.

We thought that Mrs Silkie’s offspring were all girls and we gave one of the little “hens” to young Elsie who is something of a “chicken whisperer”. About two weeks ago we discovered two of the hens were actually cockerels and Elsie and her parents discovered that Star was actually Stanley, when he began crowing in the mornings. Eager to stay friendly with their urban neighbours it was decided that Stanley would return to The Gables where he can crow to his hearts content.

This afternoon Elsie and her family came over with the bird and we reintroduced him to his mum and siblings. Elsie wrote us a beautiful letter asking us to give Stanley cuddles and also treats of cheese and mealworms. Cheese and cuddles yes, mealworms might be a step too far for this vegetarian. I am sure Stanley will understand. The family took the opportunity to cuddle some ducks and…

to stroke the newborn lambs. They also gave us some surplus flower pots and tubs and in return we gave them a dozen eggs and some home made blackcurrant jam.

Twins were born to one of the “Gertrudes”. Mother and babies doing well, so it seems. Click below

The daffs are also opening everywhere. Spring has sprung?

Here’s what happened – but it’s not over yet.

I went shopping in St Neots, feeding Floppy before I went and checking on the three ewes that had not yet lambed. I returned in less than an hour to find one of the three “Gertrude’s” (yes they are all really called Gertrude) had given birth to a lamb very close to the electric fencing. I crossed the wire to find the lamb in the ground with the sack still over it’s face and it looked lifeless but was still warm. I drew the sheath away from its face and cleared the mucus from its nose and mouth, massaged it but there was no breath. “Gertrude” was licking the lamb and suddenly I thought …….. ran over to the barn where Floppy was lying in the straw, grabbed Floppy and brought her over the wire next to the dead lamb. I began to rub my hand over the fluid covering the lamb and putting it onto Floppy. Then I rolled Floppy over the dead lamb, again and again. She was such a cooperative lamb! As I was doing this, heart pounding, Phil turned up and carried the dead lamb out of the field

while Gertrude began to sniff Floppy and lick her. In the last two hours they have been side by side although I have not seen Floppy feeding properly. She might still be full from her last bottle or not sure how to find mother’s milk.

Here’s hoping, fingers crossed and a few prayers.

Should be called s morning feed but it’s still dark outside.

p

Cieste still rejecting “Floppy” but we will keep them all together and hope she has a change of heart.

Last night, by the light of a torch, we assumed that the two lambs on the ground belonged to Domino as they were being licked by her. Although, to be fair, Cieste was standing around near mother and lambs.

When I went out to see the lambs early this morning the girl was being head butted by Cieste and I didn’t know what to do. Jeremy suggested I wait and keep an eye on the situation and then I saw that Domino was feeding the head butted girl, “Floppy”, whilst Cieste was feeding and licking the boy lamb. All was well we thought.

Then within an hour of feeling happy and content that each ewe had a healthy single lamb and, almost in front of our eyes, Domino gave birth to twins in quick succession.

So it seems that Cieste had, indeed, given birth to twins last night and Domino had allowed the girl, Floppy, to feed from her swollen teats until her twins arrived late this morning. (I hope you are keeping up because all this is very confusing and quite upsetting). So, at this point we took Floppy away from Domino and took Cieste and her boy lamb and Floppy and put them in a sheep pen in the barn.

Cieste is continuing to head butt Floppy and refusing to feed her so we are now resorting to a bottle and hoping that Cieste will accept that this is her lamb.

Meanwhile, out in the field, we heard and saw Little Miss Pretty straining in labour and within seconds she stood up and a lamb emerged from her rear end, and slid onto the grass.

She began to lick the lamb and we watched it breath and wriggle. click below

The big lambs, less than one week old) are sturdy and happy and always together with their sibling and mothers, Pinky and Perky. Click below

Three more lambings to go……here’s hoping no one else will need a bottle – anyone fancy doing the night feeds?