# What to do with an old ewe?



## damummis

When you have an old ewe, what do you do with them?  Culling wise?


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## 20kidsonhill

As hard as it can be we take her to the stockyards.  The other choice really is to let them grow old and then at some point either you have to put them down or they just get old and die, either way you then have to deal with  the removal of the body. So we have chosen to cull to the stock yards. 

We never take them to the stockyards in poor shape, If they have developed a health problem and can't recover from it, then we have chosen to put them down on the farm. I don't want to be one of those people compaining about  a lame animal going to the stockyards and then send one of my own.  

I have 4 does right now that are turning 8 and we will only be keeping them one more breeding season, I am not attached to 3 of them, but it is breaking my heart to have to take one of them in there.  

I guess you could try giving them away to someone that is willing to tend to them the rest of their days, I don't know how easy it is to find someone willing to do that.


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## SuburbanFarmChic

Is there a reason you don't keep them up to the point that they DO become a problem?  Just curious from a backyard farmer standpoint vs a more commercial herd.


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## carolinagirl

I know an old ewe might not be that good to eat, but I bet she would be wonderful feed for your dog, especially if you feed the RAW diet.  I'd rather do that than take her to the stock yards.


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## damummis

carolinagirl said:
			
		

> I know an old ewe might not be that good to eat, but I bet she would be wonderful feed for your dog, especially if you feed the RAW diet.  I'd rather do that than take her to the stock yards.


That is what DH said.


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## 20kidsonhill

SuburbanFarmChic said:
			
		

> Is there a reason you don't keep them up to the point that they DO become a problem?  Just curious from a backyard farmer standpoint vs a more commercial herd.


For us it depends on what their pupose is on the farm. Do we need anymore offspring out of her? Is there younger does and newborn kids being born on the farm with better genetics? We do keep a couple for a very long time, up until they are having problems due to age, especially a commercial doe that is consistantly giving us twins and triplets and raising them on her own and an easy keeper, no need to get rid of her.  ONe of my oldest does, with probably at this time the worst genetics on the farm is still around, because she always seems to give me twin and triplet girls, they are cute, girly looking girls and they sell really well. No need to get rid of a doe that is turning me a profit.


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## aggieterpkatie

As much as I try to be logical I always get attached and sentimental.  When you only have a few animals, it's very hard NOT to become attached.  One of my ewes prolapsed this year so I was not going to breed her again.  I would have loved to have just kept her as a pet, but there's not enough space on my small place to justify a pet sheep.  I was able to find her a really great pet home.  She's only 3, so I would have had her as a pet for a LONG time.  I would have liked to get money for her from an auction, but I didn't want to risk someone else buying her and breeding her (that's not fair to her).  If I hadn't been able to find her a pet home, we would have probably put her in the freezer as ground mutton for the dogs.


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## Bossroo

In a commercial ranch or range operation a ewe is culled at the brocken mouth stage ( 5 years old). This is the stage when  they start to loose their front teeth then body condition due to some difficulty in grazing, therefor they start to deminish their milk supply and their lambs do not reach market weight at weaning. Not profitable. So, off to auction they go before they loose any more body condition and bring a decent price.  Annually, I would have a BBQ for friends, family and guests from foreign countries of up to 50 people. I take one of these ewes, butcher it, then marinade it for 2-3 days in a brine and  garlic bath in a 55 gal drum in a cool location, then BBQ whole over an open pit, and baste with a can of beer every 15 minutes at every 1/4 turn of the carcass. The result is an ever so tender and mouth watering go for thirds helping meal.     Even by those that do not like to eat lamb, like my father in law, who always said that he can taste the wool. However, he always managed to have 2-3 helpings.


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## Beekissed

I know folks who butcher these ewes for burger, so it doesn't matter if they are old and tough.


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## manybirds

I wouldn't take her to the stock yards, i have heard some pretty horific awful stories about that (some of them include beating and tazoring old cows just to keep them alive until they could auction them off). Is she really old? if so then it shouldn't be that much of a hassle to keep her till she die's. If she is not that old maybe you cold either find someone who would be willing to butcher for you or sometimes there are nice people out there who take in old used animals for one reason or another.


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## Natisha

I adopted an older wether no one wanted.  I've had him for years. He has some arthritis now & occasionally gets bute for that.  I'll keep him as long as he's comfortable & then he'll be PTS & buried here.  All my critters are pets though.  Maybe you could find a home for your ewe-I can't be the only nut out there 
Every situation is different.


