We thought lambing finished with a lovely set of twins on 3rd April. Then one of the gimmers (first time mothers) produced a tiny lamb and within 3 days 2 more gimmers had singles. They're all tiny but one is in the orchard nesxt to the house the other 2 are here in the SCBU.
The one on the left had been out in the orchard but the weather changed and we had a biting wind. This little scrap had a clever knack of finding shelter - to the extent that one day neither I nor the mother could find it hidden behind a large stone against the old piggery wall until we heard the faint bleating. So we brought them in and I'm feeding Shelley (as in shelter. I know name them.....) to help it gain strength.
The one on the right we kept in the barn at the beginning but thought they would benefit from the company and the extra room. Barney (work it out) is a funny looking little thing with ears like a spaniel and a wrinkly coat like one of those expensive dogs. He's beginning to fill his coat a little bit better now.
But I have a slight problem. Both the mothers had been bottle fed by me last year and associate me with food. So when I go in with bottles for the babies they crowd me. It's not frightening - although they are BIG sheep and their breath close to is warm and sweet - but it intereferes with the feeding. So I'm having to barricade myself into a corner behind that old table you see there. I suppose it's my own fault for giving them digestive biscuits ....... :)
