Lambs for All Ages

The other day I spent some time on the lane with Agnes and Carmel. This black one is Agnes - she's the daughter of our best Suffolk Mule ewe. She couldn't navigate her mother's elder, let's put it that way, so she became a pet.

She loves her milk - and always wants her bottle. My finger is no good but worth a try all the same.

Her friend Carmel is a few days older. She's full of beans!

And very spotty, with a lighter brown patch just behind her left eye.

Full of beans!

This one is blurry but it does make me laugh...

A very cute wee lady.

Very silly.

Agnes is more reserved. She looks very sensible in comparison.

First taste of grass.

Agnes has very chunky legs. Maybe she'll grow into them.

A few weeks ago, I chose Agnes and Carmel to send off on an adventure. Louise and Su picked them up and took them to a nursery...

...and a nursing home.

 

They were very well-behaved babies. Lovely to see my lambs spreading some joy off the farm too.

Fun in the Field

I kept Astrid and Primrose and their lambs in for a week before putting them outside. The wee ones love it!

 

Astrid coming over to see me.

 

 

Millie.

 

 

Back to babies.

 

 

 

 

One of the boys - Henry, I think - got onto the wrong side of the fence and panicked because he thought he was lost (the gate was open).

 

 

 

Petal listening.

 

 

Herbie on the other side.

 

 

Panicking Henry.

 

 

 

Herbie.

 

 

 

 There's a bit less drama from Hyacinth.

 

 

She has a naturally relaxed expression.

 

 

 

 

The boys are a bit silly.

 

 

 

 

It's always fun to watch them explore.

Here We Go...

On 25th January, still noticing new damage caused by Storm Éowyn, which blew through the previous day, Astrid kicked off 2025's lambing with twin boys. She had them all by herself and was already licking them when I spotted her. We got the new family into a pen and left them to it.

Astrid took to motherhood very well. The boys are almost identical, apart from a spot on the back leg of one of them. They're called Henry and Herbie (he has the spot). If I can't see the spot, I can't tell you who it is! This is one of them.

Primrose and Frida lambed the following morning, but it was a full week before Fern was ready. She had a difficult lambing, and unfortunately one of her twin girls only lived for a few minutes afterwards. The smaller lamb, coming backwards, we were able to save. This is Heather.

Meanwhile, the other ewes and lambs were enjoying the shelter of the shed. The wind picked up and we lost some of the shed roof on the Sunday after Storm Éowyn. Thankfully someone came and got that fixed for us the following day.

Frida, the poor thing, had a single, dead, ewe lamb. We're not sure why it died. It looked fine. But these things can happen sometimes. She was upset for a couple of days and I kept her in with the others until I was sure she was alright.

Here's (checks leg) Henry. I think.

Primrose, the only of the four who had any previous lambing experience, had a huge single ewe. I've called her Hyacinth.

The boys again. Henry with Herbie in the background (I'm sure this time).

The mums are kept busy - those lambs don't stay still!

So, overall, not the most successful start to lambing, but at least the pets are done. Now just over 200 or so to deal with come March! Easy peasy!