Lamb Marking

The first few weeks of June is the traditional time for lamb marking.

After lambing time ewes and lambs are let away back to the hill, if they hadn't been lambed out there in the first place. They are herded twice a day, raked up and down the hill, a sharp eye on the look out for the tell tale signs of a lamb in the drain (the ewe will usually be hanging around the drain), ewes on their backs (called kessing or cast), anything trailing at the back - unwell or lame.

Eventually they are all gathered in for the lamb marking, a health check if you like. Ewes and lambs are dosed if necessary, any dirty backsides cleaned before flies get a hold and sheep end up maggoted, feet are sorted if needs be and the lambs receive their stock mark, lug mark( notch taken out of the ear, a more permanent stock mark) and any other treatments necessary.

Early mornings are usually the norm, setting off to gather at 5 - 6am is not unusual, especially if the weather is hot as sheep don't travel too well in the heat and the dogs are to be considered as well as they cover a lot of miles and find it easier in the cool of the early morning. Also it pays to pick the sheep up before they naturally begin to rake themselves in, this way hopefully they are not spread out as much and are easier to contain.

The sheep are usually run up a shedder(a race with doors off into different pens), allowing lambs to run one way, ewes another and any geld ewes or hoggs can be run another way. This saves lambs getting bashed around too much by the adult sheep and enables the shepherd to concentrate on each batch individually.

The hoggs and geld ewes are held in as they will be clipped (shorn). Hoggs are last years lambs, the replacement females for the flock. Geld ewes are the barren ones, the non profitable creatures who for what ever reason didn't have or rear a lamb this season.

Ewes and lambs are returned to their own cut (heft) on the hill after they have all been dealt with, there is generally a great deal of blaaring goes on and it is truly amazing to sit back and watch them as each ewe and lamb finds each other and trot off merrily to their own little patch on the hill.