A bigger and even better experience will be on offer to visitors to Reaseheath College’s Lambing Weekends.
The popular event, which attracts hundreds of families to Nantwich, Cheshire, each year, is to be held in new, more spacious facilities on the college’s main campus and will also include a Farmers Market following requests from visitors.
Reaseheath’s Mini Zoo, which is one of the best at any educational institution in the country, will also be open to the public. The event will run during the weekends of February 29th and March 1st and March 7th and 8th, (10am – 4pm). Traffic will still enter at Entrance 1 off B5074 Worleston Road and car parking remains free.
The lambing weekends have been a major draw to the college over the past 24 years, with many visitors returning each season from as far away as Merseyside and Derbyshire to meet the newborns and hopefully to experience a live birth.
The college has a commercial flock of over 300 expectant ewes which are due to produce more than 600 lambs around the time of the lambing events. During quiet times in the lambing sheds visitors can catch videos of earlier action and watch experts demonstrating the special care required for the delivery and care of the lambs.
Reaseheath’s zoo houses over 1,000 animals including meerkats, lemurs, a tapir, otters, birds of prey, companion animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Activities will include face painting and educational talks by Reaseheath zoo keepers.
Shepherd Anthony Baggaley is in charge of the lambing flock helped by a rota of Level 3 Diploma in Agriculture students who are gaining practical experience in the lambing sheds.
Anthony said: “Lambing is traditionally the first sign of spring and this event is always very popular. We feel that the new lambing sheds will give visitors an even better viewing experience, with the added attractions of visiting our zoo and buying fresh local produce from the farmers’ market.
“Opening the lambing sheds gives us the chance to show what we do here. As well as giving the public the unique experience of seeing lambs being born, it is also a great opportunity for us to tell them about the farming calendar.”
Please note:
- This event is not suitable for expectant ladies
- Dogs are not permitted
- Please wear suitable footwear
- Save 10% with early bird booking until February 17th
