Joli and Mansel catch up on some reading...

Today Rich worm-dosed and trimmed the hooves of the last sheep in the lambing shed, and let them loose in the field. Four of the older ewes will be going to market as culls - they didn’t lamb, or lambed unsuccessfully. None of them were as much loved as Pet, so I don’t feel too sad…

All of the other sheep and their lambs are out in the field, including Joli and her four! She spends nearly all her time now out in the field, hanging out with the baby lambs and reading in the sun. They get fed four times a day, and she is deeply immersed in mothering them. With all the difficulties that go along with being the mother of four lambs…

Being a mum can make you crazy!

But fair play, she’s doing a brilliant job. Feeding baby lambs means that four times a day, bottles need to be washed and sterilized. Milk powder has to be mixed with water to make a paste, and hot water added along with cold to make it just the right temperature, and consistency. (The lambs won’t drink it if it’s cold, and if it’s too hot, it burns them.) Each lamb has a different amount of milk, which has to be carefully tracked and increased at the appropriate intervals; if they get too little, or too much, it could kill them. Joli’s been faithful and responsible, and all the lambs are thriving under her care….

The oldest, Mansel, is chunky and cheeky and leaps around everywhere, instead of walking.

Mansel is getting big...

 Mansel has a special place in Joli’s heart, as her first-born. But close on Mansel’s heels is Pickles. Pickles was born as one of twins, and her twin died. She’s quite healthy now, but had trouble walking when she was born.

Pickles on the right...

Rosie is the middle child. She’s the lamb from Pet, Rich’s special pet sheep who was, herself, bottle fed as a lamb ten years ago.  

One afternoon after the height of the lambing was past, Joli went out to the lambing shed and saw that Pet was in labor. She ran back to the house to tell Taid that a sheep was starting, and he came up to have a look.

By the time they got there, Rosie had been born, and was stuck behind the food trough. Joli picked up the tiny lamb, Taid went to get Rich, and they did all they could for Pet. She was laying on her side, eyes open, struggling to get up …

Rich tried to get Pet to respond to Rosie, but Pet had used up the last of her energy cleaning Rosie, and just didn’t have any left…or any milk. Pet died that night.

Joli came back in to check on the new little lamb and found her wandering forlornly around, bleating. Joli picked her up and took her inside, deposited her in the box lined with newspaper that we now keep routinely in front of the radiator in the kitchen, and went to mix up a new bottle of milk. 

Rosie, Pet's daughter - she's a fighter, but a bit sickly...

From the start, Rosie has been a bit sickly. She drinks most of her milk, most of the time, but tends to lay around watching while the other lambs play and have fun. 

And then, when we thought that all the lambing was over, Delia arrived! 

Taid came in to say that he had spotted a tiny lamb in the shed. We all went out to look, and he was right - she was tiny! Perfectly formed, but small as a toy. Her mother was cleaning her, but had no milk to give her. Joli added her to the brood, and mixed up yet another bottle of milk.

Tiny Delia

Oddly, she’s the only one of the brood who tends to be independent, and wanders off by herself. All the others cluster together, and rush to Joli whenever she comes in to the field. 

Thankfully, Joli’s on holiday from school at the moment. I dread the thought of taking on all her chores when she has to go back after Easter!