f**k Up Fortnight

[Aspiring Peasants]

The last few years have been good here in March and I'm down south so reasonably mild and the 50 acres of grass that have been left over winter is flushing up well for the ewes and lambs to rotate through. The other thing is if we have dry summers I think I'm better off letting the sheep graze the early grass before it burns off. Lastly all my work is outdoor and it tends to be a bit slow over the winter ( miserable, cold and short days) so I figure I would be better off lambing at the end of the slack period at the start of March. I may go back to 1st April next year...just got to figure it out. Teased flock...it has it's advantages but jeez it's hard going when the ewes go all at once, about a week or so after their due date for a week! Constant rain and swampy fields is testing me too this year.

Weather can be just as bad in April, it's a lottery.

 

[Wood field]

Weather can be just as bad in April, it's a lottery.

A neighbour of ours always says we lamb to early, but as you say it’s all a lottery, last few years it’s been dry ( but cold) this years very trying

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

A neighbour of ours always says we lamb to early, but as you say it’s all a lottery, last few years it’s been dry ( but cold) this years very trying

I have a neighbour who is lambing now outside. Done it for years, I imagine he's fetching most in as they lamb today, but last year he had a better lambing than me starting early April, because his lambs were strong enough to withstand the awful weather we got then.

 

[Nearly]

In 1988 I lambed in sunny Lancashire and the farmers rented a marquee and put it up between 2 sheep sheds.
What seemed like hundreds of pens were put in there and I still have the iodine burn on my fingers from the squirty bottle.
Shipping ewes and lambs out to away ground every good day.

 

[Wood field]

I have a neighbour who is lambing now outside. Done it for years, I imagine he's fetching most in as they lamb today, but last year he had a better lambing than me starting early April, because his lambs were strong enough to withstand the awful weather we got then.

The one who says I go early is the same one who phones asking if we have any spare lambs

 

[Jonp]

Weather can be just as bad in April, it's a lottery.

A neighbour of ours always says we lamb to early, but as you say it’s all a lottery, last few years it’s been dry ( but cold) this years very trying

Wet and warm, like this year mostly, the lambs can cope because the grass has grown enough here over the winter to keep fit ewes in milk. Cold winters, like up north where you are, make it alot harder.
Tomorrow to get to the dryish fields I've got to coax the ewes and lambs across the Welly sucking mud field next to the shed that the sheep have been in all winter. Not the easiest job when it's dry. Going to kick the well fat rams out with the ewes, they'll not be happy leaving their cosy lean to with constant feed. At least the BFL didn't require the use of a shovel this winter.

 

[AftonShepherd]

Wet and warm, like this year mostly, the lambs can cope because the grass has grown enough here over the winter to keep fit ewes in milk. Cold winters, like up north where you are, make it alot harder.
Tomorrow to get to the dryish fields I've got to coax the ewes and lambs across the Welly sucking mud field next to the shed that the sheep have been in all winter. Not the easiest job when it's dry. Going to kick the well fat rams out with the ewes, they'll not be happy leaving their cosy lean to with constant feed. At least the BFL didn't require the use of a shovel this winter.

Yet?

 

[BAF]

It was looking better up until yesterday. The farm where I work and I've nailed every badger ever to risk stepoing over the boundary went down with Tb again. Guaranteed none of the reactors will show lesions or culture actual Tb. I've worked bloody hard culling on that farm!
Split the in lambers and the ewes with lambs at foot yesterday. We're due to start properly on the 10th. Today the 2 lambing fields looked a muddy sh!t hole!and there was a barsteward fox in amongst them at 6pm when I fed them. The ladies of the Manor have has rotavirus for the past week which has been fun aswell!

 

[BAF]

Also the Welsh guy that had bought my store lambs backed out and the little maggot store lamb that hasn't grown since it was born got battered by one of the bigger ones and ended up with a busted leg yesterday so I ended up skinning a 16kg live weight lamb yesterday evening. Fortunately my neighbour popped round today and has bought them off me for more money than I was selling them for! And I've got the rat lamb for dog food!

 

[primmiemoo]

They've caught up after their lull. Came down yesterday to lambs everywhere, and the ancient lay, "Where Have All The Buckets Gone?",* ringing around the sheds as extra pennage assembled at speed.



* Words by Anon the Shepherd. (Abridged for those of a delicate sensibility.)**
To the tune of "O Hark How The Sheep Do Giggle At Us", by Trad Tother-Shepherd.

**
Where have all the Buckets gone?
Where have all the Buckets gone?
Where have all the Buckets gone?
I'm certain they were put over there!

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

They've caught up after their lull. Came down yesterday to lambs everywhere, and the ancient lay, "Where Have All The Buckets Gone?",* ringing around the sheds as extra pennage assembled at speed.



* Words by Anon the Shepherd. (Abridged for those of a delicate sensibility.)**
To the tune of "O Hark How The Sheep Do Giggle At Us", by Trad Tother-Shepherd.

**
Where have all the Buckets gone?
Where have all the Buckets gone?
Where have all the Buckets gone?
I'm certain they were put over there!

Second verse

Where have all the hurdles gone………

 

[Estate fencing.]

Second verse

Where have all the hurdles gone………

That’s no mystery, there I all those gaps that you “will fix next week”.

 

[Wood field]

That’s no mystery, there I all those gaps that you “will fix next week”.

Guilty as found your honour

 

[serf]

Second verse

Where have all the hurdles gone………

They've all fell to bits cos I got em off the bloke in the van that delivers em and they only last one year ....

 

[Estate fencing.]

They've all fell to bits cos I got em off the bloke in the van that delivers em and they only last one year ....

We got some of them, ewe puts her head through once and takes the bar with her.

 

[serf]

We got some of them, ewe puts her head through once and takes the bar with her.

That's the one , do you want some more ! they're all in flat pack style ready to assemble ....

 

[primmiemoo]

Guilty as found your honour View attachment 1168001

Good grief! It's new!

 

[primmiemoo]

Second verse

Where have all the hurdles gone………

That's the dance part. It's performed to Shepherd's Ranting Step, throughout.

 

[Wood field]

Good grief! It's new!

Left over from dipping , any I can find will be brought to the shed very soon to create the lambing equivalent of Soweto

 

[Estate fencing.]

Early tea tonight, these yearlings don’t seem to bothered.