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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: exmouthcraig on February 21, 2020, 07:51:49 PM

Title: The start of silly season
Post by: exmouthcraig on February 21, 2020, 07:51:49 PM
Well not that we ever have much but Silly Season our 5 week lambing run started on Monday.

We have 420 Lleyn ewes all served by a mix of Lleyn and Texel rams. Christmas eve saw us scan all 436 to know what we were to be expecting and indication showed we should see a flock increase of 183%  :claphappy:

The boys had done their work with all but 16, which we disposed of before January. It's a business not a petting zoo.

We have had relentless rain since October and virtually every field was underwater before the tups even ran!! Cattle were brought into shed to allow the sheep to run in their fields as we were so tight for land. Tupping cant happen in a shed!!

We are now, yet again for the second time in 3 years having to bed down our tractor shed to give the lambs some running space as the fields are still underwater.

But we are in full swing now, every couple of hours we trek to the sheds to make sure both mum and babies are kept together and moved into their own pen.

Once scanned we can decipher which should lamb earliest and are marked accordingly.
Red dots = 2 lambs
Green dot = 1 lamb
Red cross on rump = empty
Purple dot = 3 or more with the number sprayed so we know

They are then kept in pens of 25 - 30 and hopefully we get most of the right ones in the right pens. However one can lamb in a corner of the pen and because the other 24 are all imminent they try to steal each others lambs. It's a  :censored: nightmare if you miss a couple trying to get them back in the right place. 3 pregnant ewes butting you to protect "their" lamb is pretty intense.

Anyway the first of 2020 were delivered on monday
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/87/5099-210220195025.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=87765)
Title: Re: The start of silly season
Post by: guest311 on February 21, 2020, 08:56:19 PM
at least you shouldn't need to be on the roof with an angle grinder. :smiley-laughing:

hopefully all will go well, and NO LOSSES.

where is the fingers crossed emojie when you want it ?
Title: Re: The start of silly season
Post by: exmouthcraig on February 21, 2020, 09:53:29 PM
The stable barn roof is still missing!! So I will need to get back on a roof soon, no angle grinder on this one though!!!

Hopefully it will all go well but there will be a few losses, law of averages unfortunately, just hopefully not a big number.
Title: Re: The start of silly season
Post by: Newportnobby on February 22, 2020, 12:52:32 PM
Hats off to all farmers who keep us fed despite seriously adverse conditions at times.
Title: Re: The start of silly season
Post by: GrahamB on February 22, 2020, 06:58:59 PM
I'm guessing you're nowhere near Kent. My daughter (17) is planning on becoming a vet and is looking for all the experience she can get.

Good luck.
Title: Re: The start of silly season
Post by: exmouthcraig on February 22, 2020, 07:06:41 PM
@GrahamB (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=298) sadly not, our nearest well known town for one reason or another is Melton Mowbray  :hmmm:
Title: Re: The start of silly season
Post by: crewearpley40 on February 22, 2020, 07:07:39 PM
I would suggest your daughter could apply if not already to vet practices Graham.  I digress look forward to ally pally. Chris
Title: Re: The start of silly season
Post by: crewearpley40 on February 22, 2020, 07:08:39 PM
Craig. You mean your near a certain pork pie factory ?
Title: Re: The start of silly season
Post by: guest311 on February 22, 2020, 08:49:39 PM
Quote from: crewearpley40 on February 22, 2020, 07:08:39 PM
Craig. You mean your near a certain pork pie factory ?

and of course the defence animal centre, which due to the penny pinching politicians,  :veryangry: absorbed the RAFP dog school which used to be at Debden, where I did my QPD course, and then Newton.

never mind that the army ans RAF use their dogs in different ways, ...
you got to save a penny or two ..

and flog off bases to your mates to build on  :censored:
Title: Re: The start of silly season
Post by: GrahamB on February 22, 2020, 09:04:32 PM
Quote from: crewearpley40 on February 22, 2020, 07:07:39 PM
I would suggest your daughter could apply if not already to vet practices Graham.  I digress look forward to ally pally. Chris
She's already had a week at one with another booked later in the year. Subject to school checks she's also got a week's farm work experience in June. The school farm is brilliant but isn't accepted by the universities.

Title: Re: The start of silly season
Post by: Newportnobby on February 23, 2020, 10:35:44 AM
My niece (daughter of a vet) has just gone through Uni to become a vet and has emerged with debts of over £50K. Just as well they can earn a lot as that's a lot to repay
Title: Re: The start of silly season
Post by: exmouthcraig on February 23, 2020, 10:46:53 AM
@Newportnobby (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=264) that sounds  like our annual vet bill  :'(
Title: Re: The start of silly season
Post by: dannyboy on February 23, 2020, 02:52:29 PM
Congratulations to your niece @Newportnobby (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=264) - shame that getting an education incurs so much debt though.  :goggleeyes:
Title: Re: The start of silly season
Post by: guest311 on February 23, 2020, 03:01:22 PM
at the risk of being deemed political,
I've often wondered why governments, of whatever colour, don't allow each person an amount to cover the cost of training for their careers.

you want to go to uni ... fine costs deducted from your fund

you want to do an HGV course, an SIA course, and a nail course, fine the costs are deducted from your 'fund'

they keep pratting on about investing in people for the future, but really they don't, any of them