Sheep Blog
The aim of this page is to give a light hearted account of the lives of the Highfield Flock of Shetland sheep. The matriarch of the flock appears to be Norah so I (henceforth known as The Owner!) will let her take up the tale....
STOP PRESS: I (The Owner) am sorry to have to inform you that our blog author, Norah, passed away this morning (13th September 2009) after lambing complications so the new blog author will be Margo.
May 2010
Last few lambs
Helena gave birth to twins this afternoon (4th May). Two boys, one
moorit, one fawn katmoget. Helena is losing her fleece again this year
and is feeling the chill north winds a bit poor girl.
Down to the last ewe now for this years lambing season.
Fifi gave birth on the morning of the 6th May to a single fawn katmoget ram lamb. Fifi is Helena's daughter so she became a grandma this year along with myself and Gypsy. All ewes now safely delivered for this year!
April 2010
More lambs
More lambs born lunchtime on 3rd April. Ibis gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, both grey katmoget colouring
same as mum and dad.
Two sets of twins were born during the evening of the 5th April. Gypsy had two boys, a black one with white patch on the head and a fawn one with black markings. Violet had two white lambs, one girl one boy.
Unfortunately Gypsy developed mastitis soon after giving birth so The Vet had to be called on Tuesday morning and she was given injections and her udders milked out. The Owner then had to start feeding the lambs with a bottle as they were not getting any milk from mum. They are all just about ok now.
Mrs Brown gave birth this evening just after 6 pm in some rare sunshine (7th April), to twin moorit lambs, one girl one boy. This photo (below left) was taken within a few minutes of the second twin's appearance!
Our first lambs from a homebred ewe made their appearance in the early hours of Saturday (10th) morning. Snowy had twin white boys, they are quite small but full of bounce (above right)! Radish gave birth this morning (12th) also to twin boys, one a moorit, one a fawn katmoget (photo below). The blog may go quiet for a week or so now as the Owner will be catching up on some sleep before the next batch are due next week!
After nearly a week the next batch of ewes have had lambs starting with Jackie on the 19th. She went off her food and was staggering a bit over the weekend so The Owner and The Neighbour injected her with calcium and gave her a glucose drench. She was carrying twins but unfortunately one died either before or at birth so she is now raising a single fawn katmoget ram lamb. She is now eating properly and feeling fine again.
The next two to lamb have been my girls Jet and Cocoa so I am now a Grandma! Jet gave birth to a single moorit ewe lamb on the morning of the 22nd and Cocoa surprised The Owner with twins on the evening of the 23rd. Cocoa had twin fawn katmoget ewe lambs which were very tiny but seem to be ok and were out enjoying the sunshine today.
March 2010
New Faces and 1st lambs
The Owner acquired to new girls for Mother's Day. Both seem relatively friendly and are both expecting lambs.
The dark grey one is Orla and the moorit is officially called
Pepsi but is better known as Mrs Brown! The rest of the girls have been brought back nearer to home (into another new field) as lambing approaches and I have been
allowed out with them - yippee. Blondie the Wensleydale has been taken inside with the new girls as she is getting really close
to lambing.
The first lambs arrived on 26th March. One of the new girls (Orla) gave birth to twin boys at about 9am without any assistance. The photo is when they were about 1 hour old. Blondie caused a huge upset in the evening by requiring lots of assistance. with lambing The Neighbour even had to be called out to help. The Neighbour found that Blondie had been carrying triplets but that one had died and was blocking the path of the other two. Thankfully the two remaining lambs (one boy, one girl) are fine after a bit of a difficult start! The photo was taken the following morning.
February 2010
Grass mowing duties
The rest of the flock have been moved to different locations on grass cutting duties.
The boys went to graze a friends garden
and the girls have been to try out a new paddock in the next village. The owner of the paddock dangled
a nail on a string over the girls hips to see if they were pregnant or not. We'll see if it
was right in the coming months!
January 2010
Snow, snow and then rain
I am now really glad The Owner brought me inside as I have been nice and
cosy, whilst all the others have been shivering in the snow. Mind you
the owner has taken pity on them and has been feeding them lots of hay
as what little grass there was has been covered in several inches of
snow.
