3 Sets of Twins for Crumbleton Manor Farm!

Billie, one of the first twins to be born

We've had wildly varying weather this past week or so. Every morning we worried about lambs popping out during the wee hours while wind and rain lashed at them, so we moved our small flock to a paddock next to the house where they are sheltered beautifully by a very large Macrocarpa tree (native to California) with low branches. It's in the perfect spot to block the westerly winds. In addition, we can stand in the kitchen at night and shine a powerful torch to see how the girls are doing without setting foot outside.

Polly minding her own business while Dolly the sheep is a protective mum!

So, two more sets of twins! And we haven't had to bottle feed any of them. We've moved all three mothers and six babies to the shed annex, with maternity paddock right nextdoor. They have shelter all night with plenty of room for all of them and the lambs can bounce around the lush green paddock during the day. Apart from one day when one of the ewes escaped and took her lambs down to the first dam, we've had no incidents.

The newborn lambs are simply a marvel! Within minutes of being born they are up on their feet, nuzzling their mum for their first drink of milk. I watch them sitting there while their mum licks them clean of birth gunk and wonder what's going through their little mind. The big, cold, brightly coloured world is so different to the warm, dark environment they have been used to for so long.

Flossie is loving her daily chore of moving the rest of the flock from their night paddock to day paddocks and back again in the evening. The sheep have become used to the routine as well. Yesterday they trooped in of their own accord and put themselves to bed! Flossie was disappointed...

As the days progressed all six lambs started playing with each other and didn't seem too fussy about who's udder they drank from, although some of the mothers were a little perturbed at strange young ones making themselves at home back there!

It seems Spring is just around the corner, In town today I saw street trees in full bloom - flowering plums I think. Lovely. There are daffodils coming up here and there too. The jonquils are still going strong, in huge clumps of fragrant cream coloured frilly bonnets.