Spring miracles

Red Hill Dairy has had its first lambs born that were conceived on the new farm. In the process of moving and having sheep all together when we arrived, an old ewe and a young maiden lamb decided they were ready to be joined, and have both lambed on the same day last week. The old girl had been expected for a while, but the maiden was quite a surprise we found in the long grass while checking. We had gone hunting that day for a missing milker (ovine type), who was found grazing in an out-of-sight gully. So not only were we relieved to find her but had a bonus of 3 new lambs on the same day. Sometimes you have a winner. On the way past their first trough after lambing, the ewes have a giant thirst and stop for a long drink. Perhaps we should get a Maremma dog to carry a barrel around the paddock. The rest of the milking herd stopped in their tracks on the way in that day, very curious about these new arrivals, who really drew attention. The mothers have bumped up the milk volume in the vat, and the lambs are doing famously, almost ready to go out on grass.