Matilda the Sheep

I noticed this photo in one of my files the other day. About 4 years ago, we bought 2 pet lambs and while one went into the freezer, we decided to keep Matilda as a pet sheep. She had one lamb the first year, all on her own which was sold to the factory. The second year she had 3 lambs, yet again, all on her own. She was a superb mother. We called them Bill, Sally and little Lucy and I love this photo of them following her across the field.

Sorry, it is so small, I can’t find a bigger one of it. However, Matilda got fed up just having the lambs and the goats for company and whenever our neighbouring farmer would have sheep in the fields next to us, she’d go off and join them and it would be a job to get her back! We fattened Bill and he went in the freezer and was very tasty and sold Matilda and the 2 daughters to a neighbour. ?Sally went onto become a mum and is happy in the herd. I had presumed they would do the same with Lucy but as she was always the runt of the litter, they decided she was too small to go in lamb and fattened her!

Matilda has had triplets for the last 2 years, lambing each time on her own and without any difficulty. She also manages to feed all three without any problems. We call down each year to say hello and admire her lambs and I hope she stays in their herd for some time yet – still have a soft spot for her. However, unless you have the farm wired for sheep, they just go everywhere – take a notion to go walkabout and off they go.