Cute ÔÇô Ness and the ÔÇ£Lambing StormsÔÇØ
Our weather in February was absolutely fab and some of my Zwartbles sheep were fortunate to have their lambs then – they are already looking really well grown. Two pairs of the lambs were crossed with the French Rousillon sheep which is a new venuture and it will be interesting to see how they come on. The Rousillon breed are reputed to be an excellent meat sheep and be ready for the market after just 26 weeks on grass. We also hope that they will improved the feet of the Zwartbles which have always been their weak point. Zwartbles however have a very kind and docile temperament and are ideal for hobby sheep or the smallholder as they can be easily handled without a dog, though they can often be the size of a small calf!
However that great dry spell didn’t manage to last until the rest of the flock had produced their babies.
For the last few days the winds have gone round to the northeast with cold winds blowing from the Arctic and yesterday we woke to lying snow and a very unpleasant day. Needless to say this type of weather is not conducive to having lambs born outside and able to keep warm enough to survive. Unfortunately we have lost 3 this week – 2 of them just succumbed to the cold. There is always a chance that the weather can catch you out at this time of year but in previous years we have had a great lambing.
So the stables were all full of sheep last night to the indignation of my horses, but today the snow has abated and the wind dropped and the forecast looks a lot more hopeful – just as well. Luckily we have not had any orphans so far so no bottle feeding to be done which is a blessing.
This is a busy time of year with spring planting in the garden and polytunnel and on Sunday the 2nd April we will be hosting our annual Man v Horse Scotland competition in aid of Marie Curie and the South Loch Ness Access Group.
Numbers of riders are also on the increase to enjoy the excellent facilities and hacking we have for experienced riders from all over the world to enjoy our South Loch Ness area at Loch Ness Riding.
See www.lochnessriding.co.uk for more info.