Lambing update

Oh it’s a cold breeze today could of done with gloves at 0730 this morning. 

Ready to go into the fields! 

Went from feeding, watering, hay and straw in 20 plus pens in a morning to 14.

Mornings are feeding poultry. And ducklings then onto sheep. 

Sheep 

Mix up lamb milk for the lambs to drink in a few hours. Feeding each ewe in each pen adding hay to ach pen and then straw. Finishing off with cleaning and filling water buckets. 

Health and welfare check of each ewe and her lambs. 

Some photos 

Lambs numbered so we can identify any lamb that needs attention. Might be not feeding as it should or ill or thriving. This lot all doing well

The ladies to lamb. We are down to 13 left

How the hay gets to sheep for feeding. 

After that. Check regular through day and supervise lambing. Pen ewe and lambs. Feed up again at teatime. 

By time we fed ourselves and ensured hey, clean pens and water at least a 12 hour day gone by!! 

All cute on here but hard graft and sad parts that I not going to put on my blog. 

Only 13 to go! 

All about the bees

All about bees today! 

Too cold to do a full bee inspection in the hives! However on a quick look bees bringing food into hive and doing well for this time of year. 

Weather going to change and go cold so booster feed given incase they can’t get out their hive. 

Risky time. Nice weather brings them out as it’s spring and then temp drops and they can’t get food. 

Friendly bees when you have treats!! 

Then there were two

More cuties - the dinkies doing ok

The tame ones - now feeding the self from shepherdess bucket




Making friends with the neighbour! 

And other stuff

Too hot in the polytunnel for jumper and hat

Hatching duck eggs

The ducklings aren’t due for two days!

Excuse the picture taken through incubator window so as not to disturb the heat/humidity 

Increasing your stock

In the middle of lambing you decide to increase your stock!! With tame lambs! We got 7. I think we live in the sheep shed at minute. At least it’s covid safe!! 

We decided to number them for ease of monitoring!! Only problem is I got job of numbering and haven’t done it before. Not sure my graffiti skills will make a bankys standard any time soon!!! 

Springtime everywhere

First ewes and their lambs turned out 

Lambing ongoing. Dinkies are now being fed by ewe mum just how it should be!! 

Goose hopefully is sitting. Gander very protective towards her! 

Duck eggs due to hatch in 4 days 

Posh chickens started to lay their eggs and have settled in. 
 

Seeds are germinating 

The digger is serviced and ready for action. Think I need to practice!! Hoping to create a veg bed nr polytunnel! 




So all going on at dizzy acres!! 

Sheep Labour ward

Last night had to dinky lambs born. Needed intense heat and tube fed and given back to mum. 

Today…… Encouraged to feed from mum and a bottle later…

Had strength to find mum for a feed! 

Cuties

First lambs born of the year

Born about an hour ago

Spring planting in the polytunnel

Started in Hydroponic unit. 

Watercress started in hydrophobic unit now going crazy in polytunnel 

Poly tunnel still the middle to build, going to be a beam along the top of posts to make frames for the tomatoes. Bench looks bare in this picture but it ain’t now!! 

Broad beans ready to go out

Sowing seeds to start this years crop. Might have some to sell in the honesty box later. 

Stone henge planting

Our version of stone henge in front of the house. 




Whilst waiting for lambing day got planters planted up. Cause it poured down with rain. My coat so wet it’s hanging over the bath dripping. Lol. Pleased with efforts so far should look good when they grow. 

Hydroponics

I have always fancied having a go at hydroponics so took the plunge. I bought a kit. 

This is the base and the lights 



Add water and feed and sponges. In the sponges add seeds. The unit does the rest, have to top up with water and leave plugged in. The unit is programmed. The above picture is the second lot I am growing. 

When they get to certain size I transferred to polytunnel to carry on growing. Herb seeds normally take forever in soil to get going. The hydroponic unit speeds germination up. Well worth it if your a gardener! 

The herbs hoping to sell dried and fresh at the honesty box. Watch this space!! 

Tractor lesson

Well never driven a tractor till yesterday. I didn’t intend to but with a minutes warning and a minutes lesson. I not only drove a tractor for first time ever yesterday but had to drive one whilst pulling another tractor without steering! 

I think I did well only broke a plastic bucket!! That was tractor without steering that caught the bucket! I Think Rob might of aged a bit in the process! 

Today was about sheep

It’s that time of year for our ladies to lamb. Due day is 15th March. Today we finished preparing the sheep shed and bringing them in. 

New hens

I had loads planned for blog today. Weather was awful. That drizzly stuff. 

We have new posh hens they all fluffy. The white one is the cockerel he has three ladies.

Dizzy cows

Cows last summer