You turn your back for five minutes, and look what happens

My pa decided to get married to my wicked stepmother Jen last year, and all of a sudden the family got quite a lot bigger - we could not be happier!  Irene and Daisy have, of course, been adopted.

(photo Charlotte Scotland}

Full moons and frisky wrens

True to form, there was a rush on over the past day and night - the full moon does something to the ewes, and the lambs come thick (!) and fast.  At one point we had six giving birth, not quite synchronised contracting, but as near as damn is to swearing.  This was also inevitable, given that Irene and Daisy left on Monday.  30 to go, and counting.

Over the next few days, we'll be walking sheep up to the higher fields ... with the normal high drama that ensues as ewes misplace lambs.  Poor Sonny gets so confused, beaten back by angry mothers.

On the home front, I was hanging out laundry and a wren alighted about a metre away.  He proceeded to sing to me for a couple of minutes, shake his groove thing to entice me, and finally flew off in disgust at not being able to arouse my ardour.  Who says life isn't surreal enough?

As requested, some photos from the past week or so. 

 Everyone loves the lambs!  Running out of space...

...it's time to let out the calves - who immediately enter the bovine olympics...

While Irene macs-up the wee ones (and Daisy cuddles a bruiser of a lamb...ouch on that birth!)...

...Ian does his best to get everyone out into the fields so that we have space for the next round....

...and everyone ends up happy in the sun, munching on grass...

...although some are just too tired to enjoy it...

This year we've been going great guns with wet and dry adoptions.  Ideally, all ewes will end up with two lambs, so one of a triple and any orphans (where mum has not enough milk) are adopted onto mothers who only have a single.  Dry adoption is a pain - the ewe goes into a neck brace to hold her in place for a few days, while the lambs can drink and end up stinking of her.  It mostly works, but some sheep are just ornery and refuse to take an interloper.  Wet adoptions are far more successful - but you have to be on hand as a single gives birth.  Covering her head so she can't see what is going on, as the lamb is born the poor adoptee (whose legs are temporarily tied together) is smothered in birthing gunk (technical term) and then shown first to the mother.  She's then stimulated inside to think she is giving birth again, and the 'real' lamb is presented. 

Tame lambs waiting for adoption.  "Pick me!"

We managed to get all of our spare lambs adopted this year, much to our relief...but not so fast young man...as Farmer Rob's tame lambs from the other farm need to come over.  

Daisy and the tame lambs take a trip!

Attention lads!  This is your new barracks and you will all do what I say!

Or maybe you'll ignore me and go to sleep.

Some may be more challenging to love than others...

Never a spare pen when you need one

Just in the nick of time, Irene and Daisy turn up to help with the flood of lambs. It appears to be a conspiracy this year to wait until we are just leaving for a meal or cup of tea before starting to give birth. Or to wait until no empty pens are available.  As fast as we can get them out into the fields, the next batch is ready for ringing and numbering.  

A full house.

Of course, while all this is going on, everyone needs feeding as usual and tame lambs need topping up with milk.  

Mmmm, cake.  Our favourite.

Sweetpea gets a drink (ok, I know I'm not allowed to name them, but phooey).

Despite breeding sheep, we appear to have started some sort of zoo or circus programme, with...  

...wallabies (ready for ringing!)...

...leopards...

...and some kind of rabbit.

To get in on the act, the dogs try out as clowns...