Lambs at last

I've been missing again! Life is all go and there is little time for computing. So much to back blip but it will have to wait.

Hermione Herdwick broke her waters early in this morning. It wasn't the best day for her. She stood on one spot, turning round and round, all day without sign of contractions. I was beginning to get concerned when, in the late afternoon, no lamb appeared.

A head and one hoof appeared but it was obvious she wasn't going to do it alone. Thankfully Helen and James turned up to help me catch and hold her whilst I got dirty. I mean dirty. Disentangling legs inside the ewes body was not what I was expecting to do for the first birth. It's neither a job I've done often, for a long time, or one I particularly like.

A few minutes of slippery adjustments and I managed to get the lamb in a position to pull and he was out and on his legs in record time. A big boy determined to get to the milk supply! His sister arrived an hour later without need for assistance. Hermione is happy, the lambs are happy and so am I and those who stepped in to help. This was taken as the second lamb got onto her feet for the first time and headed for the teats, still a little damp but perfect.

Now crossing fingers the other girls will do it all alone!

Herdwick sheep are born black but will change colour as they grow. First their heads and legs will lighten until they become white. With age and years the rest of their wool will darken until it is light grey.