# Ewe Called for help for another ewe



## Mike CHS (Jan 26, 2017)

We just had something totally unexpected happen.  Our wild ewe also happens to think and acts like she is the herd boss including challenging the LGD.  We can't normally hear them when they are making their normal baa sound when they want something.  A few minutes ago we heard one literally baaing at the top of her sound range and it was really clear to hear.  We looked out and the ewe was standing at the fence staring at the house and just bawling.    We went out to see what was going on and counted heads.  We were short one and got to looking around and we could see our tame ewes head sticking out from the inside of our creep feeder which had an 8" opening.  I have no idea how she got her fat self through the opening but she was bawling because she could not get out.  Luckily the opening is controlled by a 4" wide board that was screwed in.  We still had to force her through the opening to get her out and made it an 1 1/2" narrower when we put the board back on.

Anyway, I had no idea that sheep reasoned enough to know to call for help.  Pretty cool though when you think about it.


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## CntryBoy777 (Jan 26, 2017)

They know who to Call......and shows they look to you for Help and Safety.
Lightning is our pen "Crier" and will Alert if something is wrong in the pen trying to get our attention. It has saved Star twice now.


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## NH homesteader (Jan 26, 2017)

That's really cool! I kind of didn't think sheep were that smart. One of my goats got stuck in the hay feeder and none of them told me. I guess they don't like him very much!


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## TAH (Jan 26, 2017)

That is really cool!

My goats would warn me when something wasn't right but my sheep just took care of them selves.


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## Mike CHS (Jan 26, 2017)

That  was a first for us.  We have found these guys to not support the notion that sheep aren't smart.  They all let me handle them now but a couple are still a little leery of Teresa (but getting better).  I think it might be that they have already figured out I'm the pushover of the house.


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## Latestarter (Jan 26, 2017)

Kinda surprised that Maisey didn't light off to let you know something was amiss... Maybe they're beginning to believe that you are their shepherd


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## Mike CHS (Jan 26, 2017)

Maisy wasn't far from the creep feeder and I really don't think she new anything was wrong.


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## Calendula (Jan 26, 2017)

That's an awesome story. I never knew that any kind of animal would care enough (or be smart enough) to actually call for help.

Although, several years ago when I was a little kid, we were visiting my grandparents' around Thanksgiving. My dog apparently fell into their pool, but we had no idea. Their horses started freaking out and were running around the pasture and to the barn and back and bucking and just being... weird. I was sent out to see if the dog was getting in trouble and found her in the pool.  She would've easily died if they hadn't panicked like that.

Animals are amazing.


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## NH homesteader (Jan 26, 2017)

See horses, not surprising. Sheep, surprising. Especially because this sheep isn't particularly friendly. I think it's really cool. Maybe katahdins are smarter than other sheep. They are New Englanders, after all (sorry I couldn't help myself)


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## Latestarter (Jan 26, 2017)




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## Mike CHS (Jan 26, 2017)

They are Katahdin cross


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## Mini Horses (Jan 26, 2017)

Sometimes their "warning" is "telling on" the others.   If I look out and see horses running, whinnying, etc., it means that something is not as it should be.   I have often said that a group escaped their field and didn't open the other's gate, so they "told on them".


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## luvmypets (Jan 26, 2017)

There are some sheep who are a little "slow" but mine, especially Rosie are very smart. She knows how to open the gate if we forget to latch it, however once she got her head stuck and screamed for my dad. She also recently learned how to open the grain bin. She knocks over everything to find exactly what food she wants.


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## Baymule (Jan 26, 2017)

My ewe that we put down was like that. She "talked" to me and let me know when something wasn't right. Once I watched her stretching to reach the leaves on a tree branch, which stayed out of her reach. She walked straight to me, BAA-BAA'ed loudly and made it clear that I was to do something. I bent the branch down and she and the other ewes had a snack. I sure miss her.

Mike I think it is awesome that #1 your ewe alerted you that something was wrong and #2 that she trusted you enough to call you for help. In the short time that ya'll have had them, she has realized that ya'll are the caretakers of the flock. Isn't it amazing that these "dumb" sheep are pretty darn smart? And even more amazing, it was your "wild" ewe that called the alarm!


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## Mike CHS (Jan 26, 2017)

Bay - she is still wild but after being in the nursery for 3 days she will let me lay hands on her without flinching but I think she knows I won't push her.  

She is one that I'm never sure she won't try to butt if provoked.  She butted the LGD several feet when she got to close to her baby.   We keep them in the nursery for 2-4 days to make sure this seasons lambs won't be wild ewes next lambing season.  Every time I went in to handle her lamb she would literally put her nose never more than an inch or two from my face and watched me pet her lamb.  I was trusting her to not put that 160 lbs into my face.


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## Baymule (Jan 26, 2017)

Mike CHS said:


> Every time I went in to handle her lamb she would literally put her nose never more than an inch or two from my face and watched me pet her lamb.  I was trusting her to not put that 160 lbs into my face.



She just reciprocated that trust.


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## samssimonsays (Jan 26, 2017)

I love this story. It gave me chill bumps! Our goats did something similar when our buckling got his head stuck in the feeder. I love it when they warn us of things.


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## purplequeenvt (Jan 27, 2017)

Hate to break it to you but here's what REALLY happened......

Ewe number #1 got into the creep to eat the grain and ewe number #2 was jealous that #1 was getting all the feed so she stood at the fence hollering for you to come out and make things fair.


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## Mike CHS (Jan 27, 2017)

Thank you for that laugh for both of us.


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