Timmy, Shaun, Milly and Hattie are always happy to meet visitors during their stay at Yeatheridge.
They have all been hand reared and incredibly friendly. Their curious personalities and gentle nature make them a popular stop when exploring the farm.
Working Farm
Whilst Timmy, Shaun, Milly and Hattie enjoy plenty of attention from visitors, they are just a small part of life on the farm. As you explore our grounds you will be able to see more than 100 of our sheep grazing in the fields.
Facts About Sheep and their Lambs
A female sheep is called a ewe, while a male is called a ram and a baby sheep is called a lamb.
Sheep are pregnant between 142 and 152 days. The process of giving birth is called “Lambing”, and Sheep normally have an average of 3 Lambs in a litter.
Sheep have rectangular pupils, not round like humans
Rectangular pupils allow for a wide field of vision, around 270 to 320 degrees! This means that it’s VERY hard to sneak up on a Sheep, as they can see almost everything around them without turning their heads!
Sheep have ewe-nique personalities
While sheep in a flock may all look the same at first glance, they each have a unique personality! Some sheep may be bold and adventurous, while others may be more cautious and shy.
Sheep are emotionally complex
Sheep experience a wide range of emotions, just as humans do. Many studies have highlighted the ability of sheep to feel afraid, angry, bored, sad, and happy. Not only can sheep feel basic emotions, but their feelings can be very complex. For example, scientific studies have shown that sheep can display optimism, pessimism, and empathy!
Mothers form strong bonds with their Lambs
Ewes stay close to their young and communicate through bleating. Ewes can recognise which Lambs are theirs by the sound of their calls, and at just 12 hours old, a Lamb can also identify their mother through sight and sound as well!
Sheep communicate through smell
As well as bleating, Sheep have scent glands in front of their eyes and between their hooves, that produce smelly secretions that they use to communicate with each other! Sheep have an excellent sense of smell!
Sheep are very clever!
Sheep can recognise up to 50 other sheep faces for up to 2 years. Sheep can also recognise Human faces, especially their favourite care givers! Some studies have shown that Sheep can even remember how to navigate complex mazes! Clever Sheep!
Sheep can prescribe their own herbal remedies
Sheep are selective grazers, just like our Alpacas. They have a groove in their upper lip called a Philtrum, which allows them to select only grasses and other vegetation that they like. They learn to recognise plants by taste, and even use this ability to eat plants that make them feel better when they are sick!
Sheep are Waterproof… but they don’t like the water!
A Sheep’s fleece of wool is waterproof, meaning they can be out in all weathers and be absolutely fine! However they do not like water. They are poor swimmers, which is unsurprising considering the amount of wool they carry, which becomes VERY heavy when wet!
Lambs have play dates
After their first week of life, Lambs form play groups. Play behaviour in Lambs include bucking, spinning and running around. This is known as Frolicking.
