Sunlight breaking through the trees in the New Forest
Mary had a little lamb – now Sparsholt College is having hundreds. Lambing at Sparsholt comes earlier than on most farms, with the first raft of lambs due in January. The College will be hosting its annual lambing weekend on 30-31 January to share this magical experience with the community.
The College’s big barn doors will be open from 9.30am to 3.30pm for visitors to enjoy first hand and at close quarters the 249 ewes lambing. 447 lambs are due in total comprising of 28 sets of triplets, 157 sets of twins and 49 singles.
For many, the Lambing Weekend is the first and perhaps only time they get to see an actual live birth and as Shepherd John Garrett says : “We regularly have visitors who come back year on year as there aren’t many opportunities for the general public to get this close to nature. It is fascinating and a privilege to watch any animals being born and we welcome the opportunity to share this experience widely.”
To ensure that everyone gets a good view, there will be pen-side walkways and a large video screen. In addition to welcoming the lambs there will also be pony rides, children’s craft activities (including metal sculpting), quizzes and puzzles, pedal tractor grand prix, and tractors and farm machinery to explore which should keep children fully entertained. New for 2016 is the welly wanging championships. Refreshments will be available to purchase throughout the day.
Admission is £6.00 per adult and £4.00 per child (age 3 to 16), under 3’s are free. Two adults and two children (age 3 to 16) can purchase a family ticket for £16.00.
Sparsholt College is perfectly safe for children and adults to visit, however we do advise that all visitors thoroughly wash their hands after touching any animals or areas where animals live in accordance with the instructions at the farm. The College will provide plentiful hand washing facilities for all visitors.
HEALTH WARNING:
It is vitally important that pregnant women should NOT attend this event. With lambing flocks there is always a risk of a disease presence which can cause miscarriage in women.
Unfortunately dogs are not permitted and it is College policy that dogs are not left in vehicles.
Tickets can be bought on the day but for more information please visit www.sparsholt.ac.uk .
