Lambing season is well upon us and for some of us, it’s nearly over. This year I have done my first proper bit of lambing and so far I have absolutely loved it! I also learnt a lot, some of which I feel could be transferred to the general public to make farmers lives so much easier…
I was nervous and excited before I got there on my first day, as I had never met the farmer and all I had to go by were my instructions for getting there which rather mysteriously included “follow the music”. Anyway, I rocked up in my waterproofs and wellies ready to get stuck in. Within five minutes of being there, I had seen three lambs born and was already getting my first job on the yard. It had soon become very clear what this mysterious music was as they had the radio blasting out over the lambing shed. I spent the next two days lambing, filling water buckets, bedding down, moving ewes and lambs and assisting with injections. By the end of my second day I had delivered over a dozen lambs, a good few of them solo and I was feeling way more confident.
However, I have noticed that most people outside of the farming community have a very limited idea about what goes on during these crucial months in the farmer’s calendar. There is a limited amount of reliable information available about lambing time unless people venture into the wealth of farming journals and websites which they might not even know exist! The agricultural community on Twitter along with other social media provide a great insight into the world of farming, especially at this time of year. Although it could be considered subliminal messaging, all of the cutesy lamb photos provide a first-hand look in at lambing that many people may not get otherwise.
My lambing experience really brought home how important it is to educate people about farming as it really does impact the whole world. Things like keeping dogs on leads when walking through the countryside and closing gates to fields could make our lives easier if people were aware of the benefits. With the use of social media, we can educate more people to make lambing time easier on everyone. To quote the girl I was lambing with – It’s a pretty big job, feeding the planet…
