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Teddy's story begins back around May of 2010 when we went out in the fields in the morning, as we usually do, to say good morning to each sheep and dish out the morning's Digestives.

Much to our surprise we saw a newcomer there, a little lamb who came baa-baa-baaing towards us, looking rather lost.

There's actually video of the moment we found him!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfWJA5GBs5c

We had no idea where this sweet little lamb with his melodious baa had come from. Our first thought was that maybe he had strayed from a neighbouring flock and somehow found his way through some gap in the fence into our domain.

We actually started asking around our neighbours, and even put up some notices with a picture of him on, asking if anyone had lost a little lamb.

Nobody claimed him though.

He stayed with us during the day, and it seemed to us that he must have had some prior human contact, as he didn't seem at all scared of us, and seemed to know what a bucket was for.

Then the next morning we got up and went to say good morning to the sheep, and he was gone. We looked everywhere, walked around all the fields and there wasn't a sign of him. We searched and searched and eventually started to think that maybe he'd left via the same fence hole he came in by.

We figured he'd left of his own accord, trying to find his way back to whichever flock he'd strayed from. And although it was sad that he'd gone, we hoped he'd find his way.

So we stopped the search and started walking back towards the house.

Just as we went through the gate from the bottom field Giles heard something. Some movement at the edge of the field there, behind a little raised bank, beyond which was the fence. He went to have a look...

...and there was the little lamb, somehow tangled up in the fence, almost exhausted, too tired to baa. He must have tumbled down there during the night and got himself stuck, and had been there goat knows how many hours, out of sight behind the bank.

Thank goodness he'd had strength enough still to move, and did so just as we happened to be passing, so that he was heard.

We untangled him from the fence and carried him back to the middle field. He was tired and he'd hurt his leg a little.

His leg must have been injured where he was caught in the wire fence. Apart from that visible abrasion he seemed OK, albeit rather tired and shaken by his experience; nonetheless we figured it would be a good idea to take him down the vets to get him looked over.

He was remarkably calm under the circumstances, sitting quietly in my arms until the vet was ready, then lying quietly on the table whilst he was examined.

The vet confirmed that he was basically fine bar that abrasion to his leg, and gave him something to boost his energy a bit, and some salve to put on his leg injury, and with that we brought him home. His access to the bottom field and that area that he'd fallen down into, was restricted until he was better settled and a bit bigger.

Here he is on Giles' lap, in the car to come home from the vets.

We still had no idea where he'd come from. I think possibly he was somebody's pet lamb - he definitely seemed to be quite tame already when he arrived at our place - and perhaps his future had become uncertain and someone had thought to put him in with our flock, knowing that he'd be safe there.

We still don't know, and if that was the case I'd think maybe they might have come back to see him some time? I really don't know.

Anyway, the mystery lamb settled into life with the rest of our flock and has been here ever since. He was so cute and calm that we thought he was like a little plushie, so we named him Teddy.

He grew up to be quite a chilled-out and happy sheep, enjoying a comfortable life. He did develop a bit of a skin condition that made him a bit prone to itching, and had a tendency to overskritch himself in summer; we treated it as best we could, and eventually as he's got older it's gone away.

This was nearly thirteen years ago now, and Teddy is one of the old boys. He's a sheep who likes his comforts, still quite chilled out, not that energetic compared to some of the boys, but enjoying his retirement sitting in favourite places, chewing his cud, having his human slaves bring him biscuits and food from time to time. Should the weather get a bit rough you'll be sure to find Teddy cwtched up in the stable, nesting in a bit of hay, keeping warm and snug.

He has a favourite little hill that he likes to sit on top of when the weather's not too bad, king of the castle, lord of all he surveys.

I guess we'll never know where he came from, or how he ended up lost and baa-baa-baaing in our field that morning in 2010.

But the most important thing is that however he got there, he arrived where he needed to be.

@johan @llamasoft_ox

@simonjones I am really enjoying telling their stories. Each one has a unique tale to tell. And we are lucky that Teddy somehow found us, and that we are in a position to be able to offer a safe home for at least a few sheep who need it :)

@llamasoft_ox We rescued our three goats from a date with the Bad Place. Originally planned to have two goats, but the three of them were a family unit, so we thought what the hell, let's have another one! And now thanks to you, they also get biccies (cheap ones from CK Stores I'm afraid)

@simonjones excellent, I know that goats like Digestives too, we used to have a couple of pygmy goats who loved them (and would nod their horns at any sheep trying to get to the biscuits first!)

@Quokka Paradoxically enough large animal vet stuff, in particular livestock animal stuff, tends to be cheaper than small animal cat/dog stuff. I guess you can't really charge a lot to treat a cow or a sheep or farmers would never be able to afford treatment. For example that anti flea stuff you get for dogs, costs north of £20 for a little dose? I can get enough of the exact same stuff to treat my entire flock, plus some syringe bodies to help putting it on them, for less than a tenner.