A dog's life
Shearing time
Moonshine
Lambing time
Seasons do pass
Hakapoua Hilton
A farmer's life
The Czech way
Te Anau
The farmer's curse

Lambing time

As everyone knows lambing can be a busy time of year...

The ewes are looking good, I hope they've had sufficient feed
They've been fed during winter what I thought they should need
Divided into many mobs after scanning time had come
Into singles, twins and triplets and lates there were also some

Multiples require extra food, more grass was needed to eat
Singles getting a bit less, asking for more with a loud bleat
Exercise is important to keep them fit, too fat they cannot get
The things to make them lamb easier, this is the best bet

It was then time to spread them out, all around the farm
Set stocking it's called, it helps keep them quiet and calm
It is done just before they are due to lamb,
So they have their space to choose
Have some time to settle down,
And became acquainted with the other ewes

All was good before the start, no abortion hit us this time
Brandenburg stayed away, it must have been that extra lime
The odd ewe with sleepy sickness, but it is a good feeding sign
So all was set, we just needed the weather to stay fine

The start arrives there are quite a few lambs on the ground
Five months less five days since the rams were running around
Quite a few tupped in the first cycle the grass about was good
Some are into flushing, some just got them as best they could

Nothing too much to worry about, things were going well
Lambs were born, ewes were happy, everything was swell
The second cycle were getting ready to all be spread out now
All the paddocks full of sheep even the one that had the cow

This is when the fun starts as some ewes are just plain lazy
Or the lamb is far to big, it's when the shepherd does go crazy
To catch the ewe and pull the lamb and hope it's still alive
Then bond the lamb with its mum and trust it now will thrive

Everything is busy, the lambing mobs to go and check
Some go once, some twice, some three or more times to inspect
The early mobs to check also, make sure all is where it should be
That lambs are with their right mum and are playing happily

Now time to gather up gates and netting ready for the tailing
Once all is ready and finally started, it will be easy sailing
Let's hope the weather holds out the mud is not advisable
Ewes and lambs in the yards, the single lambs quite sizeable

The ewes are running and the lambs loud with their screaming
Dogs barking, rattles shaking, a quiet job we are dreaming
Earmark first, is it left or right,
One rubber ring for girls, two for boys they get
A scratch, then vaccination high up the neck,
All finished, now mum to find I bet

And after tailing when you get to that final last mob
You know lambing is finished that's the end of the job
There's quite a bit of work to do, not just to look and sit
So keep up the mighty effort, as that's lambing as we know it