The Story of Suckie

Suckie was one of two pet lambs from 2005, the other being Titch. One of a family of triplets, and blind from an eye infection, Suckie needed some tender loving care to get her strength up. Once she did, she proved to be a very cheeky sheep indeed. I took this one myself on a disposable camera (the first time I took a camera and some pet lambs out into the yard for some photos - and by no means the last!).

Titch and Suckie were the first lambs I halter trained, because I wanted a pony but wasn't allowed one so they became my ponies. Suckie and I (aged 10):

Aged two, in 2007, she had her first lambs - twins Daisy and Dot.

She may have been small but her wool was mighty.

Her next lamb was Eddie.



I made a fun video of her when I was starting to get into recording life on the farm.

We kept Dot and Daisy, and two years later they both had lambs that were Suckie's grandchildren. This is Daisy with her twins:

Meanwhile, Suckie herself had a lamb called Freddie.

A walk in the garden before clipping.

One of Suckie's grandchildren achieved fame of a sort when they featured on a Christmas card for a local charity (the tiny lamb in the middle foreground). Since Suckie's descendants seemed to get progressively smaller as the generations went by, I decided not to keep any of them. 

The following year Suckie had lambs again. Grace (who was adopted onto another farmer's ewe)...

...and Georgia.

The walk in the garden on clipping day became something of a tradition for a while.

One of my favourite photos ever - Suckie and Pip.

The following year Suckie sadly lost her lamb, but we were able to adopt on two orphans - Merc and Kia.

A Christmas stroll.

Suckie galloping through the snow.

Her final lamb before retirement (a rare privilege for a sheep, but nonetheless deserved) was little Holly, and a bomb scare on one of the roads between myself and school meant I was there to help out.

Suckie, bigger Holly, and a random lamb (younger lambs seemed drawn to Suckie. She was everyone's cool aunt).

Suckie spent her first winter of retirement stuffing her face (note the brown stain from a high-energy lick)...

...and being followed by the younger sheep, like she was everyone's cool granny.

Suckie began the summer of 2015 a free, spoiled sheep - but then...

...someone else arrived who also liked eating nuts out of yellow buckets.

The arrival of Blue Belle gave the old sheep a new lease of life and they soon became partners in crime.

Suckie being pretty:

Suckie and I for Hug a Sheep Day 2015.

Both Blue Belle and Suckie enjoyed wandering in the yard.

The ladies would spend winter together and this was their favourite spot to relax in the field. Blue Belle could look over the wall and into the yard (just about).

Age didn't dampen Suckie's appetite. If there was a bucket of nuts around it wouldn't be long before Suckie would open it.

A walk in a very muddy bale yard.

Standing in a doorway.

Best friends.

It always amused me that I got a pony that looked very much like my sheep!

Getting clipped. The indignity...

Suckie's tolerance for young lambs didn't go all that far.

When Bob arrived everyone was scared of him, except Suckie. She found herself being followed by a younger sheep once again...

Suckie and I for Hug a Sheep Day 2016.

As the only senior citizen Suckie naturally assumed she was in charge of the flock.

More walks in the yard.

And more standing in doorways.

Bob and Honey tried to steal some of the limelight on her twelfth birthday...

...but as long as Suckie had her bucket of nuts she was happy.

Suckie found herself surrounded once again by young whippersnappers.

She helped Blue Belle to trim the garden.

The last time Blue Belle and Suckie shared a field together they relaxed in their favourite spot.

Miss you, Sucks.