Lambing
Because we dont have access to suitable buildings we plan to start lambing when the weather improves at the beginning of April which also usually co-incides with the school Easter holidays. This year our first lambs were born the day after drought had been declared and the weather was horrific. After a relatively warm and dry period the temperature plummeted at the same time as a belt of torrential rain hit Norfolk.
On the first morning we lost 3 lambs and spent several hours reviving the surviving four in front of the wood burner. It was clear that our mentor Nick Emmett would have enough on his hands lambing his flock of 400 ewes so we called on our great friend Sarah Mills who fortunately came out of retirement and to the rescue.
Things gradually improved although we could not have coped without Sarah's years of experience behind us.
The antics of our first two pet lambs, now shearlings did not help. You have heard of women who are too posh to push, well Jessica Josephine was a sheep requiring a full time nanny. Unfortunately one was not available so Mrs Pigman fed her lambs whilst our trusty terrier Alfie babysat them. The other darling O2 unfortunately lost both her lambs during the dreadful first night but was very proud of the little one that she adopted. She would be yelling at the gate each time we opened it for us to have a look at her lamb, only to find when she looked round that she had lost it ......again....and again....and again ..... The entire spring was filled with her calling for the lamb she then promptly lost. I have a feeling that if these two sheep belonged to anyone else they would have gone up the ramp to pastures new - however they are still happily with us.
Fortunately Sarah Mills enjoyed getting her hands dirty again and has agreed to take charge of lambing in 2013. Since retiring as a shepherd Sarah has retrained as a teacher and a highlight of the Summer Term for her class was when 'Miss Mills' took a couple of our pet lambs to school for the day.
Until this summer our flock were predominately Jacobs which we crossed last winter with a Texel tup so the resulting lambs were relatively fast growing. The appeal of a Jacob Ewe is their ability to rear lambs off grass. In addition they are extremely hardy and very good mothers. In the summer we bought a few more Jacobs and 16 Romney ewes, this year the tup is a Texel/Charolais cross.
As well as making a lot of extra work for the pigs this year's weather has had a detrimental effect on the growth of the later lambs. One piece of good news though is that we did sell some of earlier lambs commercially for the first time this year.
Although still very small our flock now stands 40 head and so weather and time permitting we will start marketing Wissey Valley Lamb later in the summer when it becomes available.
