On the road again

Bit of a road trip on Saturday as we went a very long way to take Tyke and Wonky to their lovely new home.  Neither had been in a trailer before so we were unsure how they would react and we had planned to introduce them to walking up the ramp the day before but sheep giving birth laid that plan to rest.  I needn't have worried as they walked straight in and sat down before the trailer had even rolled out onto the road.  They have a lovely new home with lots to interest them - supposedly they are turkey guards but at the moment I am not sure whether the turkeys are quite sure about alpacas!  - herding chickens appears to be their new interest!  We came home with eggs and potatoes which really are the best I have tasted - not surprising with the potatoes as the soil around looked wonderful.

No rest after that as we then had sheep moving and an alpaca husbandry visit and it is only Wednesday.  I spent most of today moving the sheep race by dragging it bit by bit behind my truck using various bits of bailer twine.  I was thinking whilst watching someone lamb today - what is the most useful thing I have in my extensive lambing kit which contains every thing I could even imagine I might want and the answer was - - bailer twine!  It has pulled out many lambs, hobbled a sheep who had to come into shelter, held my trousers up and now it is moving the sheep race - not the same piece of course!

The weather has been very warm and, on my mad dash to catch the Library Van, I caught sight of the Knight on his gleaming stead about to take to the highways and byways.  The alpacas have enjoyed the sun but I would really like a bit of rain now to get the grass growing.

A tick on my To Do List!

My To Do List has an entry which says write blog and it has been on the list for quite some time now!  I have good intentions but no time - and yet again time appears to be defeating me but I am going to make a supreme effort to write something!  We have an early start tomorrow as we are delivering two lovely little boys to somewhere even further than London - which seems like an awful long way to me!  We are fairly ready and I have explained to the lads what is happening - they just carried on eating - Sam is on standby in case of any last minute lamb births (only 6 stragglers to go now) just got o find something to wear that is not covered in afterbirth or colostrum.

I have 80 little lambs so far and have done enough delving in sheep rear ends for one year.  My worst was a prolapsed uterus swiftly followed by the intestines.  That was very sad as I had to call the vet to put her out of her misery in the middle of the night.  Her vagina had prolapsed earlier and I had got that back in alright but had to help her with the mighty great Scottie lamb she was carrying.  She died shortly after with her head resting on her lamb.  On the positive side the lamb is doing really well and is called Katie Morag - I shall be keeping her!

The alpacas are all well - eating the garden whenever I give them an opportunity!

We are a bit behind with toenail maintainence but Trouble is a real help as she enjoys it!  No one even needs to hold her when she has her nails done - shame they are bnot ll like that!

 

And finally - some lambs!

 

This one is my favourite!

And here is one just born, very weak and had to come home and stay in the kitchen - but she would rather watch television!  She is back with Mim now and doing well!

And writing the blog title reminded me - I found a Tick on my tummy yesterday.  Never had one of them on me before and I had to shriek for Carl to come and remove it!