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.

Stooks and Stirks

The Gotlands were blade-sheared a few days ago . A neighbour got to hear about it  and came to record a  piece for local radio whilst we were shearing one of them

February 2015 edition of 'Stooks and Stirks' - there is a piece about  shearing the Gotlands

 The Radio Orkney facebook page is here

https://www.facebook.com/pages/BBC-Radio-Orkney/31395967167


and the piece in February 2015 Stooks and Stirks   programme  starts at 38.46.
In case the radio program becomes unavailable , the mp3 file is also available as an mp3  download ( or your browser may decide to stream it)

Blade shearing the Gotlands

Sheared Sheep

We've got 4 Gotland sheep and a ram, Fraser. We went to get him in November  and then when the ewes were here Fraser got his chance.
The ewes came to us from Sanday but they were originally in the north of  Scotland  cared for by the  Transalpine Redemptorist monks on Papa Stronsay.  



The monks have a blog and I think I've found a picture of the Gotlands  when they had them  and when they were lambing.  The tle that came to us is that the monk who was responsible for the sheep moved on and so they stopped keeping them
 

We havent got the sheep just for lambing ( but hopefully Fraser has done the business) but also for their fleece. Gotlands can be sheared twice a year and  we decided that  now was the moment.  They are hopefully pregnant and  there were some concerns expressed about turning a pregnant ewe . Cant see  why it should be a problem is done expertly ( well, there is one problem) but nevertheless it was decided that we wouldnt.



 So catch a sheep . this was easier because theh had been penned inside overnight in case of rain, and then set to with some shears .










the sheep were done standing which makes it a bit harder because the   fleece doesn't fall  away but after a couple of hours we were becoming more adept , and speeding up a bit ( but  only a bit)












 And the end result. A few boxes of this , which will be washed and processed  and then turned into yarn.

 And the sheep - probably feeling sorry for themselves but its surprising what some sheep nuts will achieve. if the weather is bad they can  be inside for a few days if they wish

BEFORE

 

AFTER

Skating in Orkney

It doesn't really snow here - too windy and too close to the sea. But we do get a lot of hail  - blown in on strong winds.  At a distance (see above) it really looks like snow on the hills. But close-up its not , its mostly hail.
Thats OK, as long as you aren't walking into it.  But if it then rains on  gtound , covered with hail, it becomes very slippery. 




So we are a bit housebound by the  ice on the drive

 And the sheep  - well the Borerays are ( or should be) used to it, so they get to stay out with some hay - the grass is also covered by a sheet of ice.

 but the Gotlands, limited for the moment to the hard standing are inside - they are too stupid to avoid the ice so try and walk over it and fall over. I wish i had the video !

Fraser gets his chance

So the time has come ,and Fraser , the Gotland ram, has been let out of the barn and into the field  with the Gotland eyes.  He was raddled  before being let into the field.













Anyway he was clearly keen  as he spotted the ewes  higher up the field .

Sadly they didnt seem to be as keen  as he followed them round the field.   

Fraser, Milton and 3 more

The time has come to go and get some more sheep from 'down South' - ie anywhere south of Wick. The ferries run at different times at the weekend , so this time it was a 9am sailing from Stromness. 9am sailing means the last check in 830 am and the Ferry terminal is about 10 minutes drive from home, so allowing some time for congestion (!) we leave home a bit after 8am . And we arrived at the Stromness terminal in daylight (still).

And the crossing was in daylight , so we went past Hoy. The hills of Hoy were in cloud








So far , so good.  Then a drive south, this time to Ardgay. It not as long and tortuous as going to Lochinver. And most of the road is dual carriageway












Having got there , Fraser is a Gotland ram , who in due course will go with our newly-acquired - and a subsequent blog post - Gotland ewes who will again in due course , produce some Gotland  lambs. Milton is a wether (castrated ram) , or wedder in Orcadian.  And there were 3 gimmer boreray ewes as wel that we were picking up.

A bit of deft reversing ,

  and there were Milton and Fraser, ready to be 'encouraged' into the trailer.
 

Fraser

Milton

All that was needed was to partition the trailer and make space for the  other Borerays and we were off .

Bede, the Boreray

Berriedale Braes remains challenging with a  loaded trailer .  So an uneventful 7pm crossing (in the dark)  and we were home.

The Borerays were put in the barn overnight and Milton and Fraser given the run of the trailer

Borerays - barn

The next morning the ram was put with the other wedders in the field and the young ewes  separated off with the other ewes . Tupping the Borerays comes a bit later

  Milton , meanwhile was eager to explore his new surroundings. 

 

 So he ws encouraged to go into the barn.  And he will be here for a  wee while whilst we sort out suitable dates for lambing the Gotlands by reference  to a lambing calendar