Now the snow has gone and we are being drenched by cold rain and arctic winds - this is definitely not an improvement!
December 2009
Bad boys
The girls with Pinwinnie and Alexander were put in with Nelson to check
they had been tupped, Nelson went straight into action with one of
Pinwwinie's so I guess his days with us are now very limited.
Alexander and Pinwinnie were confined to a stable to try and limit the fighting damage. Unfortunately Piniwwine managed to kill Alexander overnight, so our prize winning baby is no more. The Owner is really not best pleased with Pinwinnie and has roundly informed him of his imminent demise.
Nelson was taken out from the girls in the middle of the month and beat up Pinwinnie for a few days, but they have now settled down again after a period of confinement and then being put with the two ponies who have been keeping order. We hope that with this array of brightly coloured bottoms we should have quite a few lambs this season!
I have been brought inside as well, as my skinny condition has meant that I was not coping well with the cold and wet weather. The Owner has discovered I have no front teeth and therefore find it difficult to eat short grass. She has been feeding me lots of yummy things to try and fatten me up, but I do miss the company of the girls.
November 2009
Tupping time again
The boys have all been performing, although The Owner thinks that Pinwinnie may not be functioning properly again
this year, as both his ewes have cycled through. Alexander was a little
slow off the mark (and kept getting his leg through the harness as he is
still only a baby really) Nelson is however being his usual bossy self
and seems to be doing just fine. here is a picture of him standing
guard!
October 2009
Odd happenings
We have begun to think The Owner has gone mad, she is trying to train
some of the lambs to walk with a halter on - it has to be said they are
doing very well at playing dead and not cooperating!
Apparently all this was so that they could be taken to the Rare Breeds Show and Sale at York Auction Centre on the 2nd October. It seems that they almost behaved themselves and actually won some prizes. Alexander came 3rd and Alfred 5th in the ram lamb class, Dolly came 5th in the ewe class and April came 5th in a large ewe lamb class.
The selling bit went less well as The Owner refused to let them go for the small sums being offered (quite rightly!), so the 4 lambs came home again. On Sunday 4th the ewe lambs all went for an outing to The Owner's garden as part of her Open Studio event and did a lovely job of mowing the lawn and being nice to visitors!
In the middle of the month the girls were separated into four groups and the boys put in with us for the annual shenanigans! I was put in with the two remaining ewe lambs (the rest having gone to the butchers the previous week) as The Owner thinks I am a bit skinny and could do with a rest this year - that is as maybe but I am not enjoying being a nanny to the two youngsters!
September 2009
Several doses of bad news
The Owner and Neighbour tipped us upside down to see if we are in
lamb - (except me as she can see I am!). Still not sure but thinks I am
probably the only one.
Hello, Margo the new blog author here. Bit of a shock to the system with Norah passing away - The Owner was most upset and so are we. Poor old girl. She was the only one in lamb.
Well, I am now getting more into this blog author business and have several things to report. Firstly some of the lambs went to the butchers, which is always sad, but we were running a bit low on grass.
Secondly, one of the ewe lambs went down with flystrike, but The Owner got to her in time and apart from a slightly odd haircut she has fully recovered
August 2009
Moving, Weaning, Vets etc.
The rams ate all the grass in the village plot so got moved back to the
home field. They got a thorough check over by The Vet this month, who
pronounced that Pinwinnie was in fine physical condition, so he will be
given another chance at tupping this autumn. Nelson has teamed up once
again with his partner in crime - Spike...
The ram lambs were separated this month and are now living in the bottom paddock with loads of grass - The Owner can barely see them if they lie down!
The mums were confined to the shed for a couple of weeks to 'dry off' and then went back out with the ewe lambs and shearlings.
The Owner still isn't sure if the five of us who were with the Neighbour's ram are in lamb or not. She is pretty sure I am but not convinced about the others!
July 2009
On the move again
The flock was split up again this month. Those of us that had been in with the neighbour's ram stayed put,
whilst the rest of the girls and all the youngsters where taken to the other field.
Grass is a bit dry with all this hot weather!
