no sooner is lambing over….

No sooner is the lambing season over than it is time to gather the flock in. In fact by the beginning of May the oldest lambs are six weeks old, and some are approaching 20 kg in weight. At this age they are beginning to nibble at the grass, and are consequently vulnerable to picking up worms from the grass and sometimes also a parasite called coccidiosis. So I gather the lambs back to the sheep pens to ‘drench’  them as a preventative. While they are in the pens they also have their first vaccination to prevent the clostridial group of diseases.

The first gather of the year is always the most difficult. The ewe are trying to protect their lambs and the lambs are convinced that they will find their mothers in the field from  which they have just been gathered. In addition the lambs have little respect for the dogs and will constantly try to run past them, so as you can imagine chaos rules!

It makes a tough few days for the dogs, Ernie and Fern are too old to be more than the minimal assistance, and Jake too is feeling his years. So that leaves Mist and Fly to do the hard work, and this year it was Fly doing the lions share of the work. Her stamina is amazing, chasing and turning each lamb as it breaks. When we finally pen the sheep back at the farm, she’s still full of energy for the pen work, and later on to return the various flocks to their fields.

I’ve finished treating all of the 650 lambs at Borough farm, with just Morte Point left to treat, and as soon as they are finished we’ll be ready to start shearing!

Fly in pursuit of  a breaking lamb