You know you are lambing /calving when?

[ladycrofter]

When you realise your suffering from " lambnesia" going to the A&E shed and you can't remember why you're there or what you were going to do. Seeing things - syringes, drugs, doses, crooks, etc you left places on your way to "do something" and you can't remember sitting it there. Like all of 30 minutes ago

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

When every time you see a dog, it's eating afterbirth.

 

[Al R]

When every time you see a dog, it's eating afterbirth.

62 posts and that’s 1 of the first I can relate too

 

[steveR]

When every time you see a dog, it's eating afterbirth.

Just reading a Kindle book with the thoughts and musings of Jim Webster from Cumbria. He touches on this too...

Our one bloody Lab will travel frigging miles for a choice morsel.

 

[Bob the beef]

When after the first 3/4 days of lambing your thinking I’m enjoying this might put the ewes up a100 or so next year, but by day 20 your saying f..k this I’m cutting them back 200 next year

 

[Poorbuthappy]

62 posts and that’s 1 of the first I can relate too

You're just over staffed!



Just jealous btw.

 

[Al R]

You're just over staffed!



Just jealous btw.

A dead shepherd is use to no one. Better off paying a couple of thousand out to make life easier for everyone than 2 of us running around like zombies, it’s after lambing the real work starts with treatments etc with just the 2 of us. Same staff number as we’ve had for years but now 800 more ewes, just easier ewes I know dad had 451 lambs at the farm he checks before he pulled a lamb

 

[David1968]

During the battle to tag a 3 week old calf, you manage to pin your trousers to it's ear...

 

[Suffolksucklers]

During the battle to tag a 3 week old calf, you manage to pin your trousers to it's ear...

2.50 tag replacement and a new pair of trousers?? Or did you just cut a hole out of the trousers and leave the tag in?

 

[yellowbelly]

You know it's been a quiet night on the lambing camera when you've got time to try and see if a passing mouse has been scanned for twins..........

 

[TibTib]

You start spraying insults or takeaway meals on the sides of sheep instead of numbers

 

[Bones]

----when you get up & go to bed the same time as usual
The only difference with the rest of the year is i may have a couple of lambs to feed occasionally & i'm leisurely checking the ewes every day so get to sit and observe them more than i would at other times

Same as that,, gone are the days of lambing in sheds and working like a mad man to the point of near death, I even manage to keep going to the gym,, it's all in the mine sets

 

[Werzle]

When your wooly hat is covered in cow hair and is crispy to touch. When the alarm goes off and you have to think what you have seen last time you were up to confirm you did get up last time.
Your hands are chapped to shite from handling colostrum etc

 

[abitdaft]

Same as that,, gone are the days of lambing in sheds and working like a mad man to the point of near death, I even manage to keep going to the gym,, it's all in the mine sets

It's coming across the set mines that the ewe's have left that's the problem
Mine no1 - Abandoned lamb. Boom!
Mine no2 - Set of twins, only one side working. Boom!
Mine no3 - Set of trips, no milk. Boom!
Mine no4 - Hung lamb. Boom!
Mine no5 - Ewe drowned in the burn getting a drink and leaving a pair of twins orphaned. Boom!

 

[Bob the beef]

That’s a lot of booms
you’ll scare all the rest to death and that’ll be Mine no 6

 

[Roy_H]

It's only a fraction of the year. My Mrs wouldn't let me back in the house if she thought there was anything cold or hungry. I don't know if I could leave the shed if there was anything not right anyway. I know that my attitude wouldn't work with a couple of thousand ewes but when you only have a wee puckle it becomes all consuming to make every life count either at the pedigree sales or at least to send it to the butcher's shelf.

I remember one of our neighbours looking at some of our calves and saying "Haven't you got some lovely calves down here? I'd love to have some again but my wife said she'd leave me if I didn't give them up, she was sick of me going out to calve them at night!" Actually I can never ever actually remembering him having any calves on his farm, the only cattle I ever saw were ones he had bought in.

 

[S J H]

When your wooly hat is covered in cow hair and is crispy to touch. When the alarm goes off and you have to think what you have seen last time you were up to confirm you did get up last time.
Your hands are chapped to shite from handling colostrum etc

Hands getting chapped is the one for me, then getting on the quad and making it worse .

 

[Al R]

Hands getting chapped is the one for me, then getting on the quad and making it worse .

O’Keefes working hand cream before bed, or if your tight and especially throughout the day put on udder cream (the big pots are cheap)

 

[S J H]

O’Keefes working hand cream before bed, or if your tight and especially throughout the day put on udder cream (the big pots are cheap)

I think I’ve become immune to that, it used to work really well, but doesn't seem to do the trick now. Superglue helps, but doesnt last long.

 

[abitdaft]

I think I’ve become immune to that, it used to work really well, but doesn't seem to do the trick now. Superglue helps, but doesnt last long.

The trick to keeping your hands from cracking is always wet your hands before applying soap ( unless you have pulled a rotten lamb and then cracked hands are the least of your problems ) if you put the soap on before water you will remove the natural oils from your skin. If hands are dry, rub in olive oil for a few minutes, it's amazing how much is absorbed, then add more. Cold water is better for rotten/ stinky things as your pores don't open as much.