I hadn't quite reckoned that we'd have a second ram pet lamb this year at Struan Farm. John seems to have in his head that my limit is six, although I've stated that we need to see what the heavens deliver either way on that score. I do know that ten was too many last year, it was beyond my ability to cope and affected my relationships with the lambs as well. Other than Alfie and Trixie, I didn't really have any relationships with the pets last year. I was just viewed as a source of food, not "mum."
This year things are going well. Everyone lets me pet them after bottles, and they recognise my voice and come running. That's what I want to see. So when John flagged a ram lamb being butted away by his mum and not fed we decided to give them time to resolve their issues. The lamb had had a feed, wasn't newly born. But the relationship went sideways for some reason. John went back later in the day and found the situation the same. We decided to bring the lamb back to the Pet Pen rather than risk losing him. He drank from the bottle immediately, usually a sign of extreme hunger with one that has fed previously from mum. Sometimes it can be much harder convincing them to take the bottle, but not with this little guy.
Meet "Whiskey." He's joined the gang in the pen. I'm not sure I'm at my limit just yet, really. But if there aren't any others abandoned or in trouble this may very well be it. The Class of 2018: Bubbles, Ajax, Bambi, Diva, Fergie and now Whiskey.
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