Well done Basil!

We are so proud of Basil! We think these are just the sweetest lambs with their woolly knees just like their Dad! Lambing is in full swing and we have had some wonderful twins, triplets and even a set of quadruplets! The only downer is the weather...we had snow on Sunday, so understandably we didn't have the visitor numbers but we're hoping this weekend will be warmer so do come and see us and say hello to the lambs.

We have put our first trailer of ewes and lambs outside and they are doing well, the ewes are just so happy to be outside eating the grass which we hope will have the chance to grow once the weather warms up, come on spring! we're all waiting for you!

More soon

Camilla, Roly, Molly, Freddie, Boris and Belle

A tricky start but all is well...

Lambing started earlier than was scheduled and it has been a worrying 10 days. We've had some sad losses which were unusual, enough to make us get a post mortem done which we are awaiting the results for. However, we hope we're not speaking too soon but we think we've turned a corner and have had some wonderful lambs over the last couple of days. I took this photo this morning of Roly and Molly taking some lambs outside to bask in the sunshine!

Henry our first ever orphan lamb was the first to be turned outside, mainly because she is so demanding! Always wanting to be be fed and behaves like such a diva! We can't help being fond of her though, as she is such a character. You can spot her in the photo, she has the blue number 1 on her side.

5 sets of triplets have been born today, all doing well. Come along and see them this weekend or the following weekend when we are open to visitors. We also have a few spaces left on our 'evening in the lambing barns', so get in touch if you would like to book a place. Visit our website for more details www.camillaandroly.co.uk

More soon

Camilla, Roly, Molly, Freddie, Boris and Belle

First signs of spring!

Freddie is 5 weeks old today.  He is growing fast and is settling in well to his farming routine already.  Molly is very chuffed to be a big sister and is very excited about the start of lambing.  She loves being up in the lambing sheds with us and has her very own bucket for feeding the sheep!

We have glorious sunshine here today and we're hoping it will stay with us for the next few weeks so our lambs and mums have the best start on the new spring grass.  The ewes are all looking well and we can't wait for the lambs to begin arriving.  It is a strange time the week before we start as we all feel a bit twitchy in anticipation!  This year we're particularly looking forward to seeing Basil's offspring, if they look anything like their Dad we will have a lot of teddy bear look a likes.

Our lambing weekends are very soon so  please come along and see our flock and the lambs and enjoy a day out with us and the Earth Trust.  Dates are 16, 17, 23 and 24 March, 10am until 4pm, for more details please see our website www.camillaandroly.co.uk

Our posts will be more regular as lambing begins and we can't wait to tell you all about the new life being born up in the sheds.

More soon

Camilla, Roly, Molly, Freddie, Boris and Belle

My name is Freddie

 

I just wanted to introduce myself. I am the new mini shepherd in the picture. I joined Roly, Camilla and Molly (from left to right!) on the 29th January 2013. My name is Freddie Thomas Gerald Puzey and I was born in Wallingford Hospital. For those of you that like detail, I weigh 8.9lb, and in the words of my dad (a shepherd) ‘I am a good strong single’! My mum is amazing, and my big sister Molly thinks I am great.

I look forward to meeting everyone soon
With love
Freddie Puzey

191%

It has been an extremely busy few days for our girls.  Not only have they had to navigate their way through the mud to end up in the lambing sheds, they have since been shorn and scanned to see how many lambs they are each having!  Our scanning result is 191% which we are really pleased with considering what they have had to put with this summer with all the rain.  Even one of our favourite girls is having quadruplets!

Scanning is a really important part of our management as it enables us to divide the flock according to how many lambs they are each having and feed them the right amount of food.  This obviously saves us money but also ensures the ewes who are having singles do not end up having enormous lambs and troublesome births.  From the photo you can see the different coloured dots on their backs - red is for singles, blue is for triplets and our quad (2 blue dots) and no dots are having twins.  The green marks are the ewes whose offspring we will keep as replacements to breed from in future years.  How many are Basil's offspring remains to be seen, can't wait!

