My 5 little poppets who live in the high dependency unit behind the Reading Room didn't know it last night, but it was their last bottle feed......
I have a routine which goes something like this... I arrive at roadside gate which leads to the garth, I usually wear waterproof trousers and the rustle alerts the spotter sheep who lets them all know with a certain "ma ma"....... anything that is remotely edible is served up in little white buckets........ the bottles come wrapped in tea towels.. the creep feed in another....... and there is a 3rd which is a top up water source which is usually put into the trailer....
The greeting is mutual..... with questions such as "hello... how are we today?".. "what have you been doing" when its obvious they've been up to not good... etc.. Bottles are then shared in a certain pecking order... it makes them wait in line.. the with a call of "Come on" I retrieve the bucket of nuts from the other side of the gate and we walk.. or run and skip to the pen... which lets lambs in and keeps sheep out... where the nuts are evenly spread in the trough for them all to share... Millie the babysitter sheep gets the bucket back with a few left in the bottom.. all very organised and we all know what we are supposed to be doing... when the meal is over the lambs gather round me for a stroke... a preen to pick off any unsightly attachments.... and a big love...... all happy and correct!
This morning we bit the bullet... its time.. Melody is 5 months old... I missed out the bottles......... oh dear... there was panic and confusion...... we went straight into "come on" as I headed for the trough... I had 5 lambs trying to trip me up and stop me from making a mistake... they all came into the pen with the exception on Jonty who remonstrated with me to put me right..... it took 4 attempts with repeated "come on's" till he relented..
The cuddles were a most intense affair..... I sat on the upturned crate with 5 lambs heads on my lap vying for attention with desperate looks on all their little faces.. when I walked to the gate.. the entourage came trotting with me.. perhaps the bottles will be dished out now they thought.. she can't be serious Megan said so........ Tottie started to cry... then went to drink from the water trough.... followed by Melody... Sulking followed.... then as I walked away ....... feeling dreadful....... a chorus of small voices calling up the path behind me from the gate... I didn't turn round..... oh dear.... I'll pop back later and make amends!