Springtime in Orkney

The new lamb , which hasn't got a name yet, has been venturing out with its mother. We are at the start of a a 'cold snap' . So some sun , but with the temperature in single figures. Pleasant enough.
But then we had a brief hail shower. Junior was out exploring with her mum , and got caught in it.

First steps

The mother and the  lamb happened to venture out for the first time.

She always has twins

No she doesn't.  Even a week before her due date.

Spotted at 2pm grazing in the field. At 315pm  I found the ewe and a lamb standing in the sheep shed. There were still visible contractions a so we waited for the 2nd lamb.

After waiting  90 mins, and no lamb we checked and couldn't feel any parts.  A bit nonplussed , but the vet confirmed an empty uterus. So  she doesn't 'always' have twins

So we are leaving mother and lamb to sort out the feeding and will check back on them in a bit.

A few more gratuitous pictures of the lamb.

Not a good start

We are leaving the sheep outside to lamb.  Some of the locals have told us that if left outside, they dont lamb in the dark. Sounds good to us. Labour in a lamb can last a few hours and , as one of them is due I gto up early ( 530 am) to have a look .  Last year  we were surprised at 630 am by a head appearing  as we were checking on them in the morning .
And looking up the field, one of them had something - but it didnt look like a lamb.
On a closer look, it was intestine that had prolapsed through the vagina.
Those of a sensitive disposition who dont like looking at  innards should look away now.

So a call to the Vet who came out promptly. Intestines had come out.
This , in a sheep is not survivable. So the sheep would have to be put down.
The Vet asked  if we would like to try and salvage the lambs ( which were at term anyway)
So an injection was  followed by a rapid Caesarian Section and 3 lambs delivered. All were born with heartbeats but none made any effort to breathe, so after several minutes efforts were abandoned.

Bowel prolapse can occur after lambing but the vet had never seen it occur before. But , as ever, Google is your friend and it is not unheard of .
The most comprehensive report I could find is from Australia.

So it was just hard luck.

Next one is due at the end of the week.

Keeping off the grass

Finished Product

 As part of the tidying up after  the building work, they put a load of gravel on the drive - it was getting a bit thin in places. And this was fine, except that it spilled over onto the grass. Come the summer  and grass-cutting the gravel and stones will will trash the blades of the mower. And also theis stuff will follow gravity and successive rains will probably wash the gravel downhill  and onto the grass ( again) . So I thought I'd better build a small retaining wall.

Before

 The first step is to dig a bit of a hole and then put some flat, wide and solid stones down to act as the foundations. I dug a hole. And found a cable. I suspect its the telephone line coming  into the house. I found it a while back , where it enters the property

 




So not sure what will happen if I (gently)  put a big slab over it , the wall was moved 6 inches further away. For a while I've  been making a big pile of stones suitable for walling  and now was the time to go and get them. In digging for the foundations I also found a couple of other large stones  that got dug out , relocated and included in the wall.

starting

and on a bit more

  Ideally Id have liked to have put in another course or 2 but haven't easily got access to the stones. So ive made do with what I had . I can always come back and extend it (upwards or sideways) when supplies of suitable materials improve

Tidying up a corner

So with some more gravel put in the path I decided that the retaining wall wasnt good enough.

What retaining wall ?.

And the gravel was spilling onto the grass

 So it all needed sorting . Weve managed to collect together some stones.  And I've done the course.  So no excuse really.

It looks like the coping stones ave fallen off and ended up in the flower bed. They went some time ago, I think .

So after a couple of hours the wall was partly built

 And a couple more , all done

Now to tackle the other side of the path .

Not the Hay Wain

So we need some hay. Sadly we dont have a cart and horse and a stream , as Constable did.
We've got a trailer. And a car. And a neighbour with hay.
So we need to put all three together.
 

A trailer

A hay bale

  And with much huffing and grunting and pushing  and the help of the neighbour, we got the bale in the trailer.

A very tight fit.

 So getting the bale in wasn't that easy ( we should have put some cardboard on the trailer floor. Its corrugated, to stop things (ie sheep) sliding about.

And we transported it home.  it took three of us to get it in . ow there were only 2  to get it out.  and it too long to reach in and pull.
So the answer - empty enough hay from the side door.  Get in the trailer. Lie on the floor . And push .

Mission accomplished.

So for next time, some big sheets of cardboard. get the thing on the cardboard , leaving enough to pull vigorously to extract the hay bale.

desparate times, desparate measures

  

3 days of eggs

The hens are laying really well. at the moment. So well, that we are getting about 20 eggs per day. And  quite a few people in Orkney keep hens so the market for selling them isnt a large as it is in other places.

 Something must be done.
So a sign at the end of the drive to attract some 'passing trade'. We shall see what happens.

And if the response is 'not very much' the Orkney Food Bank will welcome surplus eggs