# Sheep and Thunderstorms



## L J (May 5, 2016)

Last night, around 1130pm I was awoke by the largest crash of thunder and bolts of lightning at the same time. The storm was seriously, directly overhead.  Freaked me the heck out. My entire house lit up.


I look outside to see my ewe's and lambs standing in the middle of the field, drenched in the rain and the lightening continued to strike and thunder boomed.  I went out there and tried to usher them back to their shelters, and they were having no part in that.  I even picked up a lamb, took her to the barn, and mom had absolutely no interest in following. She just bellowed until the lamb came back to her.


The ewes were standing next to the ram field, and his shelter(a large tent like structure) opens toward their field.  So basically, it was as if they wanted to be w the ram and share his shelter.  He was not having any part of being in the storm, but stood at the entrance of his shelter, essentially “hanging out with” the ewe’s.


I just found it odd. Maybe the loud noise of the thunder echoed in their barn and scared them?


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## promiseacres (May 5, 2016)

Hard to say, many times we think we know best.... but critters resist.  On the other hand sheep need a shepherd for a reason...


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## mysunwolf (May 5, 2016)

Sheep, especially the Katahdins, are not scared of rain the way goats are  On the other hand, my wool sheep tend to head towards shelter as soon as the first drop hits.


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## Baymule (May 6, 2016)

I have hair sheep, cross bred Katahdins and Dorper, they run for their shelter. If they don't, Trip, my Great Pyrenees/Maremma LGD  "herds" them in. But if just a regular rain, they don't care and go graze as usual.


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## L J (May 6, 2016)

promiseacres said:


> Hard to say, many times we think we know best.... but critters resist.  On the other hand sheep need a shepherd for a reason...


Im fairly certian they were inside before the loud thunder.  Wondering if the echo noise scared them, and they felt safer just standing outside. 


Baymule said:


> I have hair sheep, cross bred Katahdins and Dorper, they run for their shelter. If they don't, Trip, my Great Pyrenees/Maremma LGD  "herds" them in. But if just a regular rain, they don't care and go graze as usual.


yeah mine are Katahdin/Black belly Cross.   They area really pretty and clean now tho


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## Baymule (May 6, 2016)

We moved last year, away from hurricane country. We let our horses choose where they wanted to be in the hurricanes. They had a choice of woods, open pasture and a barn. They stood out in the storm except for the very worst of it, they went in the barn. We just built them a nice 36'x36' barn and they hang out in it all the time! No more standing out in the rain for them!


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