Lambs and more sunshine...

The farmer who keeps stock around Sandside has been lambing these last few weeks. I've felt a bit like Bo Peep lately as I have helped some "escaped" lambs.  Bless, they are not very bright!  At only a couple of hours old they seem to be able to find their way out of the lambing pen beside the ewe, through another gate, into the courtyard and into my garden.  But despite yelling and the ewe replying, can they find their way home? NO!

This weekend I found two lambs separated from their mother. One was trying to get through the gate into the old garden behind the byres (known as the Stack Yard as this was where the haystacks used to be kept). Anyway this is used for the ewes and lambs after coming out of the barn, it gives a bit of shelter and a time for the ewe and lambs to bond, get a bit of extra feed and anything else they might need.  There were several ewes and lambs in there so I popped this one over the fence.

The second lamb seemed to be in a separate pen in the old garden. So I phoned the farmer in case he had it there for a reason. Nothing worse than some "do-gooder" releasing a lamb that it's taken a while to catch! Anyway, no it shouldn't be there so I popped that one over the fence too. It's mother and sibling were nearby and were pleased to greet it.

I then noticed the other lamb I'd just put in was running around to all the ewes but they were head butting it way - a sign it wasn't theirs.  Ah... I thought..... I went off into the barn. Sure enough there was one not very happy ewe calling for her lamb which wasn't there.  So I go back into the old garden, and managed to grab the lonely lamb, climb back over the fence (not easy with a wriggling lamb!) - pause to get my breath back - several times, and eventually return lamby to the pen in the barn where a very anxious ewe was yelling!  Little lamb gets some warm milk and wags tail.....phew....

Thankfully after a day or so of getting "acclimatised" all the sheep go out into the field at the front of the house.  (This one was taken through the window hence the blobs).

The ewes always keep an eye on any movement - do I look like a wolf?

I just love watching the lambs and ewes. But particularly the lambs - once they get settled in they start running about together like children the world over, playing and getting into mischief!

Wee lambs!