Ian and his son Sam travelled from London to experience what life is like on a family farm in Scotland.
From the moment we arrived, we could hear the sweet sound of young sheep in the fields and the lambing shed. As we approached the lambing shed, we were warmly welcomed by the farm’s friendly lambing team, Graeme and Laura, who shared their knowledge and passion for sheep farming in the Highlands.
After watching Graeme’s happy collie dog, Lexie, herd some straying Black-faced sheep into the main field, Laura taught us about the different adaptations of native breeds, why Shetland sheep vary in colour and why farmers like the Texel breed (especially Graeme!).
Feeding pet lambs was next. Mother sheep (ewes) have two teets, the perfect number to feed two newborn lambs. But some ewes give birth to triplets. When this happens, Laura and Graeme help a different ewe with one baby adopt a triplet lamb. If this strategy doesn’t work, they bottle feed the orphans until they are big enough to eat in the fields with the rest of the folk.
With the professional assistance of Laura, both Ian and Sam bottle-fed the farm’s pet lambs. They even got to name an adorable spotty Black-faced baby. They chose the name, Linda. Happy days!
We hope you had a wonderful experience on The Haugh Farm, Ian and Sam, and lots of lovely stories to share with your friends and family in London.
Visit our website www.wildalbatours.com to book your lambing tour with Graeme and Laura at The Haugh Farm today!
Sara-Jane, Wild Alba Tours
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Category: News Tags: Cairngorms, Family activities in Scotland, Family activities in Speyside, Family days out, Family farm, Farm tour, Farming in Scotland, Great Out Doors, Guided farm tour, Guided walking tour, Lambing, Lambing expereince, Lambing tour, Moray, Nature, nature walk, Speyside, Things to do with the family in Scotland, Wildlife Safaris, wildlife walks