Exhausted.

The lambing is almost over now and life can return to a more normal pace.We have had a wonderful run of lambs. Most of them seem to be healthy and strong thank goodness. At the moment we have four tame lambs to feed so that isn`t too bad. There are twenty three ewes left to lamb now. The shed looks really empty, on the other hand the fields are full of lambs skipping and jumping. They are really having fun. Bunches of fifty or more race up and down the hedgerows leaping in the air just for fun. The more the sun shines the more they play. I am quite concerned about how they will cope with the very bad weather we have been forcast for Monday. Really strong winds and heavy rain is bad news for sheep. They hate it.
Simon worked really hard yesterday. The seed oats were finally delivered, weeks late. With next weeks forcast so bad Simon decided to try and sow the four fields.
He finished at 10.30 pm after a whole day in the tractor seat. Everyone took a turn to take him some food or a drink so he could keep going. It was worth the effort, we woke up this morning to heavy rain. The spring barley has popped up . The fields are turning from brown to green,that`s always exciting.It proves Spring is on the way.

The bird.

A few days ago I was pottering around the yard. I bent down to pick up a roll of wire. Something bit my thumb so hard I screamed, I thought it must be a rat. When I looked down a bird was clinging grimly to my thumb. I couldn`t believe my eyes.I have never seen one like it here before. I prised it`s large beak open with my other thumb nail. It didn`t fly away, it fell to the floor. I realised it couldn`t fly. I found a shoe box and went to pop it in. It almost got my finger again. I offered it the end of a pencil, which it bit so hard I could lift it into the box. I gave it water and went to study the bird book. It was a Hawfinch. It`s beak was very much like a parrots.It was almost as big as a blackbird. Our local vet at Lostwithiel will treat any wildlife free of charge. I was going to take it in the following morning. There were a few sloes in the freezer waiting to be turned into gin, so I thawed a few out for his supper.To cut a long story short, he chewed his way out of the box with his powerful beak. I couldn`t find it. All was not lost however. My neighbour saw it and went to pick it up. She was bitten too. She phoned the RSPB who said it couldn`t be a Hawfinch because ther wasn`t any in Cornwall so they wouldn`t collect it .She phoned the RSPCA. They wernt at all interested. In the end she took it to the vet. We are now waiting for news of small attacker.

Lambs by the dozen.

We have been so busy with the lambs we didn`t know which way to turn. They have been arriving in ones twos threes and one set of four. They are all different. White, brown ,some with spots and one born from our only black sheep totally black. It is so beautiful, as soft as velvet and so black you can`t see it if it is standing in the shadows. Some children came to see the animals yesterday. They loved the lambs and decided to call the black one Heather. Lorna loves black sheep and wants to keep Heather for a ewe.
lauren our Granddaughter from Essex has been staying for half term. Her ambition is to be a vet. When a ewe was having difficulty giving birth Lauren said she would like to deliver it. Under our careful supervision she successfully delivered two little lambs. She took some photographs of them to show her friends at school. This May she has got to do work experience and she is hoping to come to Cornwall to work with our vets.

Busy Time.

The sheep have kept us very busy and we now have a lovely run of lambs. They are now old enough to leave mum for a short while. This is playtime, big bunches of up to about forty run up and down the meadow, jumping and leaping as they go. If one is lucky enough to find a little hill or a stone to stand on he is king of the castle. This is a favourite game. He will try to defend the hill, then a combined effort of two or three lambs will manage to push him off. Then there is a new king and the game begins again. The younger smaller lambs stand back watching the game. When the big ones race off to the next game the little ones try to play too. This morning someone drove into the farmyard to tell us that a few lambs were playing in the road. We went up to look. There were two lambs in the road and two in the field. They had squeezed under the gate. It was great fun for them. Mother was quite distressed and was calling to them. We put some wood under the gate to prevent any more escapes and possible accidents. We have been very lucky with the weather so far. The forcast is very bad for the last day of January. Hopefully it wont cause too many problems.
There have been births in the cow shed too. So far we havn`t seen any born. We hear a cow talking to a baby and go to look. They are so sweet with their soft coats and big eyes.
The hedgerows are beginning to look pretty as the snowdrops and primroses start to bloom. The primroses are a bit early so I hope any cold weather we may get wont spoil them.

Lots of lambs.

The lambs are being born thick and fast.Every time you turn your back on the sheep shed another ewe starts to give birth. There have been a nice amount of doubles a few sets of triplets and of course the usual singles.Sometimes a single can be quite useful, if you are there at the birth it`s possible to adopt a triplet. We offer her the little stranger first. If she seems pleased with that one we put hers there as well. If she licks and talks to both it`s great. Thats one tame lamb less to feed. Although lambing is going with a swing the weather isn`t. The fields are saturated, it`s difficult to stand up because of the mud. At least it isn`t cold and all the rain has made the grass grow, when we turn the ewes and lambs into the fields there is plenty of food for them. It is a joy to see them running, jumping and playing. You know that they are healthy with a full tummy of rich milk.Life is really busy at the moment. I will post another update when I have another spare five minutes.

New year and lambs.

The first lamb arrived on New years Eve. Just one day early. He was a fine healthy boy, strong and vigerous. Of course we hoped for twins but one healthy
lamb is ok.
The second lamb turned out to be a single boy too. Some of the ewes are huge, no doubt when a set of quads are born I will be moaning about that too. The flock have
been coming in at night for easy checking and going out in the daytime. This morning I let them out and they went to eat their breakfast of crushed barley. When I turned my back for a while they had all marched back into the shed. Perhaps it`s too wet for them in the fields now.
The two new pigs have arrived. They are about eight weeks old . I havn`t heard what they are called yet, they look very sweet and naughty.
The cow shed is still awaiting the first calf. The cow`s bellies are huge. We are hoping to move them into a bigger shed with better lighting before the rush begins.
This will enable us to see them better at night. We hope they wont have any problems giving birth but you can never tell.
One of our little ducks is missing. One evening she wasn`t with the other ducks when it was time for bed. We have looked everywhere for her. There are no signs of feathers so we are hoping the fox hasn`t taken her. Perhaps she is sitting on eggs somewhere.I know it`s the wrong time of the year for nesting,but the ducks are still laying eggs every day. We will have to wait for four weeks to see if she comes out with some ducklings.I hope she does but I fear the fox has eaten her.

The family arrive.

As Christmas nears all the family have started to arrive in Cornwall. Matthew, Lauren and Chris have arrived from Essex.They are staying at the farm. My sister and her family, seven of them have arrived from Gloustershire and Devonshire. They are staying at Mum and Dad`s. We are having two Christmas dinners one in each house but we will be meeting up during the day for present opening and an odd drink or two. Of course all the animals have got to be checked and fed before the festivities can begin. We try to get as much food prepared on Christmas eve as possible. Then it`s just a matter of tipping the bags of grain and dropping in the big silage bales. Hopefully the first lamb will wait till New Years day, I have a feeling that it will be earlier though.