The Lambing Crew

Today was a big day for Sand Farm. My brother has finished building an agricultural shed and today was the day we put the ewes into it. This is the first time in 49 years that there has been an indoor lambing and the first, ever, indoor lambing for Dad in his 70 odd years of farming.

We had a team of folk on the early shift this morning Dad, Rhea, Alisha, Abbie, Aila and myself. Dad went in at the top of the field to push down the ewes and the rest of us went into the main field and used the feed so the ewes would follow us across the river. We left the ewes and lambs out in the field.

Home for breakfast then back out to mark the lambs. I had a wee team of folk out to help, Aila is gate girl with Tilly in training. Then the older girls Rhea and Abbie are on lamb catching duties. We had a set of twins to mark and the single that we lambed yesterday. We injected the twins with  vitamin E, it is thought that some of the poorer lambs may be deficient in vitamin E and the hope is this injection will help give them a wee boost. The twins mother ran off but with the trusty helpers, they managed to reunite them.

The ewes that we had taken in, whilst waiting in a smaller field, 3 had lambed, one with a set of twins. All up and doing well.

The New Lambing Shed

We then went to separate the ewes ready for going in the shed. We separated the ewes expecting twins and some of the poorer looking ewes to put in first.  The pens were up, the bedding down and the first ewes were in the shed before lunch. The remainder went in after lunch, a little persuasion needed with the help of Glen.

It took most the afternoon to get everything set up, ensuring they had enough water and food and everything was in place for when the lambs arrived.

It was a busy, full on day. It continued on into the evening setting up pens and checking everything is place. Who knows what will meet us in the morning after all the moving about for the ewes today – there could be a wee flurry of lambs tomorrow.