There's a Lamb Living in my Potting Shed!
And other sheep stories
This is Muffin. One of three lambs born at the farm a few days ago. As sometimes happens with triplets, Muffin, the smallest of them all, was pushed out by the other two and needed extra TLC. Phil the Farmer suggested round the clock feeding. This is how Muffin came to take up residence in my potting shed.
I brought all the kit and caboodle home to feed a newborn lamb. Tubes, a syringe, powdered milk, plus a bottle. Muffin has taken to the bottle like a champ. After day 1, he started actively looking for the bottle when I went in to feed him. We’re doing the feeding in stages. Muffin has some milk, then a pause for a cuddle. Then we’ll have another go. He’s not yet finished his quota but gets through about 80% of it, so not bad.
He has all modcons. An old dog bed, towels, a toy donated by Bamber, a heater. Muffin’s lovely and snug.
Ideally, I should feed him every four hours but I’m adopting a little and often approach if he doesn’t finish his bottle. He seems to be making progress. He trots around the potting shed, his hooves on the floor sounding like hobnail boots. He bleats when I leave him (but not for long now). He’s very happy snuggling on my lap in between bottles.
Once we’ve established his bottle feeding, he’ll be going back to the farm. He is this year’s first cade (or pet) lamb and will continue to be bottle fed and then weaned.
We’re almost at the end of phase one of this year’s lambing. (Phase two starts towards the end of March). Only a handful of ewes left to lamb.
The shed is full of lambs right now. We have a creche with six ewes and their lambs. Little Ted, a slow developer, is in the main area with his Mum. He’s now able to get himself up and runs around the shed. His Mum is very attentive. Ted will stay in the shed for a while as he catches up with the others. There are a couple of sets of twins and a single lamb.
The first bay of the cow shed is home to other ewes (including Dot Dot) and lambs. Unfortunately, two lambs were taken from the paddock by a fox yesterday so we brought everyone in last night as a safeguard.
I’ve delivered around 7 lambs this year. Most ewes happily deliver on their own, just one or two need some extra help. Almost 60 ewes have had lambs. I’m not sure of the headcount as it’s a mix of singles, twins and triplets. We’ve only had a small number of losses along the way, plus the two taken by the fox.
I was completely new to lambing last year. I’d never stood in the middle of a shed full of sheep before the summer of 2023. I’d never delivered a lamb or spent any time around sheep. In fact, back then, I thought I loved cows the best!
I tagged along with Phil the Farmer, mostly holding stuff for him. Foot clippers, spray cans. Gradually I did more.
I started herding sheep. Sometimes miraculously. Occasionally making things worse. I helped get sheep on the trailer to move to another field. I stood in the middle of a pen crammed with sheep and operated a sorting gate.
I was jostled by various ewes in their quest to get to the corn. Dot Dot was, and still is, the worst offender for this. The ewes weigh around 80 kilos and can quite easily knock you over. I developed a corn distribution strategy to initially distract them so that I can scatter the corn over here while they’re busy over there.
I discovered I love sheep. When I’m alone in the sheep shed or the paddock with them, we talk. At least, I talk, and they appear to listen. ‘My’ three cade lambs from last year each have a fabulous fleece now. They still come over for cuddles.
I’m far less pragmatic than Phil. I name my favourites (‘never name any of the sheep’) and spend time with those that need some additional care. Admittedly, I have the time to do the little extras. Tucking some hay around a lamb to keep it warm. Cuddles and Reiki to help it along.
The sheep seem to respond. They follow me when we move them - most of the time - making relocation easier. When Phil needed to milk a ewe who had lost her lamb, I held her in place with one hand underneath her chin while I stroked her face with the other. She stood still and let Phil take the milk for another lamb who needed it.
Would I make a good farmer? I don’t know. My approach is my own. But Russell Crowe talked about how he adopted a more gentle farming technique on a recent Joe Rogan podcast - Mr Crowe was talking my language and everything he said resonated.
I’m telling you all this to say … it’s never too late to go in a new direction. Part time shepherding was never part of my life plan. It came out of nowhere and surprised me, and people who’ve known me all my life. But this is more me than many things I’ve done.
I spend my days wearing muddy wellies. Right now I smell of bottle feed - Muffin does dribble somewhat! When I’ve been around the sheep, my clothes take on a new aroma! My wardrobe is mostly full of what I wear on the farm. My hands are a bit dry and rough.
It’s a far cry from my suited and booted office life. And I’ve never been happier!