LAMBING COURSES - MORE DATES DUE TO DEMAND

We are delighted with the response for the courses.

Texel lambsAnd as such we have only a few spaces left for the weekday courses, but have extended our dates to include a Saturday. Additional dates are;

Saturday 16 February 2013
Saturday 23 February 2013
Saturday 2 March 2013

All the girls are housed and are happily munching on the haylage and eating well.  First is due on 9 February so more to follow after then.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A GREAT 2013 FROM OAKBERROW

Steve, myself and all at Oakberrow wish all our friends a family best wishes for the festive season. 

2012 has been an exciting year with our first Greyfaced Dartmoor Lambs being born at Oakberrow.  Also Gin having her gorgeous litter of Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla pups.  Foster winning the Challenge Certificate at Paignton Championship Dog Show and also Best of Breed.  At the beginning of the year both Gin and Foster won their Show Certificates of Merit.

Success at the shows with the Ryeland Sheep and my year as President of the Ryeland Flock Book Society which ends soon and the Presidency will be handed over to John Donovan.  The Workshop for Ryeland members held in August at the Three Counties Showground which was a resounding success with 80 members attending.  Although hard work thoroughly enjoyable and very rewarding with all having gone home having learnt something.

The launch of the web site - it is a year old and has been visited and enjoyed by many, however there is always work to do to improve.

2013 - Lambing course dates set - see under Learning courses.  

Exciting judging appointments for both dogs and sheep for myself and Steve for sheep and Longhorn cattle.

From all at Oakberrow best wishes

Lambs have arrived!

Exactly at midnight on Sunday the first lambs arrived.   The first was a texel who produced twins and then closely followed by 5 more texels.  I also have Camilla who is a Ryeland dad and Suffolk mule mum, who this year went to the Texel and Camilla had twins.  Princess who is another daughter of Duchy (the Suffolk mule) but to a texel ram, also had twins and for the first time ewe lambs.  Don't tell Steve but I intend to keep one of these!  The first Ryeland is due on 31 January - but they normally lamb a few days later than anticipated.  Dot and Willow, the Greyfaced Dartmoors are also due to lamb soon with the other 4 towards the end of February.

Pictures of the lambs to follow.

Lambing Barn in action

The ewes are due to start lambing on Sunday - very exciting! It is quite a special time when the first lamb arrives.  You wait with excitement and when you hear the first little bleat of a newborn lamb there is nothing like it.  Steve seems to have an inbuilt alarm clock and can get up every hour or two during the night attending to the girls.  They enjoy coming into the barn at night and we love looking at them with a sense of anticipation. 

Before the ewes go with the lambs we spend many an hour analysising  the ewe's previous off spring and deciding which ram they should be used,  this ram or that ram - decisions, decisions!!  All of this makes it so interesting to see if your decisions have been fruitful.   Remember that we are running lambing courses, so if interested get your space booked as soon as possible.

Grey Faced Dartmoor Girls

Antonia, Ceres and LaraAs promised photos of the latest girls - their names are Antonia, Ceres and Lara - all of which are good old fashioned Roman girls' names.

The Dartmoors are mixing well with the Ryelands, but are a little unsure of the dogs as yet.  Decimus seems to have made best friends with the Texel Ram. 

The long winter nights are becoming a bore.  We are starting to sort out all the lambing dates and get organised for the first few who start at the end of January.

Got to ensure that the girls all have their Heptavac P injection in good time.