Fact Friday: Sheep Teeth
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Sheep
(Ovis aries)
Our sheep residents all come from very different backgrounds and each has a story to tell. People often ask if our sheep have names and if we can tell them all apart and the answer is, absolutely! If you look closely, you will see that they all look different - we have little Soays, Badgerfaces, Welsh Lleyns, Jacobs, and many breeds/mixes in between, but most importantly when you take the time to get to know each of our sheep residents, you will see that they all have their own individual personalities, and this is how we know who is who. There's cheeky but sensitive Archie, big bolshy Jake, pretty little Evangeline, and the ever-gentle Auntie just to name a few...
When they walk through our gates, they cease being just sheep, often with a very uncertain future, and can now live as they want to in the safety of their Forever Home here at the sanctuary. They form lasting friendships with their paddock mates and our Animal Care Team, they love, play together, sunbathe, and enjoy long lives they very likely would never have seen, with many now in their late teens!
Meet the Sheep
Timmy's Story
Timmy was brought to us when he was just a lamb by two kind ladies who had found him in the road, thought to have been hit by a car. We called the vet out straight away as he clearly had damage to his legs, who gave him a guarded prognosis for recovery.
He was moved into our medical room where he wouldn't be able to move around much and risk further damage to his legs, and we carried out our daily physiotherapy treatment. With a lot of patience, little Timmy started to show signs of improvement and eventually was able to come out and make some friends!
We put him with one of our smaller groups of Golden Oldies whom we thought might be a little gentler with him as he continued to recover, and he was instantly accepted by Mumsy, the head of the group, and Archie, another lockdown lamb who joined us a little later in the year. He had a new family, and his recovery started to speed up!
Today Timmy is one of our biggest, strongest sheep; a far cry from the damaged lamb that we carried in that morning. We've all been knocked flying by him at some point as he remains blissfully oblivious to his own size and strength. He's full of confidence, and after a nervous introduction to the main flock after the sad loss of his surrogate mother and first friend, Mumsy, he has now become firm friends with Drac, the head of the flock, so he has clearly moved through the ranks.
Archie's Story
Archie was brought to us during the first lockdown when a kind gentleman found him wandering lost in the middle of a busy road. We suspect that he was a lucky escapee destined for slaughter. Instead, he will have a forever home here at the sanctuary with us!
He was quite shy when he first arrived, but once he had finished his 30-day quarantine period (something all our residents must undertake to keep both them and the other animals safe), we introduced him to Timmy who was a similar age to him and they became instant best friends, and have remained so as they have grown up together.
Did you know? Like us, sheep have unique personalities and some get along together better than others, such as Archie and his best mate Timmy. Not only will a sheep form special friendships with other individuals, but it is also thought that they may even spend time thinking about their friends when they’re not around. We're more alike than you might think!
Archie has now joined the main flock and is always the first to the front for food and fuss. He's a very inquisitive boy, and you're sure to meet him if you visit as he loves meeting new people. He's unmistakable from the rest of the group with his enormous ears and clumsy, long legs - a lamb in an adult body! We're so glad he found his way to us.
Supporter Gallery
Have you taken a photo of our sheep that you'd like to share with us? We'd love to see them - we are often so busy with our work that we don't get a chance to take photos or miss some of the magic moments that you capture, and we would love to see them through your eyes. If you'd like to share some of your photos, and maybe see them on our website, you can send them to us by email or share them on our Brockswood Friends Facebook Group. Please make sure you have permission to share if anybody's face is shown, especially young children. Thank you!
A beautiful smile from May.
Auntie and Greta making a friend!
Louise meets Charlie the Blue Cross rescue dog!
Forever in Our Hearts
Although these beautiful sheep are no longer with us and are missed so very much, they live on always in our hearts and minds. As long as we continue to speak their names and tell their stories, they are still with us and will never be forgotten!
Shelly
Mumsy
Minnie
Roma
Ramsey
Geraldine
Brenda
Greta
Hellboy
Auntie
Rose & Florence