If you have never heard the sound of sheep waiting for their breakfast, or dinner, or tea, and you are invited to do so - believe me it is an offer you can refuse! They are absolutely awful. They jump up you when putting their food out, they knock the troughs over trying to get at it, they even tread on their lambs in the rush to get to the food - you would think they hadn't been fed for weeks - let alone 12 hours before.
Feeding sheep is not rocket science. Technique is the important thing - keep the bucket close to the trough and your knees together. If the bucket is up in the air, the sheep end up wearing the food. If your knees are not together they end up wearing you! It's a "life in front of the eyes" moment when a ewe gets her head between your legs to get to food - especially if it's outside and going downhill! And I'm sure it's inbred into lambs to jump across the trough just as you are pouring (expensive) sheep meal into it - it goes everywhere!
Having a good command of the English - or French - language doesn't matter. Three words are enough "you f.......g things" is a phrase frequently aimed at sheep.
You also get hard when it comes to bottle feeding lambs. If it's a do or die situation you have no choice. Better to feed than let them die. But you can be too soft, with dire consequences. They look at you as their mother, and every time they hear your voice they start!! At the moment Mary is the worst one (Mary? she was born on Christmas day). She has the most painfull piercing bleat you can imagine. As they get older they jump up and mug you knocking the bucket over in the process. Oh yes, believe me they are no angels.
On my lambing notepad Laura has written "don't you just love lambing?" to which I have written "no!".
Anyway, good news is the time has come to wean some of them, no one sleeps at weaning time. This is to make room in the shed for the next 180 to lamb!
7 comments:
Lambing always sounds so dreamy, but it sounds like the practicalities are just hard work.
I have left 2 award for you over at my place. Call by to pick them up
Dear God, how do you get time to blog then? Sounds chaotic and I laughed at the picture of you heading off down a hill with a sheep between your legs!
Gosh, glad I caught up with your life, which sounds just amazing. How do you fit it all in? No wonder you need the Kir and chocolate. Margot xx
Hi Deborah,
Thanks for your message of support on my blog. I remember one new years eve I got a message from my husband to say he was with a sheep with a dead lamb inside her and he couldn't meet me and my friend for lunch. So Linda and I had a pizza and then Bob texted me to say he was done and he was in Waitrose. We found him by smell. I don't think the other customers were too impressed. Good luck with your lambing, I hope it goes well and keep up the blog, I really enjoy it. Debs
I'll never forget the night we camped next to a field full of sheep, they do the most incredible little coughing sounds !! Didn't get much sleep, Bah, (sorry couldn't resist)
Hi
Hilarious post - could really see you in there battling valiantly away.
Sheep are so delightful, but maybe from a comfy viewing point!
That was very descriptive and funny. I fed lambs once, in Scotland, I think it was, at a bed and breakfast place. They had lovely soft coats and couldn't get the milk down fast enough, as I remember. It was an unforgettable experience for someone who had only ever lived in the Black Country.
Post a Comment