Lambing season – the busiest time of year for a farmer…
Spring is just around the corner...
...and for many farmers that can only mean one thing - lambing!
Ewes (female sheep) are usually mated (known as 'tupping') with rams (male sheep) in October or November.
Rams are fitted with 'raddle' harnesses, which have different coloured dye pens attached so that the farmer can see which ewes the rams have mated with.
Lambs are born around 5 months later.
The statistical average of lambs born to one ewe is 1.3 - but there can be as many as 5 per ewe.
Many lambs are born outside and...
...ewes can give birth to their lambs without any issue in the fields.
Indoor lambing is common and the ewes will be brought into lambing sheds. This way farmers are on hand night and day to keep a close eye if there are any problems.
Lambing indoors can be stressful (as ewes prefer to seek isolation)...
...but indoor lambing can reduce the risk of lambs dying.
By the way: Plastic dog beds make great draught-proof lamb beds!
Most lambs spend their lives on pasture.
While farmers care passionately for their animals,...
...and lambing season is an enjoyable time,...
...it is important for us all to remember that it is also a business.
The baby lambs being born now will be off to market in late summer.
That's just the reality of farming,...
...but it doesn't mean you can't enjoy the joys of new-born lambs...
...when you are out and about in the countryside at this time of year.
