See newborn lambs at Banbury area farm and raise money for Ukraine fund and hospice

Lydia Moseley, aged five, helps to feed her first newborn lamb

Broughton Grounds Farm holds its open afternoon for the Ukraine DEC appeal and Katharine House Hospice on Saturday from 2pm – 4.30pm. Tickets are £3.50 on the door or £3 if you book beforehand at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/broughtongroundsfarm.

Visitors will be able to take the opportunity to feed orphan lambs and tea and cake will be served. Please wear Wellington boots; dogs are not allowed.

Farmers Andrew Taylor and his son James lamb 500 ewes at this time of year on this mixed farm and this year they expect 860 lambs.

A few minutes old - newborn lambs at Broughton Grounds Farm, near North Newington

“The key jobs at lambing time are making sure lambs are delivered safely, which is a 24-hour job,” said James Taylor.

"The lambs they receive colostrum (thick milk) in the first few hours of life to boost their immunity and a lamb from triplets is fostered over to a ewe that only has one lamb.

"Most lambs will be sold in the autumn and winter.

"At the moment we have 20 lambs to bottle feed. Milk powder to make up their feeds has just jumped 20 per cent in price so we will foster as many as possible to ewes that only had one lamb, although feeding pet lambs is great for school visits – and we have eight visits this week."

The Taylors produce beef cattle, eggs and poultry for the Christmas table as well as growing arable crops.