As I write the snow is falling outside and we have probably had about 4 inches this morning.  This is when it is nice to know the ewes are inside and we can keep a close eye on them.  We have lambs outside still but they will be tucking into their fodder beet and hay which will be keeping them warm and giving them energy.  Basil doesn't think a lot of the snow, it sticks to his fleece but makes him look even more handsome!

Our baby is due today, so having our tractor on standby is rather a blessing.....

Roly was lucky enough to see an elusive visitor to the lambing sheds yesterday morning, have a look at this you tube clip.

More soon

Camilla, Roly, Molly, Boris and Belle

Happy New Year!

I have just looked at the weather forecast again and no rain is forecast for a few days, a great start to the new year for us.  It is hard work in the mud taking care of livestock.  The sheep don't like it either and seem to be looking at us and asking to come indoors.  We've had to move them twice off the fields which have flooded onto higher ground and they do not like walking through puddles let alone floods, so they took some persuading!

We have selected about 30 ewes who are already indoors who seemed to be struggling more than the rest with the wet weather and we thought they could do with a bit of TLC.  They are happily munching their way through our hay and seem much happier.  Our lambs have certainly got the taste for fodder beet and came running over to greet us on the quad bike this afternoon.

Roly is busy building the pens in the lambing sheds ready for the main flock to come in next week.  They will be shorn and then scanned to tell us how many lambs they are each having.  We can then divide them into pens and feed them accordingly.  We hope to have good scanning results as there have been reports in the farming press of low percentages due to the Schmallenberg virus which has now been confirmed in every county as well as poor nutrition from the grass as a result of the wet summer.

We are really looking forward to having all our 'shepherds for the day' who have booked up to be with us and our guests who will be joining us in the evenings during lambing as well.  We still have some spaces for the evenings so get in touch if you would like to join us, see www.camillaandroly.co.uk for all the details and how to book.

Not long now until our new addition to the family arrives, we are so excited and can't believe Molly will be a big sister!

Very happy new year

Camilla, Roly, Molly, Boris and Belle

Armbands anyone?!

Rain, rain and more rain! Everywhere is so wet and we had to execute an emergency move last week for the ewes to get them safely on higher ground with some hay just before the Thames flooded its banks. And flood it did. We've been very aware of the flooding risk since we have been here and its not until it has happened that you can fully appreciate where the water will go and how high it will rise. Now we know! It is just beginning to go down now and the debris, including some big logs, are now noticeable in the middle of the fields.

Basil is now officially resting. We separated the rams from the girls last week so we now have to wait until we have the ewes scanned in January to see if the boys have done their job. There have been concerning reports in the press recently regarding poor scanning results from early lambing flocks which is either being put down to the Schmallenberg virus which remains a threat or poor conception rate due to the wet summer and the low nutritional value of the grass. There does always seem to be something which makes us concerned for the welfare of the flock. I guess it isn't surprising when we are dealing so directly with the elements.

We have started to feed the lambs fodder beet for the first time. This is a root crop, it looks similar to a turnip or swede, which is packed with sugar to help make up for the energy they need which they won't be finding in the grass so late in the season. It has taken them a while to get the taste for it but now they are tucking in! Feed prices are high this year due to the poor harvest so we are pleased to have found an alternative and it has been grown not far away from us.

We are taking lots of Christmas orders, so please get in touch if you would like to order your favourite cuts. Loin fillet is a bit of a treat or we like having a rack or 'best end' at some point over Christmas, it is so easy and so delicious! Finally, if you are looking for a unique Christmas present, why not treat a member of the family or a friend to be 'shepherds for the day' with us or to spend an 'evening in the lambing barns'.
You can find out more here http://www.camillaandroly.co.uk/be-a-shepherd  

More soon

Camilla, Roly, Molly, Boris and Belle