After I released a lamb that had got its head stuck in a fence, it ran halfway across the field to a ewe and immediately started suckling. I heard no calling, so how did the lamb recognise its mother from all the other ewes it ran past? It can hardly have been the coat she was wearing.
• To a farmer, the lamb’s behaviour is normal. Many animals recognise their young or mothers by sight, sound or smell, and sheep are no exception.
In the first few hours after a lamb’s birth, it is crucial that the ewe and lamb aren’t…
