In the last couple of weeks of August, this year’s beautiful lambs went off to their new homes and families.
Top header image: ‘Salt & Pepper‘ so named because of the dots of white on his grey / black speckled nose – from the start, a very alert chap. Also ‘Bryce‘ – a Scottish term for ‘speckled’; full of fun, leader of the gang, & clear winner of the ‘bouncing on the pampas grass’ challenge!
As always, the lambs truly did bring in the ‘Joys of Spring’ earlier in the year when they made their first faltering steps, and then, just a few wonderful days later, were running around in their dizzy gaggles like over excited nursery school children after a sugar filled party!
Each totally individual – in looks as well as characters.
Soay sheep are truly “like no other”!
Henry and Holly, his sister, were pretty inseparable from birth.
According to their new owner, they still are attached to each other with an invisible ‘twins’ bond!
‘Strike’, first image above, is an extremely striking boy – typical of a very smart, quick child whose small frame belighs the fact that he would undoubtedly have the answer first, and a cheeky quib delivered with the most charming smile! His new owner’s first feedback mentioned that she thought he was the quickest, and and very turned on – good to hear she’d got the measure of the group so quickly!
Soay Sheep
- The Soay has the most primitive appearance of any British sheep breed and takes its name from the island of Soay in the St. Kilda group.
- Soay means “sheep island” in Norse which suggests that there have been sheep on the island since at least the time of the Vikings.
- 107 Soays were transported to the island of Hirta in 1932, two years after the last human inhabitants had left and have been maintained as a feral population ever since numbering around 1500 sheep nowadays.
- Over the years Soays have been imported on to the mainland but remain rare.
- The feral population on the island of Hirta is the subject of a longterm scientific study, researching evolution, population dymanics and demography.
Soay facts from heritagelivestock.co.uk
Albert Einstein:
“Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.”
The Oaks 
These are adorable, Emma! Is this a breeding programme you’ve set up, and where did the interest come from?
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Thanks so much Jo – we love to have lambs each year – they’re such a joy to watch! When we moved here, my husband’s only criteria for the ‘new house’ was that it should have ‘land’ – it then became clear that he didn’t have any ideas what to do with said ‘land’, so I researched and found out about Soay sheep. They are very hardy little things, and such characters so it’s been a wonderful learning journey. And each year’s lambs have always gone off to lovely homes to start a life as grass cutters… the fact that our ram has such fantastic colouring is quite rare, so it’s lovely to be able to increase Soay numbers in the UK with some very beautifully coloured sheep 🙂
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Fantastic! Sounds like a win, win situation. A lot of work involved?
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A bit, particularly at castration and ear tagging time, then when they’re getting ready to move on to their now homes… but all interesting and really worth it – especially when we get lovely videos and photos from new owners showing how they’ve settled in and grown!
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🤣💕
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Such a delightful post. An enticing gallery and lovely descriptions of young lambs finding their feet.
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Thank you Derrick – it’s amazing how quickly they find their feet and start rushing around on them!
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So beautiful sheep. It own your sheep. Nice place. Where this ? All accept your language
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I’m so glad you like the sheep and lambs – they are lovely! We are in West Sussex, Uk. Best wishes to you!
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Thanks lot. You like my comment. I like animals. When I little I play with got. I am going with animals to farm.
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That sounds lovely! X
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I am so happy. 👍
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How interesting. How do these sheep like being ‘pampered’ by the softer southern climate?
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They certainly manage very well. It’s been very wet, as you know, in the past few winters, so the grass hasn’t been great at times, but they still manage to stay happy, healthy and looking spritely. They don’t like to come in to lamb, hence having their offspring quite a bit later than commercial breeds… it is interesting, as you say! Thank you 🙂
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