How a flock of South Downs sheep could start a lawn-mowing revolution

Sam Barter and husband Oli have 18 sheep which they currently keep in fields at Pulborough but they need more space.

And they are willing to rent out their flock to any large landowners seeking help in keeping down the grass on their rolling lawns, fields or paddocks.

And it’s not such a baa-rmy idea.

A local gardener asked if he could hire two of the sheep to keep his grass cut and queried how much an hour it would cost.

“We can’t really do that,” said Sam.

Livestock regulations won’t allow it - but renting out the flock to a larger estate is an option.

Apart from their 18 sheep, Sam, a veterinary nurse, and Oli, who runs a dog business - A-Star Dog Behaviour - also have six goats, 50 chickens, three turkeys, two ducks and seven dogs, along with children Finley, three, and six-year-old daughter Lottie.

“We started out a couple of years ago with four sheep and it’s my long-term dream to have a little small holding,” said Sam, who used to work with TV’s Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick.

But finding suitable land “has been a bit of a battle,” said Sam. “At one stage we kept having to move the sheep every few months.”

They faced a range of problems - including complaints from neighbours grumbling about baa-ing noises.

“We have somewhere really lovely now,” said Sam. “But we need extra space.”

She said they would be happy to rent some land - or to rent out the sheep to a landowner needing efficient grass munchers.

And while small back gardens might not be suitable for sheep-keeping, Sam and Oli would be willing to split the flock if all 18 of them proved a tad too many for a larger plot.

And if the couple ever needed help in rounding up their flock they should have no sheepdog troubles - Oli has been working with dogs from a young age.

His mother Elaine Barter runs Arundawn Dog Recue near Horsham.