May

The leaves are out and the trees look glorious, bright and shiny It is a lovely time of year, the bluebells are everywhere with many others flowers, wild garlic, little violets. The weather has been very dry and a little cold, however a lot of sunshine.

After checking the sheep this evening at 9.30 pm they are still busy eating, blaring and not at all sleepy, the lambs are running around. Next morning they were all very sleepy at 8.30am when walking through them, they do not even get up, sheep are late risers. I like to think it is very peaceful here but when a lamb or two, maybe a twin of lambs, like to go for explore which they do… finding small holes that they can squeeze through as they are mischievous and interested as there may be some young shoots that would be sweet to eat, finding themselves parted from their mother, they try and get back, but not sure where they got in, and then the blaring starts… then mother starts and the peaceful location I tell people, it is not, until they are reunited. So training is required!

We put up an electric fence with three strands of wire with a small shock that will train the lambs not to cross to get into the hedge. A few try and pull the wire down, and I put it up again, but after a day they learn, and are reformed characters, so it is quieter and the hedges can grow without being constantly nibbled!

It is great to see the lambs running around and jumping in the air as if they are on springs. Children love to bottle feed spare lambs while on holiday in the spacious barn conversions near the Jurassic Coast.

Have just cut for 1st cut silage, it is early as the spring has been magnificent. The quality will be great but the quantity will not be large. Regrowth soon if it rains, we hope!