The news we've all been waiting for -- first lamb of 2025!  Woo hoo!  Shy Ewe spent three days thinking about having it, and finally did just before first light this morning.  At 6am when I went out to check the lamb was already dry and up on its feet -- just the way I like it!

I was surprised to see that it was black given what it's Daddy looks like, but the woman I bought Horatio from says that, "The genetics of Dutch Spotteds are really interesting. Their spots are recessive so you need spots to be passed to the lamb from both parents. But they also carry a dominant black in the spotting gene (simplest way to describe it) so if they pass spots but the ewe passes plain, then the black dominates and ta-dah, a black lamby." -- so this means I may have quite a few black ones this year then!  :)

Still trying to get a reasonable picture of the hen and her four chicks but she is so protective of them that every time I come near with the camera she hustles them away!

Here's Cookie, rolling around in the dirt and living her best life!  :)

In the kitchen this week I got ambitious and made this "Russian fish pie" as the recipe called it -- it's basically fish Wellington!

And look at the little Siamese mushroom!  :)

Two more ewes looking like they're thinking about lambing shortly so watch this space -- hoping they all come quickly now...