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## Roll farms

I have an 11 yr old Hampshire x Suffolk ewe who will live forever.

She's stove up (technical term my vet uses) and decrepit and fat and useless.  She doesn't even get wool in some spots now...when / if I see she's suffering, we'll put her down and she'll join Dolly, Doodle, and the rest of our fave's in the back 40 grave area.

Every winter I see her asleep out in the snow and wonder, "Is this the time?"...and she always BAAAHS at me when I get close to check on her.  Silly old sheep.


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## Natisha

Roll farms said:
			
		

> I have an 11 yr old Hampshire x Suffolk ewe who will live forever.
> 
> She's stove up (technical term my vet uses) and decrepit and fat and useless.  She doesn't even get wool in some spots now...when / if I see she's suffering, we'll put her down and she'll join Dolly, Doodle, and the rest of our fave's in the back 40 grave area.
> 
> Every winter I see her asleep out in the snow and wonder, "Is this the time?"...and she always BAAAHS at me when I get close to check on her.  Silly old sheep.


Awww, she sounds wonderful.  I have a grave area too.


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## damummis

Well, Ol'Thelma took me off my feet today and my hip is pretty sore.  I came right in and called the butcher.  He said I could bring her in this afternoon but I couldn't do that with work and all.  Monday morning the ol'girl has an appointment with the "camp counselor" for freezer camp.  I just don't want a broken hip for the winter.  She has served me well.  With one tooth and the drain of the boys she has seen better days.


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## manybirds

damummis said:
			
		

> Well, Ol'Thelma took me off my feet today and my hip is pretty sore.  I came right in and called the butcher.  He said I could bring her in this afternoon but I couldn't do that with work and all.  Monday morning the ol'girl has an appointment with the "camp counselor" for freezer camp.  I just don't want a broken hip for the winter.  She has served me well.  With one tooth and the drain of the boys she has seen better days.


this is why i disbud


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## damummis

I got her too old to disbud.


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## aggieterpkatie

People don't typically disbud sheep.  There are plenty of polled breeds, so if they want polled sheep they usually just get them.    Most people with horned sheep breeds wanted them because of that.


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## manybirds

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> People don't typically disbud sheep.  There are plenty of polled breeds, so if they want polled sheep they usually just get them.    Most people with horned sheep breeds wanted them because of that.


I believe thelma is a goat.


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## manybirds

damummis said:
			
		

> I got her too old to disbud.


i see. what was/is she?


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## aggieterpkatie

manybirds said:
			
		

> aggieterpkatie said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> People don't typically disbud sheep.  There are plenty of polled breeds, so if they want polled sheep they usually just get them.    Most people with horned sheep breeds wanted them because of that.
> 
> 
> 
> I believe thelma is a goat.
Click to expand...

Well this is in the sheep section and the title says "What to do with an old ewe?"   Thelma is a sheep.


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## that's*satyrical

In the advertisements they usually put a picture of the old ewe next to the new ewe....lol   sorry, couldn't resist....


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## damummis

Ol'Thelma





That was in July when she was prego and had 2 teeth, now she is miserable with one tooth.


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## kstaven

manybirds said:
			
		

> damummis said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well, Ol'Thelma took me off my feet today and my hip is pretty sore.  I came right in and called the butcher.  He said I could bring her in this afternoon but I couldn't do that with work and all.  Monday morning the ol'girl has an appointment with the "camp counselor" for freezer camp.  I just don't want a broken hip for the winter.  She has served me well.  With one tooth and the drain of the boys she has seen better days.
> 
> 
> 
> this is why i disbud
Click to expand...

Horns are not synonymous with bad behavior and do not cause an animal to be bad. Bad behavior comes from the individual animal irrespective of its head gear or lack there of. Secondly ... people typically don't disbud sheep.


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## damummis

I think Ol'Thelma might have been mishandled before I got her.  I am very touchy feely with the boys and Esther.  I can see a huge difference in behavior between the animals born here and the ones acquired from elsewhere.


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## damummis

Today is the day.

To Ol' Thelma:
_You have served us well, when you return to the Mother thank her for us._


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## aggieterpkatie




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## damummis

That was not to bad.  The butchers were pleasant enough.

The boys on the other hand won't stop crying their lamb cry.  It is killing me to listen to them.  They keep looking for her.


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## manybirds

damummis said:
			
		

> That was not to bad.  The butchers were pleasant enough.
> 
> The boys on the other hand won't stop crying their lamb cry.  It is killing me to listen to them.  They keep looking for her.


aaawww! that sad thing about dying is not death but those left behind


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