Welfare
We care deeply for our sheep and are humbled by their trust in us. We think their lives here are good, fulfilled and happy.
Care
Caring requires understanding. We spend a lot of time figuring out just what our sheep want to thrive and enjoy life and then more time trying to give them exactly that. Proving we care for our animals in the right way is never easy. The best advert we have is our sheep. They chose to approach us, are quiet and contented. We have a regular monthly vet visit to make sure all is well, and to work with us on preventative health planning.
Compassion
Compassion requires empathy - understanding what the sheep is going through whether during periods of illness, or during routine husbandry tasks like vaccination or shearing. We know our sheep well and recognise when something is stressful for them. Subtle signs speak volumes if you know what to look for. Not all stress can be removed immediately, but compassionate care means we recognise it and make sure it's over as fast as possible. Our sheep forgive us readily!
Kindness
KIndness - how do you define that? We're gentle, quiet and try always to see things from the sheep's point of view. We don't know every individual - there are just too many - but we know when an individual needs our help and are swift to give it.
Our reward is sheep that are unafraid, curious, adventurous and often seek out the touch of our hand. Magic!
Assurance Schemes
We do not belong to any Assurance Schemes. Our strong belief is that real Animal Welfare depends not just on physical surroundings but on less tangible factors which contribute to well-being. Understanding natural behaviour and maximising the opportunities for animals to express it are key. True Welfare is about what sheep REALLY want and the ability of the shepherd to understand and deliver that for them.
We have yet to find any currently available Assurance scheme which understands the importance of mental well-being in sheep or assesses the skills of the shepherd in delivering this, so we chose to belong to none.
