New Year's Resolution BLOG!

Well, I am back, for how long?  New Year's Resolution was to start the blog again.  I am sure that a lot has happened since October 2011 but that would take too long to rewrite history.  We are still settled and enjoying our life up here in Caithness.  The flock has grown and changed a little.  There are now 46 Jacob ewes, 15 Cheviot gimmers and 5 new Suffolk ewe lambs.  We now have three pedigree Jacob tups.   28 Jacob ewe lambs and 2 tup lambs and crosses are also going through the winter, either as replacements or for sale.  The tups are out and munching hay.  Lambing is due to start 21st march.  This us the first year that we haven't sponged the ewes so it will be interesting.

Our plan is to have a really sheepy 2014 so I will try and keep the blog up to date and....take mire photos!

I am currently waiting for the equipment that will enable me to do my own Fecal Egg Counts.  The USB, digital microscope is set in ready and waiting.  Next blog on this topic?

Red is the colour,

If you sponge your ewes then lambing can condensed into a short period of time.

That  is how the explanation goes.  Well there is nothing quite as descriptive as the sight of raddle marks on the backside of the ewes.  As of this tuesday evening all 6 Cheviots are now marked.  Of the 21 jacobs, 17 are marked.  of the 4 left; 2 had lost their sponges so expected in the next 2 weeks, 1 we think had a partially retained sponge.  the remaining ewe will hopefully be tupped overnight tonight.

I took the ewe that we thought might have retained some of the sponge (very tight when withdrawing and at the time was reasonably convinced that not all came out)  to the vet.  The vet did her best to find anything but it was all a bit tight in there so nothing definative.  It may be that there is none in there but if there is we will just have to wait until the hormones wear off.  So chances are she won't get in lamb this year which is a shame.  Still the important thing is that she will probably not have any ill affects.

stats suggest 85% take in the first cycle.  As this year we are planning a very short lambing it is likely that we will have to wait until January when the ewes are scanned to get the news.