Colourful flock of sheep near Harborough are raising the Baa ahead of Remembrance Day by wearing their poppies with pride

South Leicestershire farmers Fay and Abigail Johnson have painted 11 of their flock with red poppies to commemorate this year’s Remembrance Day, which has caused quite a stir with the local community. With the sheep happily grazing on the farm, which is also home to Eyebrook Wild Bird Feeds, drivers have been making ewe-turns as they pass the flock, which have become overnight celebrities.

Ahead of Remembrance Sunday, some of the flock will be moved from their road-side field back to the family farm, to be on parade in support of church services in their home village of Great Easton.

Fay said: “As well as growing crops for our bird feed business and encouraging wildlife with wildflower planting, we graze sheep on the farm’s grass paddocks. Our family proudly supports Remembrance Day and this year we wanted some of the sheep to get involved! We dodged the rain and have painted 11 ewes with poppies and have been amazed at how ‘pop’ular they have become overnight! Forget I’m a celebrity – we have our own stars right here on the farm!”

The sisters manage the family farm, which is located in the picturesque Welland Valley, near to the Eyebrook Reservoir. They use the best of modern and traditional agricultural practices to help create a more sympathetic environment for birds, insects and wild animals. The farm’s flock of sheep thrive on its rich Leicestershire pasture, producing lambs in the spring and wool in the summer.