Catching and taming

[PotterWatch]

We have four young katahdin ewes that we've had for about a month now. They are pretty wild. They won't run now unless we get within 20ft of them (they used to run anytime they saw us in the pasture). We have them in our second smallest pasture but even when they were in our smallest space, we couldn't herd them into the barn. They will go in on their own from time to time, but they are too wild and there is too much space for us to be able to corner them. Any tricks we might try? I'd like to get them locked into a stall in the barn for a week or so to try and get them more used to us. I don't need them to be in my pocket like our goats are, but I would like to get them to the point where we can at least move them fairly easily.

 

[PotterWatch]

We've had sheep before but always in large enough numbers that they've been reasonably easy to work without a dog.

 

[mysunwolf]

Grain. Grain grain grain. Pick something you're comfortable giving them, leave it out in a trough or bowl. Let them figure out what it is, then let them notice that it only comes from you and your bucket. Once mine figure out that grain comes in a bucket, they come running whenever they see the bucket. Some of them are still not friendly, but they will at least follow me. It helps if they see another sheep doing it first. You could try and get a friendly goat to eat from your hand or a bucket while the sheep are watching, and see if they catch on. Mostly, I've found that it takes patience and working with them every day, and sometimes that still doesn't work!

 

[mysunwolf]

And by comfortable, I mean if you're not into grain, my neighbor has had success with alfalfa hay as a "sheep lure" instead.

 

[PotterWatch]

I don't mind leaving grain out but they share a pasture with our goats and there is no way the goats would let the sheep anywhere near a pan of grain, lol! They do see the goats getting scratched and petted by us and I think that has helped. Maybe I should put the goats in a different pasture, split the dogs between them and try leaving grain out for at least a few days. Thanks for the advice!

 

[promiseacres]

my painted deserts took about 6 months to get used to me, they still not too sure of my kids. Ram came around quicker than the ewes. They all are a bit different some even let me scratch their noses.

 

[SheepGirl]

All my lambs this year for the most part have been wild. Over the past month or two slowly, one by one, I would get another one to come near me. I haven't fed any grain, so it's all just them watching me pet the other sheep.

The process would be a lot faster if grain were involved. One of my lambs born last year, my friendliest one, who would always come up to me and sit in my lap, even as a 5 and 6 month old, is completely wild this year. She doesn't let me near her unless I have grain.

 

[patterpaws]

I'm no expert, only had my sheep for a few weeks... they are pretty flighty too. So far I've had some progress with taming them using mainly alfalfa. They get regular grass hay along with grazing, but I go out there twice a day to visit them, and thats the only time I'll hand-feed them alfalfa. The first few days I had to drop the alfalfa and walk far away before they'd eat. Over a few days I'd sit closer and closer. Its been a few weeks now and they'll now eat it out of my hand as long as I hold it out a ways a way from my body and don't make any sudden movements. I stay out there the entire time they're eating, and when I leave I put any extra away, so they're slowly learning that my presence= yummy food. Now when I come out in the evenings, they'll even walk from the bottom of the hill up to their pen to greet me. I'm not sure how tame they'll get but I'm hoping to win their trust at least enough to pet them and halter train them.

 

[Sheepshape]

Well....I use digestive biscuits or custard cream biscuits. Sheep love anything sweet....When the lambs are separated from the ewes, I unashamedly bribe them. They come round pretty quickly (especially as the orphaned lambs already have acquired the bad habit and are over to me the moment I enter the field. Within a very short period they succumb to the delights of sweet biscuits ,though they are all individuals and some are very easy to persuade whilst others always remain more aloof. Within a short time ,the lambs come over, whether there's food or not, and I just stroke their faces. Adult sheep often don't take very long to come round either, so you CAN teach old sheep new tricks.

There may be always some who do not become friendly. I have a 3 year old who will be the first over for a biscuit, but then will pu her head down as if to butt when I go to stroke her. (I still have to point a finger and warn her!).

Good luck.

 

[Blue Sky]

Get large syringe (no needle) thin some molasses. If you can give them a taste and time to think about it they make the connection. Takes patience but a really easy way to give liquid wormer.