Bright eyed and bushy tailed? - NOT

 

The 10th April dawned, Shep left the shed and headed out to the hill. To find a lamb, as shown above, not only a lamb but a hungry one at that, it had not managed to find out where the milk supply was - great news as the weather worsened.

Shep continued around the hill to find another sheep had lambed out on the Crunchylaw, the only cut of sheep which are brought in to a field to lamb. Unfortunately this was a dead lamb. The weather was still worsening.

A quick turn around, dry top coat gathered up and back out to the hill to attempt to resolve the problems. The wind was cold, as was the sleet. It really felt like a grey day!

Problems got sorted and Shep got into the cottage at lunchtime, falling into bed without a bath only to rise again at 5pm and set off to gather the Crunchylaw into the enclosure, if they're wanting to cause trouble they ain't gonna do it out on the open hill if I've got anything to do with it!

The sheep in the shed that night kept me busy which would be expected when the hours of sleep had been few. They had once again found themselves housed all day due to the weather and had obviously hung on as long as possible in the hope they might get out into the fresh air to have their lambs, they couldn't hang on any longer...

Fortunately the 11th dawned fine, a greater bonus was to go around the hill and find there had been no fresh arrivals - yipee! Although the hungry lamb had still not quite connected with the tit and more assistance was required, but she and it were held in a secure area, there was no running around out on the open ground to try to sort the problem.

The cruchylaw were dropped into the pens upon my return from the hill and hoggs run off, there is no need for them to remain in the enclosure, they won't be having lambs so they found themselves with their backsides kicked back out onto the hill ground out of the way.

It was almost mid afternoon when I hit the sack, sleep came easily, rousing didn't.

 

No more lambs until the 12th April, well, no more lambs on the hill is what I ought to say. I had already come across a pair in the field out on the top of the auld faulds cut, they were both sucked and full, not a big pair of lambs but a very kind mother who would keep them safe and sound, hopefully the next day they will be footy (lively) enough to walk down into the twin field. (remember - none of these sheep are scanned)

 

Having passed one lamb on little heugh I then passed another, both were sucked and full. All was well. A total of three lambed that morning. It was the 12th April, these sheep aren't due to lamb until the 17th, or is that the 16th due to it having been a leap year?

 

Shep got back in from the hill and did a head count as I passed the field of early lambers, the beasts I tend to throughout the night, there were still over 40 of them - 40! Sigh!

It is that transition which I really don't look forward to, when nights become days and days turn into nights. There is nothing can be done at the moment, all sheep need tending to. I really hope the hill sheep behave themselves - break me in gently, coupled with a deep longing for the shed sheep to put a spurt on.

Unfortunately all is not well within the shed, or ought I say field, depending on day or night. It would appear lambs may be suffering from dysentry. A problem I had on the hill a couple of years back and is now resolved by the ewes being innoculated. The field sheep however aren't innoculated, due to the fact they've never shown signs of dysentry before, it could make my blood boil if I let it, having dealt with the problem on this farm it is hard to believe that not all the sheep are covered, so much for the idealism of organic farming.

There's not just the problem with lambs, I mentioned that one night I had treated a sheep with calcium and magnesium, a sheep which had gone down. Well there have been odd ones and it was whilst studying one one night in the shed that I thought I may have come up with what the problem was.

I had been toying with mild twin lamb disease, or mild staggers when as said I spent a fair bit of time studying one particular sheep, one which I had treated the night previous. She was lying with her neck outstretched and nose pointing skywards, occasionally she would stand and do the same. I was racking my brain. Something in my head was telling me about 'stargazing' but I was struggling to recall what it was.

I usually carry my bible - the tv vet sheep book - with me at lambing time, but forgot this year so was unable to rifle through that for inspiration.

