(Rose)Mary had a little lamb....

After a several months of cake baking for the farmer Terry, I plucked up the courage to ask a favour - could we come and feed the lambs? Terry who is a generous and generally wonderful chap said that of course we could. So on Monday we were treated to an hour and a half of pure delight on the farm.

(My apologies for the very bright sheeps eyes in the photos)

This is the first shed you come to on the farm (and I must confess I thought the only shed). Terry quickly pulled out two lambs and handed us a bottle. My little boy was a little unsure so just watched whilst I fed the lamb.

Those lambs that are already used to the bottle quickly come straight up to Terry - they weren't so sure about me. As Terry talked to us we learnt that each lamb has its own little character and quirks just like a new born baby and so some need to be coaxed to feed whilst others pretty much try and swallow the bottle. Terry sounded like a midwife as he talked me through the various ways to encourage the lamb to suckle.

We went further into the sheds and met more and more ewes, rams and lambs.  I went into a pen with a ewe and two lambs who had never had a bottle before. The ewe stomped her feet and suddenly seemed very, very big.She did make me nervous but hopefully I will get more confident and be able to go into pens without upsetting the ewe.  Terry is so close to his sheep that he gave a few of them cuddles as we went round! I absolutely loved it and am really hoping I will be able to help Terry out with bottle feeding next year.

The highlight for my little boy was undoubtedly the tractors - he got to sit in and "drive" two with the promise of a trip round the field in a couple of months. He loved seeing all the machines and the sights and smells of the farm. Terry might have a couple of new apprentices next year!

A week of animal adventures

It has been a week packed full of animal adventure. In between working on some exciting papercut commissions I have had to rise to the challenge of various animal rescues and treating ailments.

Terry is in the middle of lambing (last count 40 sheep lambed, 100 and something to go!) These lambs are some of the first born who are now gambolling out and about in the fields. Lambing is an exciting and nerve wracking time in the village. Everyone is hopeful that Terry's flock will remain unaffected by the dreadful Schmallenberger virus that has been affecting lambs this year. (So far so good).

Whilst there isn't much we can do to help Terry and Paul whilst they lamb, as dog owners we are acutely aware of keeping our dogs on a very tight leash. Imagine our horror when we were up at the allotment this week (right next to these lambs) and met a young husky. No owner, no collar, no control. After about an hour and with the help of five other families we managed to catch her. A beautiful and very friendly dog but completely unknown to any of us. Several hours later our neighbours had managed to track down her owners. Thankfully Terry's sheep seem ok even though the dog must have come through their field.

Another rescue was of a beautiful male greenfinch trapped in one of the fruit cages at the allotment.

And the ailment? Well our poor girls seem to have got all sorts of bugs and parasites troubling them at the minute. Terry has very kindly provided some medicine for them and we've been to buy some treatment for their legs. So spare a thought for me this weekend as I throroughly disinfect two chicken coops, feed and drink containers and catch and spray 15 chickens!

Have a great weekend (and if you do have a dog - keep it away from the sheep!)