Baymule
Herd Master
Nope. Just the feed. Sheep get along with chickens. LOL
Bred Too Young?
- Thread starter Cotton*wood
- Start date
misfitmorgan
Herd Master
Only thing our chickens do is ride or lay on our sheep, the sheep dont seem to care.
- Thread starter
- #23
Cotton*wood
Loving the herd life
Had the vet visit. He gave the three little lambs their shots, said it would take 3 - 5 days for them to start cycling again, and now I get the joy of keeping them away from all the others until the ram leaves. The hardest part of it all was to let the rest of them OUT of the stall while keeping those three IN.
It was actually really good to finally meet him, and get all my questions answered.
It was actually really good to finally meet him, and get all my questions answered.
farmerjan
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That is wonderful. Nice to establish a working relationship with a vet. Sounds like you are satisfied with what he said and did. Your lambs will be better off for the time to grow. They were pretty nice ones in the picture you had posted.
Baymule
Herd Master
I know you are relieved that is done. Glad you were able to ask questions of the vet and get answers.
- Thread starter
- #26
Cotton*wood
Loving the herd life
Here's another question: The EASIEST thing to do with these three lambs is to keep them in the barn--at least until the rest of them are moved out of the current pasture (which is within the same perimeter fence as the barn) into the north pasture (on the other side of a significant fence), as I'm not sure these three will follow me with a bucket, and may run back to where the others are. Can one keep sheep inside a barn? It's an ample-sized stall--probably 8 X 16 feet or so. It just seems so cruel when they've always been on pasture. How long could one do that? And how bad would it be to switch to just hay?
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farmerjan
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It's not going to kill them to keep them in the barn for the 6 weeks or so that you will have the ram out with the others. This is a good time to get them more used to you and more "dependent" on you so they will follow when you want to move them. This time of year they can more easily switch to the hay since the grasses are not as succulent and appetizing. I would just keep them in there, keep them away from the ram with no possible accidents of them getting in with the ram for the 6 weeks or whatever length of time you have the ram.
Don't over think it or stress over it. Just make sure they get water and good hay and maybe a little grain as a training tool... the 6 weeks or so will go fairly fast and you will not have any questions of them being bred by accident again.
Cruel is them getting rebred and lambing too small and dying.
Don't over think it or stress over it. Just make sure they get water and good hay and maybe a little grain as a training tool... the 6 weeks or so will go fairly fast and you will not have any questions of them being bred by accident again.
Cruel is them getting rebred and lambing too small and dying.
Baymule
Herd Master
Nothing wrong with basically dry lotting them. Get a chair or something to sit on, I use a plastic milk crate, it puts me at eye level. Just sit quiet and no sudden movements. They will get curious and come up to you. After about a week of feeding them, offer feed in your hand. Offer it every day before you feed them. One of them will figure it out and start gobbling the feed down. Once you have gained a little trust, start scratching them. On the neck, under the chin, they like that.
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- #29
Cotton*wood
Loving the herd life
Been doing this daily from the very beginning. The two wild ones WILL sniff my finger, so I have hopes they'll tame down. They're pretty interested in the treats that the tame one is enjoying.
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Since the ram was only in with the flock for 5 days, it is possible that unless you saw him actually breeding the ewelings, that they did not get bred. Giving Lutelyse was a good preventive measure.
Definitely keep them in the barn for the next 6 weeks. Much better to be sure than sorry - again. LOL It is easier to have a definite pen just for breeding your ewes. Even if you are renting a ram, using a harness and marking crayons is a good way to make sure when the ewes are bred so you can determine lambing dates. We change the crayon color every 2 weeks so if the ewe remarks we have another date. Also, if you have one ewe that continually remarks you can dispose of her, while if the entire flock remarks, you can get rid of the ram.
How many sheep do you have?
Definitely keep them in the barn for the next 6 weeks. Much better to be sure than sorry - again. LOL It is easier to have a definite pen just for breeding your ewes. Even if you are renting a ram, using a harness and marking crayons is a good way to make sure when the ewes are bred so you can determine lambing dates. We change the crayon color every 2 weeks so if the ewe remarks we have another date. Also, if you have one ewe that continually remarks you can dispose of her, while if the entire flock remarks, you can get rid of the ram.
How many sheep do you have?
