With the last blast of winter, our small flock has had its first new birth. Both ewe and lamb are healthy, with the mother appropriately protective of her new charge, huffing and hoof-stomping whenever we wander too close and carefully keeping apart from the flock.

It’s an exciting development for us as we try to learn the ropes of sheep farming, and also marks a step towards a self-replacing flock. With a number of other ewes looking heavy, the coming weeks should continue to see the arrival of more lambs, timely replacements for those others due to be reincarnated as sausages.