By morning I was able to ask the shepherd if he thought it could possibly be listeriosis, an illness caused by soil in the fodder, an illness I had only seen once before many years ago. Linked to feeding silage to sheep, soil collected in with the grass then wrapped ferments along with the grass and as I don't have my bible on hand I can't really tell you what happens next, except I was pretty sure 'stargazing' was a symptom and it definitely makes sheep poorly.

It is thought that it is possible this could be the problem, I thought these sheep were only fed on hay but apparently they had been on silage, I am also told that there is a months incubation period before the symptoms show and that basically there is no succesful treatment - Aah well! there you go then!!

So, nights are turning into days, there are still a number of shed sheep to lamb, there are problems on the ground and in the tummies. Pre and post lambing issues coming from all directions - happy days!

They are! Happy days! Life can be too short to let them be anything other than. Frustrating, annoying, tiring, of that there is no doubt but as I often say - character building! Definitely educational.

British Summer Time.

The clocks have gone forward, thanks to that strange phenomena known as British Summer Time, we suddenly find we have to get up an hour earlier than usual. At least in October when the clocks go back we get an extra hour in bed!

Sunday 25th March saw the days get longer, except they don't really, there are the same number of hours in the day only difference is it is an hour lighter at night and we get up an hour earlier in the morning so that makes the days seem longer, if you get my jist.

Shep had sheep to feed before heading elsewhere for the day, a sharp start was required to get on and move on so to speak. Sheep are accustomed to being fed at a set time and suddenly Shep turns up an hour earlier and on a misty morning........

It has to be said it was a beautiful morning, one which didn't see a soul astir anywhere, probably due to it being a Sunday morning with many adjusting their body clocks at their leisure, we don't all have that opportunity however.

This pheasant was awake if not somewhat dozy, trying to catch the weak sunshine which was valiantly attempting to burn off the morning mist.

The spider was no where to be seen, having a lie in, saving it's energy for whatever unsuspecting fly which might buzz it's way into the web once the day warmed up.

Sheep were taken by surprise, as was I, due to the fact I was struggling to see them. An hour earlier than they would normally expect to be fed they hadn't quite got themselves roused ready for breakfast and with visibility poor it was difficult to track them all down, 'twas just as well I knew how many sheep were in each group, a quick head count enabled me to drive further into the gloom looking for the few which were napping.

Sheep were eventually fed, taking longer than usual due to the visibility and early hour of the morning, then onwards Shep went to spend a day dosing sheep further down the valley. British Summer Time it indeed was, as mist burnt off the sun blazed down on us - this is the 25th March and the thermometer at Sheps back door recorded 23 degrees celsius!!! Can you believe that???

Young Kale wasn't too impressed to find himself locked in a livestock trailer, Moss was in there with him too but Kale thought he was missing out on something exciting and seemed to spend a great deal of time with his head stuck out of one of the ventilation slits, I would guess he had actually considered escaping from his captivity by this route and found his body was bigger than his head. The car was far too hot to leave the pair of them in and with bitches on heat on the farm it was far easier to have them barred up somewhere until they were needed or had cause to be released.

The buzz of bumble bees and singing of birds were drowned out by the roar of motorbikes, one of Tarset's downsides. We have roads which it would seem every motorcyclist in the North wishes to drive, once the weather picks up they are like midges, swarming upon us and shattering the peace of the countryside. Today was no exception. Fortunately for once the wail of sirens were not an accompaniment, there will be many sirens though over the summer months as blue flashing lights pick up the pieces of those unable to negotiate the roads - today we were fortunate.

Due to the farm Shep was working on being right on a busy motorbike highway it was necessary to fetch sheep under the road and into the pens,

they are able to walk along the edge of the Tarset burn below a bridge to reach the pens in safety. I was told today that the burn always has a dapply reflection on the underside of the bridge when the weather is really bright, I couldn't help but look up

Indeed the water was reflecting on the underside of the bridge.

 

The ewes managed to negotiate the busy road without too much bother, the burn was low and co operative.

