I have literally just walked in from the lambing yard having seen yet another beautiful pair of twin Jacob lambs being born. Even after 40 years of lambing, that moment of new life, never dulls. If I was lambing 2000 each year, maybe my feelings might be different…. for me, it’s still magical. At this time, it always provokes memories of moments when lambing wasn’t always quite straight forward, emotional, or just hilarious.
Here are a few examples:
A Doctor, her family and another colleague, also a Doctor, were staying during lambing and one evening after we had served their dinner, they willingly suggested that I looked very tired and they would keep an eye on proceedings for the next hour or so I could enjoy my dinner. I couldn’t have wished for better qualified replacements. I knew one ewe was likely to lamb soon as she hadn’t eaten her evening ration and was showing “nesting” signs. A good hour passed and no call from the medics, so I decided to stroll down and check. Sure enough they told me that a ewe was lambing and all was proceeding well. I must admit it was abit dimpsy down the yard, but my eyes soon focused, and it was patently clear that things were proceeding, but blinking backwards. The perfect presentation is 2 front feet and a nose……. what was before my eyes was a long tail. in other words a breach birth. I jumped over the hurdle into the pen, asked one of my doctors to come quickly and hold the ewe whilst I lambed it. All was well and we did laugh when I commented that before tonight, I would have trusted them both with my life – not quite so sure now!
Another couple from the big city booked a couple of nights specifically to experience lambing. Neither had been on a farm before and were super excited. When I saw the big shining BMW arrive at the farm gates, my heart sank. They bounced out of the car, clad in white jeans, matching Barbours and sunglasses. This was not going to work. Before I said hello, my beautiful sheepdog Kit welcomed this immaculate couple with all 4 paws and a lick! On no. Back came a hasty, giggling reply:
“Don’t worry, these are only our old clothes!” I don’t think they even knew what old clothes were. “Hi, I’m Jane and this is Derek, and we are so excited – our friends think we are daft coming all this way to get muddy!”.
Keen was an understatement. I’ve never seen my pens and yard so clean. But not one lamb was born. My guests were disappointed, but still smiling as they packed their car. I felt awful. One ewe must have also felt sorry for them, so she decided to produce a wonderful water bag. Thank Heavens! I rushed back to the yard where my guests were packing their car. Excitement was an understatement. The welly boots got unpacked, the smelly clothes back on. Said ewe, got up, laid, down, pushed a bit, shoved her head high in the air, showed her teeth, before a lovely black nose and a pair of front feet appeared. I sensed something wonderful was happening. Derek’s head was bowed, he was quietly crying. I just walked away. Lambing is a very special time, but for Jane and Derek maybe this tiny act of birth meant something more to them. I offered a lamb to each of them to hold. I will never forget the genuine joy this brought to a truly wonderful pair of guests. Jane and Derek were childless.
To finish, I must of course mention my poor husband Edward, who is very supportive during lambing. (I know I am running out of words and the Editor of the PM will ask me to edit so I’ll make this one quick!) When we have a ewe who produces a single, I always take advantage of the spare teat and milk off that beautiful first important milk called colostrum – liquid gold for new born lambs. I hastily put the thick creamy colostrum in the fridge for emergencies, should we unfortunately have a ewe with no milk, or just one teat working. To my horror, the following morning, my bottle of gold was missing and I asked Edward, had he used it in the night for a problem………. total silence. With a swift movement nearer to a sprint, he rushed up to the dining room just in time before the B and B guests came for breakfast and removed said “liquid gold” from the breakfast table. Disaster averted – perhaps I should have left it and seen if anyone noticed Ha!
Janet East
