Aloha from the Big Island of Hawai’i

[k2m]

Aloha kekou, hello everyone. We are on the Hamakua coast - lots of sun, lots of rain and nice breezes, sometimes quite strong.
We have a small herd of mutt hair sheep and we’re interested in increasing the flock. Hoping to hear from and meet (post vaccines) neighbors with sheep.
Keith n Terri

 

[Coolbreeze89]

Welcome from Texas! I have a little bit of everything: some goats, chickens, muscovies, Kunekunes, and a few sheep: I have Barbados ewes and a dorper/Kahtadin ram (Soon to be neutered once I know the ladies are pregnant!). I’m new to sheep in the last year, so learning a lot here.

 

[Niele da Kine]

Aloha Keith & Terri,

Howzit, eh? We're over in Honokaa, which is somewhere near you, perhaps. But, we only have two woolly sheep and the ram is a 'runt' and not - as far as we know - useful as a ram. Guess he wouldn't be much help with increasing your herd. If you have a ram with your ewes, wouldn't you end up with more sheep?

I know folks who have Clun Forest rams (woolly sheep) as well as Merino rams, although the Merino guy doesn't always sell his sheep. He might let you borrow one, perhaps, but the Clun Forest folks keep their flock strictly closed for health reasons. We got our two sheep from them, but can't take the ewe back to meet up with a ram since she's now left their farm up above Pauuilo.

Why not woolly sheep instead of hair sheep?

A hui hou

 

[Madhouse Pullet]

 

[Baymule]

Welcome from Texas! We have hair sheep too. Started with 4 bred cross bred Dorper and Katahdin ewes, then got a Dorper ram. He threw parasite infested sheep that are practically impossible to keep worm free. Their worm count gets so high that I ask them, "Why aren't you DEAD?" Now we have a Katahdin ram that came from a parasite resistance program from Virginia Tech University. Wow. What a difference. The ewes are bred, will be due starting in January. When they are weaned, we are culling hard, taking them to auction and I will take that money to buy as many registered, quality ewes as possible. We have had our ram for 2 years, this will be his second lamb crop. Have not wormed him, not even one time.

I love your sheep's spotty colors. Mine are spotty too, I do like a little eye candy. LOL I'm just getting to the point where I like that spotty coat over a ewe that is not wormy.

Didn't mean to ramble, back to you! How many sheep do you have and how long have you had them?

 

[k2m]

Aloha Keith & Terri,

Howzit, eh? We're over in Honokaa, which is somewhere near you, perhaps. But, we only have two woolly sheep and the ram is a 'runt' and not - as far as we know - useful as a ram. Guess he wouldn't be much help with increasing your herd. If you have a ram with your ewes, wouldn't you end up with more sheep?

I know folks who have Clun Forest rams (woolly sheep) as well as Merino rams, although the Merino guy doesn't always sell his sheep. He might let you borrow one, perhaps, but the Clun Forest folks keep their flock strictly closed for health reasons. We got our two sheep from them, but can't take the ewe back to meet up with a ram since she's now left their farm up above Pauuilo.

Why not woolly sheep instead of hair sheep?

A hui hou

Aloha Nīele, yes, we are close- just a few miles away. We’re mauka Laupahoehoe at 1000’ - up Manowaiopae Homestead Road.

I thought that hair sheep,especially St. Croix, had less problems with parasites here. Also you don’t need to shear them - we’re not interested in wool, but love lamb steaks. But I’m just beginning to learn! I would love to talk story about sheep with someone knowledgeable here.

 

[k2m]

Welcome from Texas! We have hair sheep too. Started with 4 bred cross bred Dorper and Katahdin ewes, then got a Dorper ram. He threw parasite infested sheep that are practically impossible to keep worm free. Their worm count gets so high that I ask them, "Why aren't you DEAD?" Now we have a Katahdin ram that came from a parasite resistance program from Virginia Tech University. Wow. What a difference. The ewes are bred, will be due starting in January. When they are weaned, we are culling hard, taking them to auction and I will take that money to buy as many registered, quality ewes as possible. We have had our ram for 2 years, this will be his second lamb crop. Have not wormed him, not even one time.

I love your sheep's spotty colors. Mine are spotty too, I do like a little eye candy. LOL I'm just getting to the point where I like that spotty coat over a ewe that is not wormy.

Didn't mean to ramble, back to you! How many sheep do you have and how long have you had them?

Aloha Baymule, we have 7 head - 4 females (don’t remember the proper sheep nouns. We bought three pregnant females from a guy down near South Point (we used to live near Waiohinu close to there). We bought 3 pregnant females about a year ago to start our herd.

Actually Barbeque was born before we got them. We banded his nuts. He was originally going to end up in the freezer, but he was just too friendly and cute, so he’s our designated “ram companion”, which I read is good to have a neutered male to keep a ram from being too crazy.

We also have 2 males that are less than a year old- OneNut and NoNuts. I banded both of them at birth, but being the first time I banded a sheep, I missed one of his testicles. So he has a testicle up inside him - and plenty of testosterone- forgot what they call this but sheep farmers have a name for it. He’s not fertile as he can’t regulate temperature (why our nuts hang down) so not producing viable sperm. But he has grown a mane, head butts and fights the others a lot, still likes to hump the girls, and his weenie seems to know what to do. His twin brother, NoNuts, I did a successful banding on. He’s more laid back. They are both going in the freezer soon.

We have 4 females. One female (Cali) was born on our place. The three we bought- Bessie, mother of Barbecue, we liked she looked like a cow with her spots. Thelma is our Rasta girl - she must be part hair sheep - she has dreadlocks, which I’ll probably trim off when I build a coral - she’s too wild to catch. We originally bought her with Louise- but Louise was so skittish and crazy, we took her back and traded for Pearl, who is so gentle and friendly I call her PearlDog.

 

[Baymule]

Haha, female sheep are ewes, males are rams and castrated males are wethers. Building a corral or small pen will do a lot to help tame them. Feed them in it, sit in the pen while they eat. Let the wild one get used to you, she will come around. Sheep love treats, Cookies, animal crackers, corn, they will soon eat out of your hand.

 

[k2m]

Thanks Baymule, I'll try to remember those terms if my CRS disease doesn't overrule. Do young (virgin) sheep have a special term? Isn't there a joke about that - something about ugly sheep...

Our sheep are pretty tame - all except Thelma, but even she will eat out of my hand if I have grain or sheep food pellets. She'll even stick her head into a bucket to get minerals with me holding the bucket. But she'll spaz out regularly and bolt a few yards away. I think she has sheep demons lurking around in her brain.

I've got to build a little pen - and some shelter, as they have no trees (except the ones I recently planted that they tried to eat all the bark off of) in their pasture right now. I'll soon give them more pasture that has guava trees - they can eat all the bark they want then, as the guava are weeds here.

I'll check BYH for plans for a moveable pen - I hope someone has built something easy to build, not too expensive that I can copy their idea. Right now, they are on my house pad and front yard - got to put them further down the hill, but I'm dozing out most of the guava there now.