Feeling now worried about my sheep’s mineral and vitamin intake (something I just took for granted as they have unlimited hay, grass, Himalayan salt and a generous daily handful of “sheep crunch”), I was told of the 5kg Horslyx Smallholder mineral block I could buy – it would help.

So I bought online and the block arrived the other day.  Up here everything for sheep comes in large amounts for flocks of 50+.  I wanted one for 5 sheep and this is perfect – 5kg – especially made for “the smallholder situation where reliance on forages from grazing, hay, haylage or silage form the greatest proportion of the ruminants diet.” – well that describes our set-up to a tee.

Wherever I go, I have Edna with me.  She is forever hopeful I will feed her and is also my best friend. And so she found me opening the box and swiftly decided that lick was her’s.  I left her to it for a while.

Edna was one happy sheep!

We stayed silent, telling no one.

Didn’t we, Edna!?

Once she had had her fill, I took the block outside.  ‘Ster was next up and straight in.

Lambie was intrigued.

And a “suspicious Aloysius”.

Honestly, Lambie get a grip!

Soon they were all in.

Lambie even tried it. Oh well done, what a brave boy!

They sort of took it in turns.  Now everytime I meet Edna she still looks covered in lick but very happy, if slightly sticky.  She is following me around the croft less too. That Horslyx Smallholder mineral block has her name on it!