Swaledale Ewe and Lamb

We start lambing at Pry House Farm from mid April till late May

At Pry House Farm we breed pure Swaledale sheep.  Swaledales can be seen all over the country but Upper Swaledale is the home of the breed and pedigree stock has been bred here for generations.  Lambing time is my favorite time in the farming calendar.  It is when I can be most useful on the farm.  Some of our sheep lamb indoors but majority of the flock (several hundred) have their lambs outside.  Even in April the weather up here at the head of Swaledale can be unkind.  On a bad day or following a wet night or if a ewe has had a difficult lambing then they come inside for a couple of days to make sure the lamb (or lambs if she has had twins) is suckling and becoming stronger.

My job is to keep an eye on what is happening in the lambing sheds.  I watch out for anything about to lamb and if it has twins move the mother and lambs into an individual pen to ensure they have all bonded.

This ewe and lamb are on the grass verge opposite the farmhouse and farmyard.  The grass is young and tender on the verges and perfect to help a bit older ewe or one that has had a rough time recover.  Its a sunny place and the wall provides shelter.  I call it the special baby care unit!  Very often someone calls at the door to tell us one of our sheep is out!  We may have many hundred sheep but we always know where they all are.  The lamb is in no danger.  Swaledale ewes are excellent mothers and very protective.