April 28th ......... heaviest snowfall of the winter

Nearly two  months into meteorological Spring and we have the heaviest snowfall of the year so far with flakes like goose feathers.

Ewes and lambs always react the same way to this type of snow, standing quite still with their backs to the wind. Luckily the youngest lambs are at least two weeks old, well grown and well fed they aren't in any danger of hypothermia.

The ewe's thick fleece is like your."warm when wet" underwear in outdoor shops and fermentation in the rumen is a central heating system.

Pet lambs eating concentrates

Lambs however are still reliant on their mother's milk, rumination is just developing so they need a continuous supply of milk

"Pet lambs" the orphans in their pen in the byre are still being fed expensive milk substitute with hay and cereal based concentrate on offer

As soon as they are eating 250 g of solids a day and they are seven weeks old the milk is removed and they are weaned. Only another three weeks of milk mixing and bucket washing!