This year's lambs were weaned (no longer drinking milk from their mothers) at the end of August, so the ewes now get a rest for a few months, with a chance to recover from rearing the lambs before the breeding season starts again. We give them an MOT and decide which ones will be sold and which ones will be bred from again.

We're very much thinking ahead to spring and even to this time next year, to what lambs we'll have to sell - in farming it's a careful, slow process, you're always planning far in advance. The outcomes of our decisions today will affect the number and quality of lambs we have to sell next year. The 18-month-old females, which we've bred, receive vaccinations against various viruses. Even though we're organic, vaccinations are allowed as it benefits the health and welfare of the animal.

After their pre-breeding health check the rams, or tups, will go in with the ewes around November 20^th, which will mean lambing will start on April 15^th - 147 days for the sheep's gestation. The rams will serve roughly 80 ewes each across the breeding season, which lasts for six weeks - they're going to be busy boys!

As you're out and about across Matson Ground and the Lakes in autumn you might notice the rams in the fields sporting a harness. This holds a coloured crayon, which marks the sheep's back once it's been served. This helps us keep count of how many sheep each ram has served - it's a very handy planning and monitoring tool. The crayon colour is changed every week from yellow and orange to red, through to green, blue and lastly black. So we'll know when the sheep will lamb, with the yellows lambing first in early April, through to the blacks in May.

Let's hope these coming months don't bring any early winter storms and we can all enjoy some glorious autumn days.

If you see me and my team out at work, don't hesitate to stop for a chat.

Thanks

Pete