First of all a quick apology. We had a message on Saturday morning, notifying us to a sheep stuck in the brambles. I meant to say thank you in yesterday’s blog and I forgot. Unfortunately the sheep seem to do it regularly. We check several times daily but can’t see some areas. That’s where the residents of Collwyn Street come in and let us know. We can’t always get straight to the sheep if there is another emergency but once we know we get to them as soon as possible.
Josh was up at 2.30 to do another night feed. The dog and Sian did not accompany him this time. They both refused to get up and went back to sleep 😂 They refused to drink. Their mother isn’t in the best of health and they aren’t getting enough to drink. We have tube fed them even though they can suck. It’s a faster and more efficient way of feeding them and improving their health. I make the powdered milk as usual and take it to Garth Hall in a flask. When I’m in the barn I sanitise my hands and take the sterilised tube out of the sterile bag. This is then briefly soaked in boiling water to soften it.I fill the syringe with 50ml of milk and attach it to the tube. Then I slowly and gently put the tube in the lamb’s mouth. They swallow the tube easily and once in far enough, I can push the milk into the tube. They then have lovely full tummies. Weak lambs use so much energy trying to suckle that the use the energy from any milk they’ve managed to get. Tube feeding the twins will help get then stronger quicker and allow their mother time to get a bit better too. It’s hard work feeding, especially when we don’t live on site.
I was at Garth Hall by 7am to repeat the process. Sian and Olive tried to convince me they were also starving. I’m not buying it though 😂 The trouble is, being so cute, I often give in and put more hay out for them. I’m a sucker for all the silvernoses. Neil saw Olive do something funny the evening after she lambed. After the delivery, the placenta is then passed. It’s long and stringy. This is the first time she has lambed. She did not know what was hanging around behind her. She kept turning to see what it was but as she turned of course, she still couldn’t see it. She was going round and round in circles like a dog chasing it’s tail 😂😂
There weren’t any new lambs so I went home for breakfast. After food I took my father and Skye to Tregurnog. Neil’s twins were still fine after the nasty rain so I messaged to let him know . The rain was bad so we were slightly concerned. The big black ewe was strolling around with twins. White ones. That’s a shame, I wanted black ones so I would have more black wool for peg looming. Fingers crossed the other black ewe has a black ewe lamb! I tried to catch them with my crook so I could number them. The dog was barking too much and off she marched them. They really do seem to march them off. It’s a bit like when you’re at the the supermarket and you see someone you don’t want to see so you do a 180 with your trolley and go off as fast as you can. Or is that just me…?
There was another set of twins as well. They had been born in the back of the barn. These were number 7. When I was in there I came across Blossom (former pet lamb) and her lamb. I grabbed the lamb and did a gender check. Girl. Nice so I only had a tail to ring. She was a wriggler but I managed. I then did the red spot on her bum to show she had been ringed and that she’s a girl.
I was determined to try again to mark the twins after Sunday dinner. I had to check the sheep anyway and this time I was on my own. I had my rucksack with everything in and my crook. I strode off in search of my prey. As there are only two black sheep they are easy to see. I got a bit closer this time but she saw me. Off they went at high speed towards the brook. Ooh, a chance to trap them there. I’m not proud to say that she outwitted and out ran me. But, she left a lamb behind. I went after it with the crook in front of my outstretched arm. I got within inches of it. If I wasn’t weighed down with the bloody rucksack I would have reached her. Without it though I wouldn’t have had the equipment to mark her. Never mind. Josh will have to do it. He’s younger than me 😂
Because I was at Tregurnog, Josh and Sian went to Garth Hall. I sent him a list of eleven things that needed to be done. I rang to see how things were going. “Well I forgot the first 2 things on the list so I had to go back home” The first two were the tubing kit and the milk. He was going to feed the twins so he really needed those. Anyone who knows Josh will not be shocked by this. Not at all…
When he eventually got back after dark, I asked if he had done everything. He didn’t do the hay or take the alpaca mix down. Neil did those 🤦♀️ He then stood in the hall and told me he was shattered from all the work that I do on my own daily!
What will today bring?
Helen x
