rodandstafffarm
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I have five shetland ewes of differring ages. For the last 60 days the 3 mature ewes have been with the ram and the two ewe lambs (one of whom is from a different flock) were in with my wether.
Even before putting them in with the ram I had tried introducing the new ewe lamb to the flock (after the 30 day waiting period--she was in with the other ewe lamb during that time) and two of the girls were monstrous to her, not even letting her eat. So back out she went again with her other ewe lamb buddy.
I had hoped after a period of time I would be able to put everyone back in together again, however not so. It's way more than a pecking order, it's a refusal to let her near food and one in particularly being downright aggressive.
I'm not confident this will end anytime soon as the wether was originally in with the mature ewes and ram per advice of a more experienced sheep person so that they wouldn't have to fight through a reintroduction later on. The ewes were just as bad to him an he finally got sick of it, broke through the fence one day and refused to go back in with them. So I let him stay with the ewe lambs until today.
Incidentally the ram and wether are back in again together and just fine and seem to care less about any of it. Not even any head butting.
Anyone else had any experience with this? Is there a minimum or maximum time I should give it? It sure would have been easier no to have to shift everyone around through two separate stalls again over the winter, but if they're going to make her life miserable, I'll have to catch the other ewe lamb again and pair them back up again to have any harmony until spring. She's by far our favorite ewe, very people oriented and gorgeous to look at. She hides behind me in the stall. I'd prefer to have good natured, people friendly sheep and the two doing the bullying definitely aren't. I'm thinking after lambing in the spring-----freezer camp; they're so mean.
Thanks,
June
Even before putting them in with the ram I had tried introducing the new ewe lamb to the flock (after the 30 day waiting period--she was in with the other ewe lamb during that time) and two of the girls were monstrous to her, not even letting her eat. So back out she went again with her other ewe lamb buddy.
I had hoped after a period of time I would be able to put everyone back in together again, however not so. It's way more than a pecking order, it's a refusal to let her near food and one in particularly being downright aggressive.
I'm not confident this will end anytime soon as the wether was originally in with the mature ewes and ram per advice of a more experienced sheep person so that they wouldn't have to fight through a reintroduction later on. The ewes were just as bad to him an he finally got sick of it, broke through the fence one day and refused to go back in with them. So I let him stay with the ewe lambs until today.
Incidentally the ram and wether are back in again together and just fine and seem to care less about any of it. Not even any head butting.
Anyone else had any experience with this? Is there a minimum or maximum time I should give it? It sure would have been easier no to have to shift everyone around through two separate stalls again over the winter, but if they're going to make her life miserable, I'll have to catch the other ewe lamb again and pair them back up again to have any harmony until spring. She's by far our favorite ewe, very people oriented and gorgeous to look at. She hides behind me in the stall. I'd prefer to have good natured, people friendly sheep and the two doing the bullying definitely aren't. I'm thinking after lambing in the spring-----freezer camp; they're so mean.
Thanks,
June