Though the weather is still a bit erratic, spring is officially in the air with the arrival of the first lambs in the fields around Trawsfynydd. Our farm is quite high up and we're one of the last to lamb, but this week I'll be getting my kit bag together and wondering how I'm going to juggle a busy Easter at the cabins with my role as Chief Lambing Officer for our flock of 70-odd expectant mothers. And Ella is wondering if she'll have to share her bed again, as most years we end up with at least one hospital case in the house. Sadly over the last few years the number of sheep worrying cases has increased, and it's always worth reminding guests of the basics - thank you to all of you who already do all you can to give our lambs the best start in life: * Please keep to footpaths when crossing farm land, and if possible avoid fields with livestock all together at this time of year. Heavily pregnant sheep and nursing ewes are easily spooked at the mere sight of a dog, and running may cause them to injure themselves or lose their lambs. We don't even take Ella to the farm until the lambs are all old enough and strong enough - she's usually too busy babysitting anyway. * If you must cross farmland, please keep your dog under close control on a short lead. We've had a few dog-walkers crossing our farm using retractable leads long enough for the dog to run and lunge at the sheep (several of our cabins have spare short leads if you need to borrow one). * Please pick up after your dog even in an open field - dog faeces can contain bacteria and parasites which are harmless to dogs but highly dangerous to sheep and lambs (we provide plenty of poo bags in our dog welcome packs too). *If your dog needs to run off steam the dog excercise area at the cabins is fully enclosed with a stream to paddle in and plenty of room for zoomies. And our neighbours in Trawsfynydd have just opened Traws Dog Park where dogs can run and play freely in a safe environment - ideal for nervous or reactive dogs, as you have exclusive use for your time there. We'll be popping one of their leaflets in all our dog welcome packs this Easter.
Lambing is my favourite time of year, even though it's stressful and exhausting. I think Ella secretly loves it too, even if she has to share her bed for a few weeks. Follow us in our Dogs Welcome @ Cadair View Lodge Facebook group for the inevitable lamb spam photos!