By Katie Insch
As lambing comes to an end for another year, I've been reflecting on how it went – how it made me feel and the performance of the flock. I've also taken notice of what others have been saying, those local to me here in Aberdeenshire but also on socials – Rob Wainwright, Nicola Wordie and Jo Morris to name a few – and realised that the 'can't wait to see the back of lambing' feeling this year isn't just me. And the fact people are saying so out loud feels like progress.
People are talking about it being a bit of a tough year. That's something I don't think I can say I've noticed quite so openly before, and I think it matters. Because if your neighbour is feeling it too, you're not failing – you're farming or crofting, and you’re not alone.
I've been lucky to work alongside Farmstrong Scotland through my day-to-day work with JCM & Co for the last two years, and their ways to wellbeing, peer-to-peer tips and coping strategies have become second nature to me. What I hadn't fully anticipated was how I'd feel when those strategies were most needed – when you find your fourth prolapse in the space of a week, or a second ewe goes down with twin lamb disease in as many days. We lost more lambs at a younger age this year, which meant losses hit harder during that sleep-deprived peak exhaustion stage. We needed the vet a few times when we hadn't needed to call on them at all last year. We lambed in April and still got snow showers and cold, wet weather - yet it’s still been mild enough for a bumper tick hatch resulting in young lambs being plagued. There was no one big thing that went wrong – just consecutive setbacks that all add up.
Maybe it followed such a great spring last year that the contrast felt sharper. Maybe it was the fortnight of snow on the ground in January finally showing its effect in lambs and ewes that could have been stronger come lambing. Either way, from the farmers I've spoken to locally, nobody can quite put their finger on why this year felt so particularly sluggish – but it did, and what's been striking is how many people have said so. That openness is something to hold onto.
The Farmstrong message that has stayed with me most this year is that small steps can have a big impact – and that works the other way too. Small things going wrong can have a big impact, and it's important to recognise that you don't need to justify feeling flat by pointing to one dramatic event. That's not weakness; that's just how cumulative pressure works. What helped me most was the simple things, making sure I ate properly – a baked tattie and chilli at the end of a long day, while reminding myself of the bigger picture – we're all healthy, the kids are learning about the reality, the flock is still here, and the industry as a whole is full of people navigating the same pressures.
Reframing helped too, like Nicola Wordie said ‘hold on to the good bits’.
Those prolapses are behind us and the flock will come through stronger for it. Our own ewe hoggs performed outstandingly compared to bought-in gimmers – yes, it was frustrating to spend good money to find that out, but it's also a real source of pride and something to build on going forward. And accepting that some lambs won't survive – however hard that is – makes the losses a little easier to carry when they come. How and why might change year to year, but it's part of the reality of what we do.
For me, being able to think positively and look ahead is something I'm grateful for. There will always be things to do differently, and taking the time to reflect on what might help next year is half the battle – it repositions the experience in your head, even if nothing else changes.
And it doesn't have to be lambing – whether it's been a tough calving, a difficult spell of spring work, market difficulties, or anything else that's ground you down, the same applies. Don't be afraid to say out loud that you've not had the best of it. Chances are your neighbour is feeling the same. And the fact that more of us are saying so? That's the kind of progress worth celebrating.
Reflect, reframe, and move on – it’s the best any of us can do.
