# Anyone have sheep? I have questions...



## amysflock (Dec 15, 2008)

So, our doofy neighbor (whom we've never even seen, let alone met) has this sheep that hasn't been shorn in at least a year, but probably longer....the thing looks like a gnarly, filthy hay bale. DH and I fondly call it Wooly Booger, or WB.

I just found out yesterday from another neighbor that the guy's wife left him, he's moved out off the property, and he's left WB behind to fend for himself. (Or maybe herself...no idea.) He has no arrangements for feed or water for the critter, and no intention apparently of making arrangements. WB was out in the cold trying to forage in our skiff of snow all weekend during daylight hours.

We're thinking of trying to locate the owner and offering either to permanently adopt OR just feed/water WB until a permanent home can be found. What do you think of this idea? Keep in mind we have never owned sheep and this one probably needs a vet visit, and who knows what else. I think I read somewhere that sheep can't have cattle minerals, but don't know if having a sheep with cattle is otherwise bad, etc.

Thoughts/advice? If nothing else I'll call animal control...I will NOT let him/her die of neglect. Thanks!


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## Farmer Kitty (Dec 15, 2008)

You're right in not having cattle and sheep together. It would be death for the sheep but, you are right in something needing to be done. 

If you want the sheep then try to find the owner and make a deal. If not, then contact animal control. He has willing walked away from the animal and it probably won't do any good talking to him about caring for it while he finds a new home or it would be cared for already. 

Good luck in whichever avenue you take!


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## jhm47 (Dec 15, 2008)

There is too much copper in cattle minerals for sheep.  They will get too much over time and die.  It would take several weeks/months for the level to reach toxic levels.  Otherwise, sheep and cattle work well together in a pasture situation.  The sheep prefer to eat the forbs, and the cattle eat the grasses.  

This sheep sounds like it's gone far too long without a shearing.  If you should get it, be sure to have it sheared immediately.  They can get maggots, and other parasites if left unsheared.  Of course, maggots would not be a problem in the winter.  Sheep need to be sheared yearly.  If not, they will develop the previously mentioned health problems, and the wool will be worthless.  

I have a shearing machine, and used to shear some of my kid's sheep when they were in 4-H.  I'm probably too old for that kind of back-breaking labor now though.


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## amysflock (Dec 15, 2008)

Is it ok to shear a sheep in the winter? We don't normally get too cold around here (in the 40s), but have sub-freezing temps this week and next.

I wouldn't even know how to get the sheep over to us...no pass throughs in the fence, and it stays on the far side (away from our fenceline)...I've only seen it as close as halfway to our fence. DH can "talk" to it and get it to respond, but aside from that ??


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## Farmer Kitty (Dec 15, 2008)

When you get back to your 40s I would think it should be fine to shear. I know here it is usually cool when they do it.


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## jhm47 (Dec 16, 2008)

We always sheared ours about this time of year so our children would have some nice January lambs to show at the state fair.  The sheep stayed inside out of the cold then, and had their lambs inside.  If they were not sheared, they would have their lambs outside in snowbanks.  I guess the ewes would get really warm during labor and it felt good to get outside where it was cooler.  The lambs didn't fare very well when born outside in below 0 weather.  If we didn't find them immediately, they were dead in minutes.  

Another problem with unsheared ewes was that the lambs would not find the teats, and would often start to suck on a ball of wool.  No matter how hard we tried, they would continue to suck on this wool, and slowly starve to death.  Needless to say, it was frustrating.

Good luck catching the sheep.  They can be really hard to catch when out in a pasture.  Maybe you coud trick it with a bit of grain?  Don't give more than a pound, or you likely will make it sick.  Also, salt might be a good bait, if it hasn't had access to it.


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## amysflock (Dec 17, 2008)

Thanks, guys! I'm still on the fence as to what to do here. Our fences aren't sheep proof...our pasture only has a three-strand barbed wire with one hotwire on the top, although we'll be adding a low one to keep our calves in, too, before we let them back out on pasture in April. We're also lacking in shelter for it.

I did get his/her attention yesterday and it slowly pranced/trotted/waddled over to me. I dropped a flake of timothy hay over to it, but while it was sniffing my dang dogs went ballistic. (My dogs would be another problem...we don't let them have any access to the cows or pasture, but they can see everything through the hogwire yard fence, and I understand sheep are naturally afraid of dogs (and I can't blame them).

I DID get to scratch its head and ear a bit before it wandered off, and now I can get its attention and it'll turn to look at me and say something, so that's progress. I'm thinking there MUST be some sort of water supply for it as it's been days and the critter is perky, had a nice looking poop, etc. Maybe it's a breed that does well on poorer forage? I got a very cool book on sheep/goat/cattle/pig breeds at the library yesterday, but so many of the sheep look similar to me.

At any rate, we'll think on this a little more and see if we can't get a hold of the neighbor to offer some assistance if he wants it. Someone on another board pointed out that if the home is in foreclosure then everything on the property - including the sheep - would technically be the property of their lender. :|


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## m.holloway (Dec 17, 2008)

Well, i can't help you on what to do about the sheep. All I can say is that it's very nice of you to be taking care of it and giving it a chance to have a life. That's one thing I don't understand about peolpe that get animals and then think they can make it on their own. Thank you for being KIND!!!!!!!!


