Lambing, a crofter’s key skill

As the seasons change, so does the activity of the croft. Crofting is a vital part of the food chain, and when we look closely at sheep production, crofting is key to the supply of sheep, lambs and wool. And a vital part of sheep production is lambing.

It is important that we understand and educate people on the importance of sheep production and how it is beneficial not only to the local area, but also to conservation and the environment of Sutherland. Here at Lochview Rural Training we work hard to support young people and adults who are keen to look at crofting as either a lifestyle or a career choice.


Just like any job, we have skills to learn and share. Lambing is one such skill. Some people are lucky enough to be brought up on crofts or had the opportunity to assist with local lambings, so they will have been taught by those from the older generation with techniques passed down from generations gone by. Others not so lucky will have to learn by attending training or by volunteering on a croft and hoping for a patient crofter willing to give them the time to show them how it is done.


Lochview Rural Training recently held a lambing a course and it was so encouraging to see the number of young people attend the course and their eagerness to get involved. We must confess it is not quite the same pulling a day-old dead lamb through a cut off drainpipe as a demonstration to the real-life experience of assisting a ewe that is in real trouble. These skills are valuable, and we need to support young people back into working with livestock.

We are very fortunate to be able to offer volunteering for any young person who is keen to learn and this lambing season we have seen an increase in the number of young people wanting to spend day and night outside, walking the hills and helping us chase a stubborn ewe around the hill parks because she did not understand all we wanted to do was help her.

Lambing is a tiresome job, sometimes it can almost be a 20hr day shift, with 5am starts and often not back to our beds until midnight. But the results are rewarding, when you see the lambs running the fence lines and bouncing as if they had springs on their feet.

To see the achievements of the young people, who may never have held a lamb before, is inspiring – we must support the next generation and promote the skills attached. Agriculture can be stressful, and lambing is a time that can really affect a person’s mental health, especially when things are going wrong. But working together and supporting young people helps us build a resilient crofting community.

Tips for lambing

• Be prepared and ensure you have a good lambing kit. I always recommend you have a grab-bag full of essential items especially if lambing outside. There is nothing worse than finding a ewe in trouble and then not having the required equipment to assist.

• Don’t be shy to ask for help, no matter how many years or how many sheep, you will always encounter a new problem.

• Lambing is stressful, you get tired and deprived of sleep, so always try to remind yourself it’s only for a month. Keep yourself well fed, and no matter how hard things get during lambing, mother nature is stronger than us and we can’t always save everything no matter how hard we try. 


For more information about Lochview Rural Training please contact us on 07867 590 454 or by email

Cara Cameron,
Lochview Rural Training Manager