29/05/2026
Hi all,
It’s time for a rather sheepish update.
Firstly, we’re sorry for the lack of posts recently, but this is one of the busiest times of the year for us. After a long winter in the barns, our sheep need sorting and preparing to move back out into the fields for the summer.
This past winter, we had almost 100 older sheep housed in different areas due to their age and the extra TLC they require. Each one needs to be checked over, wormed, hoof-trimmed, and treated for fly prevention before heading out to pasture.
We have finally overcome a long winter battle with pink eye, and this weekend the huge task of clearing out all the winter barn accommodation began. The barns will then undergo a thorough cleaning and disinfection programme to remove any remaining contamination, as pink eye can be an absolute devil to get rid of.
Next month brings the big shear, so all the winter muck needs to be cleared away to keep the fleeces as clean as possible before shearing.
Both myself and Storm, along with our wonderful volunteers, are incredibly proud of everything we’ve achieved. Not only have we cared for our sheep through a challenging winter, but we’ve also kept the grounds tidy and completed a great deal of maintenance around the sanctuary.
Sadly, the last few weeks have also brought some heartache. A couple of our sheep became seriously ill and, after a week-long struggle to help them recover, we asked our vet to come out and help us make the right decisions. Sadly, one of our much-loved sheep was peacefully put to sleep when we knew, from experience, that we could not bring him back.
Making those decisions is never easy.
Then, just a few days later, another of our beloved sheep passed away unexpectedly, with no warning at all. It came as a real shock and the sadness has been overwhelming. As many sheep keepers will know, sheep can be incredibly unpredictable. 🥲
At present, we are juggling many different tasks, and I’ve fallen quite behind with our Woolly Baa business, which has always been the backbone of the sanctuary’s funding. Because of this, we’ve had to make some difficult decisions and focus on what is most important.
Our sheep, along with our wool and art business, have to be our top priorities.
With that in mind, I have decided to cease our sheep-hugging sessions. I’m so sorry to anyone who has already booked. Next week I will be contacting everyone affected and arranging refunds.
This may also be the last year we run our on-site shepherd huts. We may downsize to just one guest hut and keep another for volunteers.
At 60 years old, and after doing this for 20 years, the stress of trying to do everything is simply becoming too much. I’m not quitting—I will always continue networking to find homes for sheep in need—but I need to focus on the sheep already in my care, as they too are getting older every year.
I also want to spend more time working with the fleeces from my much-loved sheep, creating wool products and rugs. Who knows, I may even branch out into teaching classes and sharing these skills with others.
Thank you all, as always, for your support, understanding, and kindness. We truly couldn’t do this without you. ❤️
