WHAT’S ON LAMB-TASTIC


This Spring a day out at Bocketts Farm offers more than just the usual day out. The farm is likely to have as many as 600 lambs born this Spring and you may well see one born if you visit.


There are plenty of animals to see at Bocketts but lambs epitomise Spring. So we asked Farmer Martin (pictured below with dog Louie) to share some interesting facts about the expectant ewes and their babies.


How many lambs do


most sheep have? It is most common for a sheep to have twins (2 lambs) but some have a single and others may have triplets (3 lambs). Occasionally a ewe will have quads (4 lambs!)


How do we know what


they are having? A few months before the sheep are due we ultrasonically scan them, which means we use a machine that lets us see how many lamb each sheep has inside of her. We then put a different coloured dot on their back so we know which is which. At Bocketts Farm, blue is for a single, green for twins and orange for triplets.


What happens once


the lamb is born? As soon as the lamb is born it is really important that it has some colostrum to drink from its mothers teat. This is a thick, creamy milk that provides lots of nutrients and protection from nasty bugs. Often a lamb will be able to stand up and drink within 20 minutes of being born!


How long are sheep


pregnant for? 145 days.


It’s very important that the mother and baby lambs bond closely for the first 24-48 hours so they are kept in a pen all together, before being allowed into the field to play.


What does the farmer need


to do to look after the sheep? We make sure that the sheep have lots of lovely hay or grass to eat and plenty of fresh water. They must also have a clean, dry bed to sleep on and so they are mucked out every day.


Throughout the year we must also trim their hooves and then around June before the summer months we shear the sheep to remove their thick woolly coat.


Bocketts Farm Park is open daily from 10am to 5.30pm every day this Spring.


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