The two boys were given some very posh new accommodation. The grass under the apple trees in the village plot needed grazing, so the boys have been put there. They seem to like lazing about in the shade of the trees in the hot weather with a nice garden as a backdrop! The Owner has had a bit of trouble stopping them eating the trees - even though the trees are mature the boys have taken a fancy to eating bark.
June 2009
Late night haircut
We were all gathered up on the 4th and brought inside. The Owner and family hung around looking at us for most for the evening and then The Shearer turned up at about 10pm.
So we all had late night haircuts and were kept in that night so we didn't freeze too much. Typically the weather has now
turned cold, rainy and windy so we are shivering a bit. Before and after
photos below!
May 2009
Flock united
Cocoa, Jet and Snowy spent the afternoon of the 3rd in The Owner's
garden as she had it open to the public. Apparently they behaved
themselves and even allowed themselves to be petted by strangers!
The neighbours ram has gone home, so the whole flock has been reunited, and put onto new pasture with lots of grass. The noise as the lambs and their mothers sorted themselves out was quite unbelievable.
April 2009
More Lambs
Gypsy gave birth on 3rd to twins, a boy and a girl, both grey katmogets
(grey body with black belly and legs and stripy faces). All doing fine.
The Owner rounded us up on the 4th and checked us over. It appears that all five of us that ran with Pinwinnie are not in lamb. This is a bit of a shame for The Owner but we feel great - skipping around like lambs for once! I suspect poor Pinwinnie's days may be numbered.....
Violet gave birth on Easter Sunday April 12th to a single white boy (still a bit damp in the photo!). Both started off fine but Violet went down with hypocalcaemia on Weds. The poor girl was staggering round half blind. The Owner got the Neighbour to inject her with Calcium solution and she is now fine although feeling a bit like a pincushion.
The Owner has pulled a fast one on us, she has gone and borrowed a ram from the neighbours and put him in with us five girls who weren't in lamb - so much for a child free year! This fellow is a bit of an odd looking ram, not being a Shetland, but is friendly enough and not too demanding!
We had some new arrivals on the 19th. The Owner went out early with the trailer and came back with three ewes with their lambs and a shearling ewe. In the photo below the new arrivals are, from the left: Ibis, Fifi, Dolly and Helena in the front. They are currently in 'quarantine' so we haven't met them properly yet only spoken at distance. Poor Helena has been a bit stressed and is losing her fleece. She has twins a boy and a girl, both moorit with a white patch on the top of the head. Ibis has a single fawn katmoget boy and Dolly has twins a boy and a girl with mottled fawn/grey/white fleeces. Fifi is the moorit shearling
March 2009
Back to the old field in preparation for
lambing
We have now been moved back to the other field in preparation for
lambing. I think The Owner is getting concerned that some of us don't
appear to be in lamb.
Margo gave birth on 31st to twins, a black boy and a moorit (brown) girl. All doing fine.
February 2009
Looking forward to food!
The grass in this new field is getting a little thin now (as well as being
covered in snow), so The Owner
is feeding us some concentrates to make sure we have enough food to feed
our expanding waistlines. This is the ONLY reason we would even consider
running TOWARDS a human!
January 2009
Another new field
The Owner decided we needed some more grass so has found another new
field for us. It is quite pleasant, with some nice trees down one side
to shelter us from the horrible north winds that have been blowing.
December 2008
More lambs gone and tupping over
Three more lambs went this month. The Owner has decided to keep three of
this years girls to see how they turn out. All the girls, including
Cocoa, Jet and Snowy were reunited when the boys were separated from us
again. The boys fought worse than ever this year so had to be confined
to a stable to limit the damage. We think Nelson might be dominant this
year.
November 2008
Snow!
We weren't expecting snow this early in the winter. It is sooo
embarrassing having your rump marked in this way - now everyone knows
what you have been up to.
October 2008
Tupping time again
The photo shows us girls relaxing for a while after the lambs had been
weaned and before tupping. This year we were divided into two groups,
five of us with Pinwinnie and three with Nelson. The boys were a bit
slow off the mark this year.
September 2008
Sad times again
Two of this years lambs went off this month. The rest are wondering who
will be next...
