The Lambing Seasons Is HERE!
Crocus are pushing through
I often forget the stress that comes with lambing and kidding. It’s a wonderful time of year but as you’ll have read from last week, with births and babies there also come losses. There’s a definite turn of climate though. The wind isn’t as icy. The rain not as harsh. It’s light past 18:30 and every day there’s a new flower pushing through, another egg laid and more sightings of bees and the odd butterfly on the wing.
I’m delighted that the first lambs arrived this week. Though, as seems to be in line with the past few months, it wasn’t without some sadness first. On Thursday Peaches, for no apparent reason, went into labour three weeks early. She’d been a bit wobbly on her legs and despite giving her as much food as she’d eat, she was losing body condition. I’d penned her into the corner and provided her with her own little den but I suppose her body had had enough. She gave birth to three lovely babies - a buck and two does. They were all alive, curled up in the embryonic sacks. But being that premature gave them no chance as their lungs hadn’t developed so they only lived a few minutes. They weren’t ready for this world.
At home, defeated, I sat on the couch snacking on a bag of crisps and happened to turn on lamb cam … only to see something fall out the back of Curtains! It has to be said, she’d been acting a little odd during the day, isolating herself in the corner and wandering listlessly. But before leaving the barn after helping my goat princess, I’d done a once over with the girls and everything looked fine.
A quick drive (I was in my dressing gown at this point) and I arrived in the barn just in time to see the second lamb arrive. We had one of each; a ewe and a ram lamb. Curtains was a fantastic mum, cleaning them both up and happily following them into a pen. Problems began the next day when I caught her headbutting the ram. Having only ever had a single before, I think she’s rather confused that there’s two! To keep everyone safe, she’s now haltered in her pen enabling her to eat, drink, sleep etc but not hurt or pin the lamb against the hurdles. He’s happily sneaking milk along with his sister and I attempted to re-introduce the pair today but she still wasn’t keen. I’ll continue to persevere but I may end up with a bottle baby. There is nothing quite like that newborn baby lamb smell and I don’t mind a few cuddles but it would better in everyone’s interest if he can stay with mum.
Twin Jacob lambs
To try and get the ram lamb accepted, Curtains is haltered.
That wonderful newborn lamb smell.
You can see more on the lambies in my latest YouTube video.
Now, being mid-March, it’s also a furious time for planting the market farm. I’ve already begun many crops, with aubergines and chillies under growlights at home. In the polytunnel, I have swiss chard, turnips, kale, spinach, radish and beetroot germinating. The first flower beds are now filled with hesperis, yarrow, ranunculus, sweet williams and sweet peas and I’ve just begun sowing cornflower, strawflower, basil, dahlia and snapdragons.
Over the coming week it’s time to really get into the garden and begin preparing for transplanting. Time marches on and it’ll be May before I know it so it’s essential to get these crops in now otherwise I’ll have nothing to sell!
There are fantastic bulbs on the farm gate stand, and come May I hope to be filling vegetable boxes with lush produce and vases with vibrant cornflowers and stems of blooms.
Aubergine seedlings under the growlights from Mars Hydro
The farm stand is looking very spring like!
This is a time of year full of great change. There are huge amounts of new life arriving, whether that’s the animals on my farm or the bustling wildlife that are also nursing young and preparing for the year ahead. I’m excited to get into the garden and start sowing all those crops for harvests later in the season for bountiful fresh, local food.