Rutting Season and departing – November to December 2014

Decisions have been made. The farmer has allowed that the majority of ewe lambs would go for breeding and be given a chance for this life –which is unusual as usually they would all go to slaughter. Two did not make it (Georgie and Dot) and were sent to market, and a third is too small and ill at the moment (Liz 7). Hopefully it will mean that the rest will be kept for breeding and produce well allowing them to stay as breeding females. Things can change. Three of the males have been ‘saved’ for the moment for breeding – Leroy, Larry and Jake. The other seven ram lambs will go. The decision was quick and I was not able to save the two that have already gone. I have been thinking of trying to save them for a while. I have been on the farm as an intern on a career direction change. I did research a lot first and about why keeping sheep is very much a lifestyle choice I cannot afford personally. I would not be able to ‘save’ them without funding. I was told Spartacus 11 – who is very gentle and attentive, had gone to slaughter but then – by someone else that he did not go as there was too much going on for the butchers as it was the festive season. So this is me going as fast as I can to try to raise money to save him and them. It is not just about the money to buy him but equipment to treat them through the year, to pay for a sanctuary to keep them, for the vet bills etc. When I came to the farm, it was for a desire to engage with British countryside and to learn how to take care of farm animals and build on my studies. It did not even enter my mind I would be trying to ‘save’ sheep I had helped raised. I do come from a background of caring for domestic pets and conservation of wild animals, and this learning has influenced me in this urge – but also having raised and nursed them, it is instinctual and very difficult. I have learnt more than I have bargained for in this intern ship. I did not come to explore my relationship to food and the way I consume but it has been part of my journey this year. I also have come to adore sheep. I have spent a lot of time observing them and they are such a fascinating subtle species. Time is short as the boys are all due to go very soon. It may already be too late. The farmer has kindly said that he will sell to me if I can raise the money and I will try to crowd fund. I cannot do any more than that responsibly as I am entering a year’s intern ship elsewhere and will not be able to work to keep them. There is so much more to say about the sheep and what I have learnt. I now will get the crowd funding page underway but more information can be seen and will be added to on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheepstars and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUWJqwUx1apc4IKrr8znfPw
Why save them? They love to meet people, and I think are valuable as education sheep. Simply, they are personalities and I have gotten to know them as sentient beings. Sheep are raised as farm animals but I think that these particular sheep have potential to be ambassadors for their species and also as therapy or just friendly sheep. Just being in the middle of the holiday period and in the middle of a move from the farm to a country park and other deadlines – my writing will be sporadic and when I can get to my laptop. Thank you for reading and to all those who have ‘liked’ or ‘followed’ my blog so far. I have not publicised it yet or told anyone I know that it is up, so it was very encouraging and means a lot that people have liked what I have done so far and found my work. Crowd funding……

Baaa and seek – August to November 2014

The ewe and ram lambs were all together a while in Lowany field after leaving the woods but were separated for breeding management. Generally it is not seen as sense to keep orphan lambs as farmers will need to ensure that the flock have a good gene pool and the ram lambs will have less use for the farm as only a few are needed to create more lambs. The rams are usually the first to go to market or to slaughter. I often wonder how it must be for the lambs who have made strong bonds with each other to suddenly not see each other anymore. Some orphan lambs stayed close together, and others were more solitary or formed new relationships. I would still check in with each lamb and some, like Emily and Dot, had become more distant as they integrated with lambs that had been brought up by their parent ewe. There were some who I spent more time with when they became ill like Amelie, Charlie and Siegfried, and were closer to these. The behaviour of the rams and ewes were different. Generally I had to walk the whole field to find the females. Although, sometimes I was spotted and approached, or called from across the field, or I looked up and behind to find Noir nearly peering over my shoulder. The rams usually all came running up and were more attentive when I visited. The way I visited changed as well. I was constantly searching for sheep as they moved a lot. Instead of trying to find everyone, I would stay and spend more time with the ones I found as I wanted to not rush the time I had with them. It had become more difficult in any case as some had become ill and were in different places. Some days the orphan lambs were in five different locations and I chose which were priority to visit. In free range management systems, although sheep will have a freer lifestyle, they are more open to disease and external factors, and it had been a very wet year. During this time, I could not find Liz 7 and no one had noticed she was missing or could tell me anything about this. I searched the field daily to no avail then fearing the worst I mourned. Three weeks later, a vet student mentioned to me that there had been a numbered lamb smaller than the rest in the adult ewe hospital pen and I rushed there that evening to have a look. It was an emotional moment as I approached and recognised Liz. I called her and she called back. As I got in the pen, the other ewes that were a lot bigger than her all crowded away but as I came to visit regularly they became habituated to me and began to relax. They watched with interest as I would try to pep Liz up in my human way with words and silent hugs. I noticed that there were times that they would not let her feed on the hay and butted her away so I would take some and hand feed her. Many of the lambs would still sit with me. I felt privileged when some would rest their heads on me like they did with each other, relaxed. They did not mind me giving them human hugs. I could sit for hours with them not thinking or moving. I noticed how careful that especially the ewes were to check they would sit somewhere clean first examining the grass around them carefully. Some requested my attention more than others. I watched the lambs play and butt each other and the clashes would become more serious later in rutting season. I have read on forums that it should not be encouraged when a lamb paws you for milk (I will discuss this in a later post) and Spartacus did this often to my wellington boots and some of the others did as well. They seemed to think that it produced milk in earlier life.