Now one of these here swaledale ewes caused Shep some grief, I have no idea which one, I may write about the incident yet but I'll just say for now that I sustained a 'knock' in the pens, one which has had me pondering all afternoon as to how it happened and hoping that no one makes me laugh and definitely praying that I don't sneeze, cough or in fact perform any movement which may involve my ribs....

There was unexpected company in the sheep pens........

A new born lamb !

 

Then there were two!!!

She stopped at three - thank goodness!!

For all she found herself moved into a 'personal' pen I couldn't help but think that it must be like giving birth in the middle of a shopping precinct or such likes. Fortunate for her though that she hadn't been left back in the field as the first lamb came arse first (breech), with just a tail dangling out of the ewes backside. Lambs can be difficult to give birth to in this position and are apt to die due to drowning so both ewe and lamb were very lucky, especially as they aren't officially due to lamb until later in the week. Help was on hand and Shep lambed her first lamb of the season, the other two followed on at their leisure, with all three on the ground within ten minutes - not bad going! The ewe and her family then found themselves in a nice pen full of straw away from the hustle and bustle of the sheep pens.

As said, the days are getting longer, it was indeed a long day. To round it off a shot of the setting sun. Darkness didn't fall until 8pm. It is still incredible to believe we could be experiencing such weather so early in the year, enjoy it whilst it lasts is what I say!

T shirt weather

Wow! It's not often in March you find yourself stripped down to a T shirt, this year spring truly is early and if the wind dies down the heat of the sun can really be felt. Has to be said though that it pays not to leave the discarded layers too far away as should the sun go behind a cloud or the wind speed lift the temperature soon begins to chill a lightly clad body.

 

These sheep are waiting for their morning feed, except they weren't exactly waiting. Due to the kinder weather sheep are happy to rake away from troughs. They aren't just hanging around waiting to be fed, there is a bite of grass and they'd often sooner have that than hang around waiting for some cake to arrive. Having said that though they definitely don't say no when cake is offered.

 

These photos were taken a week ago, just prior to 8am, what a glorious morning, it was a real pleasure to be out there viewing the valley on such a clear morning.

The morning chorus is almost reaching a crescendo, curlew and skylark singing their hearts out, garden birds chirping away merrily, woodpeckers tapping with gusto, oystercatchers calling down by the waters edge..... a true cacophony of sound, an absolute pleasure to hear.

There has been so much to see over the past week, almost too much to take in. Ravens tumbling in the sky, red squirrels scooting and chattering in the trees, curlews flying and emitting their plaintive call.

There are goosanders, mallards, mandarin ducks on the water, dippers and wagtails also. Robins, Blackbirds and Thrushes singing their hearts out around the house.

There is one bird however which is proving elusive, a bird I saw much earlier in the winter, made acquaintance with it on a number of occasions but to date it is eluding me, the peewit (lapwing). Maybe I just haven't been concentrating sufficiently - have overlooked the poor souls, but I have to say, they don't seem to be hitting me in the face just at this moment. Their numbers have been dwindling over the years, maybe they're finding the competition from ravens and carrion crows is too much for them or there again, as already said, mebbes I've just had too much to take in and 'missed' them.

Adders have already been sighted, although not by Shep. It will be perfect conditions for them coming out of their hibernation, there is no doubt they will be basking somewhere in a sheltered spot warming their bodies with the heat of the sun.

 

Bumble bees are buzzing, even a tortoiseshell butterfly the other day flittering around the sheep pens.

 

Other things are flying around our skies, many of them. Helicopters, thankfully not the air ambulance type but the armed forces type. With two army bases near at hand there is often action in the skies, at present we are experiencing a lull from the low flying jet aircraft, rather than the scream and roar of jet engines we are getting the buzz and hum of helicopters.

