Lambing 2014

Our lambing season is over. Late this year, because of our travels, but it was an exciting thing to look forward to on our return. We lamb outside. These hardy Blackface sheep are well used to finding the best places to shelter from the worst of the wind and rain. Thankfully, it has been a decent spell of weather, and my trips back and forward to the lambing field have incorporated a fair bit of sitting in the sun, just appreciating my surroundings.

Our first arrivals were a gorgeous set of twins for Mhairi. I arrived down at feeding time to just miss the birth of the second lamb. Of course Mhairi had to get a special feed after all that effort, away from the rest of the ravenous mamas to be. The newly born twins (boy and girl) wait patiently until she has eaten. 

We had to wait a few days before the next arrival. Many anxious visits were made to the field, watching - trying to guess who would be next. Agnes and Maddie both looked likely on several occasions, but in fact it was Calumnina who produced this fine big ewe lamb.

A week later, Maddie Beag came trotting proudly up the the feeding trough with her new ram lamb. This was her second lamb, and it was amusing to see the difference a year had made to her confidence as a mother. Last year, she and her first-born were absolutely inseparable, and they hid themselves away from the flock for months. This year, she was right in among the feed, leaving her son baa-ing away from the sidelines. Only for a short time though, and soon he was back with his mum, tail wagging delightedly, as new lambs do.

Then, on another trip down to the field at feeding time and we had just missed the final birth by minutes. Agnes still licking her brand new ewe lamb, seemed totally unphased by the event, and came to the trough, membranes still trailing. She is one tough cookie!

So - that was our Lambing 2014. Nice and easy - experienced mothers - no interventions, and five fine thriving lambs.  They are now firm friends, and our evenings are now spent watching the lamb olympics as they race and leap around the croft.