It has been an odd week regarding the weather. On the first day high winds and storms, even one accompanied with snow, arrived here on Manor Farm. It was also the start of a few very cold days , with sharp frosts.

Then up went the temperature again, almost into double figures. These days were rather damp and miserable, except for Thursday, which was lovely and sunny. After totalling up the rainfall for October and November I found that October has so far been the wettest month of the year (124mm ), whilst November was almost the driest (19.5mm, with the driest April 15mm ).

The covers on the six polytunnels are now in place and the first one completed, with guttering and sides in place. This tunnel also has occupants, as all the adult rams have been brought in from the field they were grazing. During the week Kevin, with help from Ian and Marcus, prepared the barns to be used to house the ewes until they give births in January. This involved making sure they were clean, had running water and the feed troughs were clean and in good condition. The barns were then divided into smaller areas before being bedded up with a thick layer of straw. Smaller divisions were made so the ewes could be separated into groups depending on the number of lambs they are carrying. This will ensure each animal receives the correct amount of nutrients. The flock of 600 ewes was brought in on foot as they were grazing one of the fields on Manor Farm. This meant the collies Smudge, Star, Fern and Winston and all available family members were summoned to help, so the job was soon completed. On arriving at the farm the sheep were guided through a foot bath to clean, harden and destroy certain bacteria present on the hooves .

When animals are brought into barns from fields they have been grazing it is advisable to change their diet gradually, so for a few days the ewes were fed only grass silage, which is basically pickled grass. After this they were gradually introduced to the complete ration they will be receiving until lambing. This includes home grown cereals (barley, wheat and oats ) and peas, also a protein pellet containing all the necessary minerals. In the ration each ewe is given 3.5 to 4.0 kg of grass silage per day, with the amount of concentrate included varying slightly depending on how many lambs they are carrying. As the pregnancies advance the ration fed to each group will have the amount of nutrients increased steadily to ensure the ewes and unborn lambs remain healthy. The different parts of the ration are weighed into Kevin’s mixer wagon from where it is dispensed into the feed trough. In order to be able to mix food in this way farmers have to have a licence.

In preparation for the lambing season Melissa collected some colostrum from a local dairy farm. Colostrum is the nutrient -rich fluid produced by the mammary glands of mammals for a few days after birth. In the case of the lambs that will be born in January it may be necessary, especially in multiple births, to use another source of colostrum for a small lamb that may not be able to suckle. Sometimes a mother may reject one of her lambs or a lamb could be orphaned. It then becomes essential for the shepherd to give a newborn lamb some colostrum. Colostrum is a complex, highly nutritious fluid, which contains high levels of antibodies giving protection to the newborn against a number of harmful bacteria present in the local environment. However a newborn must receive a good feed of colostrum within six - 12 hours of birth, in order that the immunoglobulins can be absorbed.