ZOE COLVILLE ON LAMBING SEASON

By Zoe Colville, The Chief Shepherdess

From about March, the adrenaline flows in torrents. Lambing time is approaching, we've safely brought the pregnant ewes through the relentless winter, the new grass is sprouting, and the days are getting longer, but the last few weeks before the lambs are born drag on.

There's so much to do in such a short time, and we're certainly not twiddling our thumbs, but in a way, you could say it's the calm before the storm. The eager anticipation of whether Mother Nature will be kind to us this year, sweaty hands because we don't know if we chose the wrong rams, and the issue par excellence that makes your pulse race... do we have enough grass? All very nerve-wracking.

The beginning of lambing season is always a bit boring. The yearning for the rush of seeing the lambs' first breaths, the fact that you have to get by on very little sleep, and the nervous tension that comes with exhaustion and sugar - a lot of sugar. Everyday life is completely turned upside down when you're eating doughnuts at 7 AM because you've been up for three hours, and when you wear the same socks for three days in a row, but it doesn't even occur to you that it's disgusting. You become selfless in the face of these fluffy girls, everything else is unimportant, and that's a blessing when you've spent your whole life worrying about trifles.

I've probably mentioned it before and I'll say it again: It should be on the school curriculum for children to be present during lambing season. It's almost like therapy, getting up before sunrise and pushing your limits during those six weeks. Being so in tune with the weather and nature is very calming. During this time, we also live in a caravan on the farm, so we can hear the birds and notice if it's stormy or rainy. This really grounds you when you're used to being woken up by an alarm clock or central heating.

When everything is up in the air and you have no control over the day's events, I need some kind of routine, otherwise I'd lose my mind. It helps when you have to bottle-feed the lambs and kids every 3 to 4 hours. On the one hand, it gives you a chance to finally sit down; on the other hand, it's incredibly relaxing to focus on just one thing in all the madness: that the little ones drink their milk. This time of calm is so important for our mental health, and as soon as I'm back to reality, I incorporate that into my daily routine too.

About The Little Farm Fridge
Zoe spent most of her childhood outdoors, building dens and playing with her imaginary animals. At 18, she moved to London to train as a hairdresser, where she spent all her time until she met Chris and gradually moved back to Kent. Gradually, they acquired more and more animals, and now they have a whole herd of animals grazing throughout the county (and beyond). One thing is for sure: the passion for their animals is omnipresent. No matter how wet the winter or how dry the summer - they always strive for the best.

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