Blue Belle Helps to Feed the Pet Lambs

One evening Blue Belle, field fresh - that is, a bit stained - came into the lambing shed to help me feed the lambs.

The lambs were unsure about my new helper.

But mostly curious.

Blue Belle is fascinating at both ends.

Rude.

She waited while I mixed the milk.

Bart always was fed first.

This lamb was sick with joint ill when we brought her in from the field, and starving as a result. She could hardly stand, but look at her now!

While I fed the first lamb from this pen, Blue Belle introduced herself to the others.

This one was blinded by an eye infection in both eyes, but thankfully with treatment her eyesight has returned. She was starving too.

Lamb 155 and Blue Belle seemed to get along the best.

We call this one the Brown Fella.

These two!

Blue Belle rather helpfully stands in front of the jug of milk I need.

This one we call Speckles for obvious reasons. She was one of two, and in the beginning it was her sister who we bottle fed. Then both seemed to be doing well, so out to the field they went. After a few weeks it became apparent that Speckles wasn't doing so well anymore, so in she came.

155 has a brother who is about twice her size and was stealing all of mummy's milk, so she too was starving.

Bart has a nibble on Blue Belle's mane.

Anita, as the youngest of my pets, was the last to be weaned.

We call this one the Boy From the Crate. We tried adopting him onto a ewe using an adoption crate but it wasn't successful. He was terrified of Blue Belle and I had to chase him down so he could have his bottle.

Mo is a sweet little Suffolk.

The 71-Sisters in perfect sync. (Meanwhile, Blue Belle is trying to open that bucket of nuts.)

The Kerry Hill 71-Sister.

Blue Belle did some wandering when I was doing boring things like refilling the bottle.

Kerry Hill 71-Sister enjoyed a run around.

Miss Piggy has a good look at my helpfully-standing-in-front-of-the-kettle-again assitant.

Titch did not trust my new helper one bit.

The Other 71-Sister was the last to be fed.

Blue Belle's main job was to look pretty.

She also helped with the washing up.