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## jhm47 (Dec 17, 2008)

What color is the sheep's face?  If it's black, it's likely a Suffolk or Hampshire.  If white, it could be one of several breeds.  Some even have a black/white speckled face, and then it's a crossbreed.  Does it have horns?  Have you noticed if it's a male (ram or wether, which is a neutered ram) or female (ewe)?  You can tell by where the urine comes from.  

If the house is in foreclosure, and the sheep is actually property of the bank/lender, they would be responsible for it, and most likely would give it to you.  They certainly don't want to be responsible for a sheep, and they also don't want to let it starve or die from any other cause.  It would be really bad publicity for them if it did.  An aged sheep with several years of wool would not be worth much (less than $100).  

Perhaps you should contact your local TV station.  They might do a short segment on the abandoned sheep, and that would definitely get the ball rolling.


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## Farmer Kitty (Dec 17, 2008)

Whether the bank owns the sheep or the guy owns the sheep it doesn't matter. Someone should be looking after the poor little fellow. I'm glad you have decided to watch after it and try to find a solution for it.


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## amysflock (Dec 17, 2008)

He/she is polled, large, and has a white face with some gray. I'm trying to remember what the ears looked like and if they had dark hair in them...it's so dirty and matted, and it's back end is a disaster, so trying to see where it urinates from is impossible. (Plus I have to reach across our five foot shared barbed wire/hog wire fence to access it all.) I think it had wool-less legs, definitely the lower legs, but the body is so long and matted that I can't tell if the thighs have wool or are just covered by the body wool. There is wool on the forehead, though, which seem to narrow down my choices. I was thinking maybe one of the Longwools, a Dorset, Cotswold or Montadale.

Looks like the neighbor who told me about the sheep's owner is home, so I'll see if she has any more info about where he is. I think there's another neighbor who knows more, but I don't know that guy well and he always has the gate across his short driveway closed which seems unfriendly to me...I don't exactly want to walk on up to his front door.


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## m.holloway (Dec 17, 2008)

Hey lets use ESP and smack that person in the head for doing that!!!


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## hollybird (Dec 29, 2008)

i don't know about the lender being owners of the sheep because it's on the property because livestock sometimes fall into different laws than other personal property.  i know if it wanders onto your property you can file a lost animal with the local police and i will be yours if unclaimed in the time frame.  best to ask the local humane society.  never had much luck getting police interested in animal problems.  sheep aren't hard to raise.  we have had them for years and they are less disease prone than goats.  they need worming,shearing, food and usually a wind break or small shelter.  they will wear out their teeth and eventually go blind.  this could be somewhere in the 12-16 range though.  will take a while but you can cut their wool by hand.  any other questions just ask.


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## amysflock (Dec 30, 2008)

I heard from the neighbor's husband that some other neighbors are feeding and watering the sheep, as evidenced by the foot tracks through the gate in the snow we had. Now that the snow is melting the sheep has been out grazing more (and talking more) and seems ok.

Since I'll be laid off I'm going to offer to help feed/water the sheep, too, to lift some of the burdon off. After much more discussion with DH and my uncle (who used to raise sheep), we're just not equipped to adopt it full time, at least for now.

Thanks!


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## Farmer Kitty (Dec 30, 2008)

At least you are doing what you can for it's care. Hopefully, someone will be able to give it a good home.


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## 1sherman (May 19, 2009)

Hello.  I feel for you and the sheep.  I have about 20 head (down from 40 last year)  Anyway FIRST....check to see if it is a RAM...still need to save it but need to be a bit more careful.  I have two rams.  One was really a sweetie till some day workers teased him and now I have to watch my backside when out and about.  I have my sheep out with cows and donkeys ..3 goats in there also.  
Some of my sheep are natural sheaders and some have to be clipped.  We get very hot and humid here so it can be a problem if they are not sheared around Easter.  As far as feed and water, throw a bit over the fence as you are doing untill you find out the owner situation.  Bank sure doesn't want a sheep I am sure.  Animal Control may be helpful.  Out here in sunny So. Cal. our animal control doesn't know the difference between sheep and goats SO....they are useless.   If you do get it to your place, it will probably just hang out regardless of your fencing once it realizes you will feed it.  They are dumb BUT NOT THAT DUMB.  Free meals,....sure I'll stay here.  Sheep just don't handle copper other than that, mine get hay and that's about all....I don't grain unless I know we have babies on the way.

Hope this is a bit helpful...GOOD LUCK...Keep us posted.

Wandabean


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## Bryan99705 (Sep 23, 2014)

I've been in a somewhat similar situation.  Someone dropped off a ewe in our driveway at night, we found it when the sun came up, sleep against the ram paddock.  We sheared it, trimmed hooves, gave it a squirt of selenium and a squirt of minerals and quarantined it while trying to get some info on it. She was malnourished but otherwise healthy so we introduced her to the girls and she has been with us ever since.  We and looking forward to some big lambs this spring and wife can't wait to see how the wool spins.

I know it's kind of off the subject but I mean to say is,  Do what's right for the animal!


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## Baymule (Sep 24, 2014)

Reading old threads like this sure makes me wonder what ever happened to the poor sheep. ARRRGH!! People! Come back and update so our brains don't wander in eternity wondering what the outcome ever was!


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