It's been a while ...

Since I had time to post much but lambing has just finished and, as always, it was a stressful time in that you never know what to expect and have to be prepared for all sorts of challenges.  These hardy primitive sheep lamb themselves (by and large) outside and we then move mother and lamb(s) to a roughly made shelter for up to 48 hours to ensure bonding is strong.  Time spent hanging around at the pens is rewarded with the sounds of woodpeckers, peewits, oystercatchers and both tawny and barn owls.  The lambs become independent very quickly and part of our checking routine now seems aimed at preventing lambs from getting lost, getting stuck and generally getting into bother.  Lambs love to explore and will get through the smallest gap in fences.  The lambs are growing very quickly indeed these days.
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The retired ladies and last year’s ewe lambs (now known as ewe hoggs) are kept separate to avoid any mis-mothering.  They have moved to a nearby plot for the summer months where they will be made a big fuss of by workers and staff at the local whisky distillery.
The tups are starting to grow again now that the grass has arrived and are fighting each other with their growing horns.
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