Lambing season is in full swing across Scotland with most producers reporting good results on the back of favourable weather.
Sheep farmers said the first week in April was one of the best for a long time but the break in the weather on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week resulted in ewes and lambs remaining indoors for an extra night.
ORKNEY
Up north on Orkney, Gina Marshall from Cotland, St Ola, works for Willie Harcus of Quanterness, near Kirkwall, and is busy attending to the 800-ewe flock of Cheviot cross and Texel crosses.
The flock began lambing on April 5 five days later than normal which she said was a blessing as the weather on the island had been very poor at the end of March.
Ms Marshall said singles were lambing indoors to allow for adoptions to be made from the triplets that were outside along with the twin bearing ewes.
She said the rain hadn’t been constant which meant only a few sets had to be brought indoors.
CAITHNESS
In Caithness, Arnott Coghill from Skinnet, Halkirk, runs 1,000 ewes of which the majority are Scotch Mules.
He began lambing 10 days ago and said the weather had been fairly okay apart from the middle of this week when the cold east wind got up and rain showers appeared on and off.
All ewes are brought inside at night and he aims to have new lambs out with mothers the following day.
Around 130 ewes scanned with triplets this year.
Mr Arnott said he was about three weeks behind with fertiliser being applied to grass and only had 70 acres of the 300 acres in total sown.
He said it was pleasing to see a lift in the sheep trade but worried about the future of the industry going forward.
“Most of our lambs are sold to McIntosh Donald at Portlethen, but Scotland generally has very little slaughter capacity and it’s going to be a major problem going forward,” he saidSPRING
SPEYSIDE
Sarah-Jane Forbes, who farms with her husband Alan, at Dalrachie, near Ballindalloch, has been lambing for the past three weeks and has 50 left to lamb.
In the eight years of lambing at Dalrachie, she said it had been the best year for weather, with lambs getting a good start in dry and warmer weather.
The couple lamb 200 North Country Cheviots to the Bluefaced Leicester for producing Mules and a further 160 Northies bred pure.
Ewes scanned at 166% and so far the lambing percentage was sitting at 163%.
HUNTLY
Ewan Gordon from Wellheads, Huntly, started lambing his 1,100 ewe flock indoors on March 26.
Around 200 ewes carrying triplets were housed inside from March 1.
Mr Gordon said ewes scanned at 208% and up until Tuesday of this week, ewes with lambs were outside the following day.
He said he had around 100 ewes left to lamb and this year had gone pretty well.
