Another Threesome

I told you about our three new goats and three new turkeys in my last blog post. There’s now a third new threesome at Les Fragnes – this time lambs.

On Friday 13th March, Mrs Suffolk (our Suffolk ewe) presented us with a little female, Friday, and six days later, Mrs Eyebrows (our Charollais) delivered twin males, whom we’ve called Fabian and Florian. Ruadhri’s German exchange student, Fabian, arrived that night to stay for six days with us, and a few years ago Benj’s exchange student was Florian. So those seemed like two good names to use.

A very new Friday

When we found Friday, she was snuggling up with Mrs Eyebrows. Like last year, her strong maternal instincts were getting in the way. Mrs S isn’t the most devoted of mothers and seemed quite happy – again – to hand over her baby to another ewe. Last year we lost one of her twins because of this. We didn’t realise in time that Mrs E wasn’t the mother of the little female that she was nurturing. But I’d learned my lesson the hard way so I put Mrs S and her baby into the stable on their own to bond for a while. Eyebrows was upset for an hour or so but calmed down and gradually Mrs Suffolk and Friday bonded.

Very new twins!

It was a relief that Mrs Eyebrows was next to give birth since we don’t have to worry now about her disrupting proceedings when Spot and Cowslip have their lambs, which will be any day now.

The twins and Friday are thriving now and full of mischief. They gambol around after the hens and turkeys, and spend a lot of time playing in their shelter.

Mrs Suffolk stuck close to her baby for a few days but is now quite happy to wander far away. Friday isn’t so impressed and bellows for mum to return!

I’ll be back with news of the next arrivals.