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Norman the Lamb News from the Croft, Aird, Creagorry (2026)

A page dedicated to Norman the Lamb who lives with Crofter Melanie MacLean and her husband on their small Croft on the lovely Scottish Island of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides.

17/05/2026

Better late than never! A few pics taken during our lambing time this year. There were a few challenges but on the whole it went well… albeit we have 5 pets this year!! All I will say about that is, I will never keep so many gimmers (first time mums) again!
Anyway, all is good and everyone is back out on the croft. The sun is shining today so hopefully the grass will grow that little bit faster so the girls have plenty of milk for their wee lambs.
Bring on the summer 😁🐑

17/04/2026

Happy 7th Birthday to our big lad Norman.. time is truly flying so we must be having fun!
We are in the middle of lambing just now so it is a busy time for crofters wherever you are. Its been a stinker weather wise on the islands and I am so glad that I can just about squeeze the girls into our shed or we would have serious problems. Our mainly Suffolk girls would not do well lambing outside in the wind and rain. Apparently we turn a corner tomorrow for a few day of dry so hopefully we can let some outside. The lambs are bouncing around their pens and are desperate to stretch their legs. We had a few Suffolk cross Blue faced Leicester first time mums (gimmers) lamb this year which have produced some leggy but sturdy lambs. I had to get help with a massive single this morning which turned out well in the end. I thought it would have to come out the side door but 50 plus years of lambing experience on hand in the form of an Aird neighbour Alasdair and we eventually got it out. Ewe and big lamb are now doing just fine. I’ll put up some pics of the lambs once we are done but I just couldn’t pass by today without you all wishing Norman a Happy Birthday 😁🐑❤️

13/12/2025

Hello on what is a very wet & windy day here on Benbecula where the wind is gusting 77mph apparently! It is nothing new for us really and if it wasnt raining as well it would be classed as a good drying day!

Because the ground is so wet Norman has a slight limp on a front foot, despite being on sandy ground the area where he and the girls drink can get a bit soft. He is so heavy on his big wide suffolk feet it doesnt take much to pick up a wee infection between his two toes! A wee bit of blue antibiotic spray will get it sorted though.

So yesterday we moved the 2 rams away from the girls who are all marked with yellow rumps so at least we know the rams have payed a visit. The 4 smaller Herdwick lambs I bought into the flock last year have come on really well. Allan (hubby) and I thought they might stay midget size forever but after a few months of nothing they grew like weeds over the summer. Gorgeous wee things they are and it will be interesting to see how their lambs look if our Blue Faced Leicester Ram Archie has done his bit. If all is well next year I hope to put a Herdwick ram on them but we’ll see.

Archie has served most of our Suffolk girls and the odd wee waif and stray whist Barnie our home bred Suffolk Ram has served all of our Suffolk x Blue Faced Leicester gimmers. We have only given them all one cycle so hopefully they will hold and we will hear the pitter patter of tiny hooves in April. (Now theres a thought.. long days, long nights, tunnocks caramel waifer diet!)

Before all that though Christmas is just around the corner and its that time of year when we race around to my brother and sis in laws to gather with all the family for Christmas Day. We have a usual routine of feeding the animals etc before we go which will include giving Norman his usual handful of treats. This year he has orphan lamb Beryl to look after or should I say contend with as they raid my pockets! She is a lovely pet suffolk lamb who is staying with us at Allan’s insistence! Its usually me that gets too attached to the pets but as she was the only one this year she followed him everywhere on the croft just as Norman had done so with me. Needless to say her statagy worked and she is staying.. clever girl 😉

06/08/2025

Its August already! and yet I feel like summer hasn’t arrived in full yet albeit i don’t think the summer I hope for every year actually exists anymore 🙄
Well whatever the Summer our wool clad girls and himself have to be sheared to make them more comfortable. Thanks to Ian again for doing our shearing but I can’t believe he gave in to Norman bleating on about what style he wanted.. well you can see for yourselves the result 😳 mortified does not even reach the mark but Norman is delighted and strutting around the Croft like he’s looking for a party 😂 You should start up your own salon Ian 😉. One of our little Herdwicks and our two big Suffolk Rams refused to come in that day so it was left to us to try again another day after all how difficult could it be!! I bought myself some battery operated hand shears a couple of years ago mainly for clipping out dirty bottoms if needed but it has had little use. So like every Crofter I watched You tube a few times and considered myself an expert in training 🤓 A few days later We got the wee Herdwick in (start small I said to myself). I think it took 10 minutes but Allan says 20 and my back said 30 😏. Thinking of doing my 2 Rams was not the best idea i’ve had but heyho in for a penny. So this week we decided I should do them over two days 😂 (yes..one a day). I thought getting the bigger Ram Bertie done first to ease the pain. Well it didn’t 🫣. At least half an hour.. but he looked good so I was chuffed. Once the top of my thighs stopped shaking the back pain kicked in but hey.. you can’t have everything. A couple of days rest and we decided to tackle Ricky our shearling Ram who we bred ourselves and will be sold as a tup Ram this year. This was his first time being sheared and he was as good as gold although can’t say the same about me. Hubby assures me that there only a day between a good and a bad haircut… lets just hope Ricky is as forgiving 😏 Anyway.. the point of this update is to sing the praises of all those shearers out there both local and away. You have my greatest respect 💪😁 and we would be lost without you if not a little sore 🤣 I did 3 sheep and I felt as if I had gone a few rounds with Giant Haystacks! Saying that, I suppose Norman did look like a haystack before he got his exotic cut from Ian. Here a few pics with descriptions given! Three cheers for the shearers… hip hip 💪😁

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Creagorry
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