August 2008
Unexpected loss
One of
Gypsy's lambs died this month after a short illness. A bit of a
shock as all this years crop seemed so healthy, just goes to show you
never know what will happen next.
July 2008
Goodbye to two girls
The two girls from last year were sent away this month.
June 2008
Shearing time again
The Owner will keep taking pictures of us just after the annual haircut
- not when we are looking our best. The lambs took a while to recognise
us afterwards - what a noise until they worked it out.
April 2008
Lambs in the sunshine
We got taken back home once we had all given birth, as we are now safe
for The Owner to look after us again. Kiris (the other first timer) was later
than the rest of us to lamb and also had a single lamb.
Weather much better so we were allowed out onto the grass with the lambs.
what a relief to eat grass again after all that dry hay.
March 2008
First babies
Weather taken a turn for the worse and it snowed over Easter. Us girls were
packed off to Rose Farm for lambing as The Owner can't be near us. I had
mine first a single black ram lamb. Margo gave birth next and got twins,
as did Jackie and Gypsy. Violet had a single lamb - much for the best as
she is a first timer this year. All well so far.
January and February 2008
Frosty mornings and expanding waistlines...
Weather decidedly chilly, but at least it is currently dry. Some of us
are obviously expecting, but The Owner can't tell for sure how many of
us are in lamb. Mind you, The Owner is having to keep her distance as
she seems to be 'in lamb' too!
December 2007
Boys will be boys
Pinwinnie was separated from us this month (thank goodness THAT is over
for another year). He was put in a paddock with Nelson and as is the way
with boys, they fought about who was best. We think Pinwinnie is the
boss as he is older and stronger at present.
November 2007
Time to say goodbye to some lambs
Not a good time of year to be a sheep mother.
Luckily for me The Owner thinks my son Nelson is nice enough to keep,
but poor Gypsy and Jackie have lost their boys.
October 2007
New arrivals
The Owner went to York Rare Breed sale again and came home with some new
arrivals. Our girls were separated from us and put in a different
paddock with two of the new arrivals, Radish another Shetland like us
and a Wensleydale called Blondie. This Wensleydale is a bit of a dipsy,
gangly sheep to put it politely!
The other new arrival is a RAM called Pinwinnie who was put in the same field as us. We are not terribly impressed by this as he pesters us all the time to see if he thinks we are 'ready' for him. At least he isn't aggressive and is moderately handsome!
September 2007
Weaning time
The four boys got taken away this month and put back in the old field. A
bit of a wrench to let your children go but boys only cause a nuisance
once they get to THAT stage! The girls stayed with us so it wasn't too
bad. The Owner has gone and moved those ponies into the new field with
us - what a nuisance.
August 2007
New field
We all moved to a new field this month, loads of new grass and NO ponies.
The field is nearer The Owner's house so it is easier for her to look
after us. Blooming flash on The Owner's camera makes us look like devil sheep!
July 2007
Nelson loses a horn
My son Nelson managed to pull one of his horns off this month. The silly
boy stuck his head through the fence and got it caught. Blood everywhere
but it will heal with time. Nelson now an appropriate name for him!
June 2007
Shearing
Thank goodness, we have been sheared. feels much better without all that
wool now that summer is here. Sorry about the close-up of me stuffing my
face, not particularly flattering
May 2007
Illness and recovery
One of Margo's lambs died, it just didn't seem to want to live. The
stress of travelling made me
really poorly, The Owner had to call the vet. The Owner thought I was
going t die so took my lambs away, however, I proved her wrong and made
such a lot of noise she gave me the lambs back again - haven't looked
back since!
April 2007
The start of it all...
Myself, Jackie and Margo had travelled from Northamptonshire with our
lambs, whilst Gypsy, Violet and Kiris had travelled down from Scotland.
It was a bit of shock to us to travel that far and then go through the
undignified process of an auction, before being loaded into a trailer
again for our journey to our new home.
The original 6 sheep: clockwise from top left: Norah, Margo, Gypsy, Violet, Kiris and Jackie
New home seems adequate - although we are less than pleased to have to share the field with two ponies