We are now about halfway through lambing and have encountered no major problems. For some reason, the sheep have decided it would be a good idea to proceed with giving birth at around two in the morning this year.
Looking for signs
In the past, they seem to have preferred before it got dark or first thing in the morning. This suited us better. This time when we check them around midnight, there always seems to be one about ready. The tell-tale signs are, laying down then getting up a couple of minutes later, pawing the ground or sloping off into a corner and just standing with the head down, looking at the floor.
All last autumn’s careful planning has gone out of the window. The colour marking of each individual sheep so I could make a note of the date they were covered has come to nought. All the dates so carefully noted down in Mrs H’s folder mean nothing to the ewes. The lambing dates are not where they should be, but never mind, they are coming when they want to.
A strange thing happened to Mrs H one night. It was 2.30am. She waskeep an eye on the shearlings, as it’s the first time for them to have a lamb they can be “a bit iffy”.
