Out of the blue
Suddenly Felicia, Finja and Fraya were lying in the straw
From the perspective of an Aiderbichler
(written by Gisela Pschenitschnig)
The brown sheep Flocke, the mum of our baby sheep, came to her forever home at Gut Aiderbichl in Henndorf in September 2023. At just two years old, she should have been sent to slaughter.
Fate had other plans. The phone rang at the animal emergency centre, the message was that three sheep were to be sent to the slaughterhouse, would we take them? It seemed as if the decision had to be made quickly. The sheep could come – one of them was Flocke.
The sheep's gestation period
How is it that baby animals are born at Gut Aiderbichl? One of the Aiderbichl principles is that the animals that live at Gut Aiderbichl are neutered. It is not our job to breed animals. The bull, for example, is castrated, so the cow no longer has a calf and therefore no longer produces milk – that’s a great example that people are always fascinated by. The cow produces milk for her calf.
The animals at Gut Aiderbichl should have a second chance to live on, they are no longer at the service of humans in any way.
Sheep carry an average of five months. Nobody would have thought that three baby sheep would grow up under Flake’s thick curls. We experience surprises like this all the time. And: they are lovely surprises that make us smile, our eyes light up and everyone around us is happy.
Felicia, Finja and Fraya - a secret suddenly lay in the straw
The carers were in awe when three baby sheep from Flocke’s barn gave their first signs of life in mid-February. Full of pride, but cautious, Flocke presented her beautiful babies. All three were doing well.
Fraya
She is the strongest and heaviest of the three. She has a pretty black and white mask on her face. Her dark eyes look curious and her powerful voice drowns out every peacock cry.
Felicia
She is coal black and a little more delicate than her sister Fraya. Delicate and elegant, she looks at the world around her and always follows her mum.
Finja
Flocke looks after her babies well, but Finjaloves the bottle. You can recognise Finja by the white dot in the middle of her ears.
