Lambing Barn in action

The ewes are due to start lambing on Sunday - very exciting! It is quite a special time when the first lamb arrives.  You wait with excitement and when you hear the first little bleat of a newborn lamb there is nothing like it.  Steve seems to have an inbuilt alarm clock and can get up every hour or two during the night attending to the girls.  They enjoy coming into the barn at night and we love looking at them with a sense of anticipation. 

Before the ewes go with the lambs we spend many an hour analysising  the ewe's previous off spring and deciding which ram they should be used,  this ram or that ram - decisions, decisions!!  All of this makes it so interesting to see if your decisions have been fruitful.   Remember that we are running lambing courses, so if interested get your space booked as soon as possible.

Happy New Year

We have been very busy at Oakberrow over the festive season attending shows, sorting out the ewes for lambing and going shooting.  The first batch of texel ewes are due to lamb from 22 January and we have brought them home to Oakberrow together with the first Ryelands and 2 of the Greyfaced Dartmoors, Dot and Willow. 

Foster went to Stourbridge Show held at Perdiswell Leisure Centre on the 28 December and he won best AVNSC Gundog under judge Ray Scholes and then went on to win Gundog Group 2.  On New Years Day Foster and Gin went to Coventry Ladies Kennel Society show held at the Sky Blue Connexion.  Foster won Best of Breed and Gin Reserve Best AVNSC both under judge Rob McMaster.  In between the shows they both have been out at Madresfield shoot and Abbots Court Shoot picking up.  Also delighted that our friends Richard Stafford and Ed Casey Farnfield Gundogs had a wonderful weekend with Richard's labrador winning Best in Show on New Years Day and Ed's Dalmation winning Best in Show on 2nd January at Worcester and Malvern Canine Society which I am Chairman of.

Today we have just come back from Mike's Shoot at Abbots Court and although not a busy day for the dogs, the work they did have was testing and we are delighted with the boys - Stowford, Foster and OB.

  

This is OB

Christmas Day is here

Christmas Eve Chloe arrived together with her Mum and Dad to deliver our Christmas presents and also to receive her present and give all the dogs their Christmas kiss.  Chloe loves visiting and being with the dogs and sheep and she has been trying her hand at showing Gin.  She has got the talent as you can see from the photo, she must follow in her grandad's footsteps who is affectionately known as Stevie!!

Happy Christmas and Happy Lambing 2012

I would like to wish all my friends and colleagues a Merry Christmas and a great 2012 with lots of success in the show world.

Steve and I are very excited about 2012 with the launch of our new web page promoting all that we get up to at Oakberrow.

Lambing courses, sheep management courses and consultancy service by Steve who has many years experience in the livestock world with a wealth of knowledge.  See the web for further information.

Crufts in March and we have entered Gin as regretfully Foster cannot compete as he is a docked dog.  Gin is entered in the breed and also the Pickers Up class and a representative in the Madresfield Shoot Team.

HAPPY NEW YEAR  TO ALL

Grey Faced Dartmoor Girls

Antonia, Ceres and LaraAs promised photos of the latest girls - their names are Antonia, Ceres and Lara - all of which are good old fashioned Roman girls' names.

The Dartmoors are mixing well with the Ryelands, but are a little unsure of the dogs as yet.  Decimus seems to have made best friends with the Texel Ram. 

The long winter nights are becoming a bore.  We are starting to sort out all the lambing dates and get organised for the first few who start at the end of January.

Got to ensure that the girls all have their Heptavac P injection in good time.