Hide and seek in the woods – July to August 2014

The sheep moved to a wooded enclosure that was private to the public as it was too wild and overgrown for health and safety. The lambs are mountain sheep and in the wild would eat anything palatable to fulfil their nutritional needs. They feasted on unlimited foliage and had shade of the trees and unlimited terrain to explore. It was not so easy for them to keep together and they dispersed in to smaller groups. It made it more of a challenge to visit them all as I had to hunt them all through the whole enclosure sometimes. They often emerged with sticky thistle leaves attached to their fleece and would sit with visitors. They communicated clearly when they would like you to stay and sit with them by coming up beside the person and sitting close by. Often lambs would wait by the exit gate for me and not fight for attention with the others. Then it would be hard to leave without spending time with them too.

New Pastures June to July 2014

The lambs  moved to better pasture in June to Lowany End Field. I went to visit them every evening I could after the move to be a familiar face. I arrived on the scene and showed them their new water source as I was concerned they might not find it and be thirsty. The lambs were getting used to having a much bigger playground plus a few panicky moments like when Horatio 2 found his way under the fence to the cow field and could not find his way back in early days. I arrived on the scene to Horatio galloping up and down the fence line baaing in alarm. After letting him back through the fence he soon calmed down and went back to his friends. I wonder if this was a definitive moment as Horatio had not been that responsive to affection in early days but later after this moment he became one of the friendliest and affectionate personalities. The lambs soon settled down and I still came to sit with the lambs the evenings I could. Time passes quickly and easily in the company of lambs as they rest their little heads on each other and human friends.

Starting Life in Home Field Stable – April to May 2014

Once the preparations had been made for the arrival of orphan lambs, the carers waited for each lamb to come roaring up on the back of a quad bike. The lamb was given colostrum (substitute first milk), heat and comfort by whoever was on duty. We kept them warm under heat lamps and monitored for any health issues. Giving the lambs names was fatal as it changes the relationship. It was no longer so possible to maintain a distance. Even just numbering them has the same effect. Farm animals are reared for food production but trying to comfort and welcome each lamb in to the world and seeing their personalities develop made it hard (for me) to detach especially if one struggles – then you fight for them to survive and nurse them back to health. I only named one lamb out of 25 which was Amelie 13. Usually the ewe has an attentive relationship with the lamb until breeding season but in the absence of the mother, relationships with the other lambs becomes important as they give each other affection and learn together how to be sheep. I have seen this before with other species that they learn and carry out natural behaviour without being taught by an adult of their species; when behaviour is innate.

When there is more than one animal living together, it takes patience when there are so many; but I find each animal needs individual time. I started this during bottle feeding where I would separate each lamb I was feeding and bring it across to sit and be given individual attention. This way the carer can get to know the personalities of each animal and a trust is developed. This helps when later health treatment may need to be given. It is less stressful for the animal and makes it easier to give treatment. When I have worked with other animals, sometimes they will ‘protest’ if they do not have their own space.

During their time in the stable, the orphan lambs got to know an orphan calf, accepting Titan as one of them. They were bottle fed by the public a few times a day and participated in usual lamb activities like gambolling, sunbathing and making friends. Before they were supposed to be released to grass, there was one incident where a caregiver looked out her window and found them all frolicking in the field. She called me and we all rushed out. I had earlier heard them baaing in alarm or excitement and gone out to check but found nothing. Apparently they had broken down the gate but not ventured out till later – as they had all looked back at me innocently when I had checked. A few of us that were alerted put them back in their stable area and finished the little evening adventure.

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After about a month, each lamb finally goes out to pasture where they explore and expand their world. The lambs were happy when visitors came and delighted when they encountered haystacks to play on.