 

I got my eye on this wild honeysuckle coming into leaf yesterday, a sparkly green ness in what would otherwise have appeared a 'dead' woodland. It really seems like the world is coming alive! I've even cut our garden grass, unheard of to cut it as early as this. There was not masses of growth, especially with three dogs having traipsed over it throughout the winter but once it was cut it looks so much tidier which just shows how it must have grown.

Further down the valley lambs are beginning to spring into spring. I called on a friend today and was greeted with "Have you come for a lamb?" When I replied that I hadn't they then enquired whether I would like one anyhow! Too many multiple births had found just days into their lambing that there were a number of pet lambs looking for surrogate mothers. Well I wasn't gonna be one of them, that's for sure! I don't think there are many shepherds out there who would say they like pet lambs, noisy time consuming things they are - having said that though I couldn't help but be curious and go have a peek

 

A noise not heard since last spring, one which easily gets on your wick - lambs blaaring, a choir of them in fact, all with slightly different voices, all saying the same thing - "food"!

gathering again

You just get finished gathering at one farm then off you go to another...... Blimey! Like I often say - no peace for the wicked!

Moss and I chose to use shank's pony last week, in other words we gathered on foot, by choice I may add, as we could easily have taken our own quad bike, however, I decided walking would be good for the body and soul. Has to be said, as I found myself negotiating some thick heather on an uphill climb towards the route taken by the Pennine Way I concluded my little stumpy legs may well be getting stumpier, however, the body needed a stretch, or so the mind told me and so persevere we did for a few days.

We stopped off en route to take some pictures, okay! the truth is Shep needed a pee and the old shooting hut was a grand hidey hole where the world and it's neighbours wouldn't be able to view my bare arse, then I decided to take some photos before resuming the journey, views of where I was heading on those little short legs of mine.

Sheep are being moved by Moss who worked well, my abilities to keep up with some of the fore runners was limited, strange how you miss a quad! Moss' wide outrun came to the fore and he didn't let me down once, the pair of us were very happy with the proceedings. I gain a lot of pleasure from working the dogs, especially so when they work well and keep the job under control. I couldn't help but think Moss was working better with us being on foot, or maybe it was because he was a solitary dog and had me all to himself - who knows?

Finally all were gathered and were being brought towards the pens.

Once held in the sheep pens the sheep were run up the shedder. The twin bearing ewes were being taken off. They had been in such good fettle at the scanning it was decided to set them back to the hill, it was now time for them to be coming into the fields and receiving a bite of cake (feed).

The twin bearing ewes are waiting expectantly - what next? Would they be lucky enough to just run through the pens or was there some man handling going to be done to them?

All the sheep were going to receive treatment. They needed their pre lambing innoculation, a booster for them and a cover against clostridial diseases for the lambs within them. They also required an oral dose for liver fluke, some for worms. Then there was the pour on which would be applied to their backs, not for lice this time........

For ticks

Them blood sucking critters which can cause havoc to ewes and lambs when the spring rise occurs. We found out that it was already occuring. This tick was one of many which had taken residence on the sheep. In actual fact it was ready to depart. My hand under the sheep's chin whilst dosing had naturally dislodged the fella. Gorged and full of blood it was dropping off ready to commence it's reproductive cycle. Instead it found itself smiling for the camera and then unceremoniously squashed into a bloody mush on the fence post.

The pour on which had been applied to the sheep's back would kill off any of the critters which had latched onto the animals and it would also prevent any others from taking up residence over the following 8 weeks. The lambs on this particular farm have to be treated quite soon after birth and definitely before they head back to the hill with their mothers, otherwise they suffer all manner of unpleasant disorders, including turning cripply and quite obviously struggling to thrive.

The weeks work went well, we had dry weather if not somewhat overcast and coupled with a cold wind, although when walking whilst gathering the wind wasn't too much of a bother, body warmer than it would have been had it been astride a quad bike.

As evening was drawing in and sheep were heading back out to the hill the sun graced us with it's presence and made the dead hill grasses appear almost golden in the light it cast across the hill. A grand way to finish a day in mid March.