Lambs arrived early at Shuttleworth College,
with the first born on 14 January. A further 102 lambs
arrived in January and more are on the way.
Students are given hands on experience on the
farm where their day begins at 6 am and finishes at 9 pm during the
busy lambing time over 7 weeks. Staff work around the clock
24 hours a day to ensure the lambs arrive safely, whatever time of
day or night they are born.
Robert Coles, Farm Manager, explained that one
peak day saw 40 lambs born, putting farm workers and students to
the test. He added:
“This gives our students studying
Agriculture, Countryside and Animal Care the opportunity of hands
on experience and prepares them for work in the industry, where an
18 hour day is not unusual during lambing time.”
Taking a top tip from farmers in New Zealand,
alpacas share the fields with the lambs and protect them from
foxes. The alpacas can be seen patrolling the perimeter
fence.
Sheep shearing begins in May and the
Shuttleworth sheep could be in training for the Olympics, with The
Federated Farmers of New Zealand calling for sheep shearing to
become an Olympic sport. They have pointed to the ''shear
hard work'' required.
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