The sheep harvest for John begins in March, when for around eight weeks he spends all his time with the sheep, making sure that all births go according to plan. His aim is not to lose a single lamb, but there are occasions when nature takes its course or the vet needs to be called in urgently.
Stillbirths are the main cause of loss.
The pregnant ewes are brought inside to covered yards at the end of January, about six weeks before lambing begins. Silage and food concentrates are fed to the ewes to make sure that they are at the peak of health. Giving birth to two lambs is the norm, but single lambs and triplets are possible. To keep the family group together, mother and her lambs are kept in individual pens. It is at this point that any male lambs are castrated so that no more rams develop.