 'Shepherds for the day' is that they remind us just how lucky we are with our work. Like everyone we get bogged down in the day to day problems and challenges, from bills to droughts, but today we were joined by an 11 year old boy called Jo Mason and his gran Lin Hall who had bought him a 'Shepherd for the day' voucher for his birthday. Jo reminded me how i was at his age, farm mad! Jo's enthusiasm and energy has worn me out (and Belle, our sheep dog), but at the same time has reminded me what amazing places farms are. So its 10pm and i'm just off to check the sheep (again) with a spring in my step!

PS so far today 18 lambs, 1 set of triplets, 1 wet adoption and a worn out sheep dog!

Day 12 - spring lambing 2012

Wow, an amazing day up at the farm. 100's of people turned out today to see our lambs and meet Badger! The weather has been truly glorious, like a summers day, although you know it is still March in the evenings as I'm just back from the sheds and wearing scarf and gloves.

We love sharing our flock with everyone but it is nice having the sheds back to ourselves at the end of the day. The ewes and lambs take it in their stride and seemed to think they deserved some more hay just now, we always give in....

Such a beautiful moon this evening, Roly commented that it looks like a moon from a nursery rhyme and we were waiting to see the cow jump over it! I think lack of sleep is really kicking in...

Thank you to everyone who came to see us this weekend and to all our helpers and to the Earth Trust. Please come along next weekend if you missed out or want to have another cuddle with Badger or another yummy lamb burger!

Camilla, Roly, Molly, Boris and Belle

Day 11 - Spring lambing 2012

Today - 18 lambs born, 250 lamb burgers cooked and 1200 visitors, what a day! But Badger (picture above) loved the attention, sound asleep now - Badger and shepherd!