Feelin' a bit sheepish...

[Baymule]

I always like the mane these guys grow! With Woolies you don't notice it much cause it gets lost in the curls - but with Hairies it stands out! Some get almost lion-like! I've had three rams go through to breed my girls - first one was so awful, I couldn't wait for him to get the job done and freeze him! Second one was good to start, and would mind his manners when we were face to face, but would sneak around like a cat behind the shed or a tree and hit me from behind. I ended up belling him cause he was so stealthy - and he went to freezer-camp. This third one is a lot more like my eldest ewe in temperment (so far) - I've gotten enough experience with the previous two to be able to read the thoughts going through his skull - and assert a "Don't go there, Twink!" as I hold my bamboo-pole horizontally to give the impression I'm wider than I am. Sometimes he'll try to paw at my legs like I'm a ewe, and I refuse to allow that, either! No matter what - don't screw with me Bub! But I feel good crossing the pasture and doing chores with him about with his family. He'll come watch out of curiosity, then get bored and go back to his girls and lambs. He's over a year old and so far so good. Yeah, feed-bucket time they're ALL sweet!

@wolf i am Blessed with a Katahdin ram, Ringo, who is such a calm, laid back sweetheart. Even my little granddaughters can give him hugs. He runs to me if I have a brush in my hand, he is spoiled rotten. Every great once in awhile, he may barely push me, a quick slap, finger shaking in his face and a scolding puts him back in his place. His lambs have his same attitude. I had rams like you described and their names were Ramburger. LOL

 

[Beekissed]

I always like the mane these guys grow! With Woolies you don't notice it much cause it gets lost in the curls - but with Hairies it stands out! Some get almost lion-like! I've had three rams go through to breed my girls - first one was so awful, I couldn't wait for him to get the job done and freeze him! Second one was good to start, and would mind his manners when we were face to face, but would sneak around like a cat behind the shed or a tree and hit me from behind. I ended up belling him cause he was so stealthy - and he went to freezer-camp. This third one is a lot more like my eldest ewe in temperment (so far) - I've gotten enough experience with the previous two to be able to read the thoughts going through his skull - and assert a "Don't go there, Twink!" as I hold my bamboo-pole horizontally to give the impression I'm wider than I am. Sometimes he'll try to paw at my legs like I'm a ewe, and I refuse to allow that, either! No matter what - don't screw with me Bub! But I feel good crossing the pasture and doing chores with him about with his family. He'll come watch out of curiosity, then get bored and go back to his girls and lambs. He's over a year old and so far so good. Yeah, feed-bucket time they're ALL sweet!

The lady I got him from had trimmed his mane due to burrs, so it's likely he'd have a more flowing mane....I expect if he lives long enough to grow it back, he'll get a nice one.

This one doesn't seem to make any fight at us, no matter how we've had to manhandle him to get him into the trailer, or into the next field/paddock. I think he'll be a nice ram and pass that along to his offspring, much like Ringo, but only time will tell. Both of these new rams will be wearing a bell, as I often forget about things as I'm working along...with my back turned to a ram that could cripple me. I'm hoping the bells will at least give me a chance to jump out of the way, but I need to learn to always keep my sheep stick in the ram paddock as well.

I won't tolerate mean, so any overt stalking of the food bringer will result in a lot of meat in the jar.

 

[wolf]

The lady I got him from had trimmed his mane due to burrs, so it's likely he'd have a more flowing mane....I expect if he lives long enough to grow it back, he'll get a nice one.

This one doesn't seem to make any fight at us, no matter how we've had to manhandle him to get him into the trailer, or into the next field/paddock. I think he'll be a nice ram and pass that along to his offspring, much like Ringo, but only time will tell. Both of these new rams will be wearing a bell, as I often forget about things as I'm working along...with my back turned to a ram that could cripple me. I'm hoping the bells will at least give me a chance to jump out of the way, but I need to learn to always keep my sheep stick in the ram paddock as well.

I won't tolerate mean, so any overt stalking of the food bringer will result in a lot of meat in the jar.

I once tested an app with "bedtime stories" for adults, and the narrator was talking about lavender-fields one was passing by and t of the sheeps' bells being so sothng

The lady I got him from had trimmed his mane due to burrs, so it's likely he'd have a more flowing mane....I expect if he lives long enough to grow it back, he'll get a nice one.

This one doesn't seem to make any fight at us, no matter how we've had to manhandle him to get him into the trailer, or into the next field/paddock. I think he'll be a nice ram and pass that along to his offspring, much like Ringo, but only time will tell. Both of these new rams will be wearing a bell, as I often forget about things as I'm working along...with my back turned to a ram that could cripple me. I'm hoping the bells will at least give me a chance to jump out of the way, but I need to learn to always keep my sheep stick in the ram paddock as well.

I won't tolerate mean, so any overt stalking of the food bringer will result in a lot of meat in the jar.

I once tested an app with "bedtime stories" for adults, and the narrator spoke of passing lavender-fields and the sound of the sheeps' bells being so soothing... I said "Soothing? Hell! That puts me on high-alert, wondering where that SOB is coming at me from!" Was the total opposite from putting me to sleep!

 

[Beekissed]

I once tested an app with "bedtime stories" for adults, and the narrator was talking about lavender-fields one was passing by and t of the sheeps' bells being so sothng

I once tested an app with "bedtime stories" for adults, and the narrator spoke of passing lavender-fields and the sound of the sheeps' bells being so soothing... I said "Soothing? Hell! That puts me on high-alert, wondering where that SOB is coming at me from!" Was the total opposite from putting me to sleep!

That would be the same for me!

 

[Baymule]

Bee a mean Dorper ram I had was scared of a flapping plastic grocery bag. It was easy to keep him on his toes. I chased him flapping a bag and yelling at him. That made him wary, but he still snuck up behind me and rammed me a few times. Wish I had thought of the collar and bell! He went to freezer camp.

 

[Beekissed]

Got a black ram on Friday but he didn't mesh well with the other ram or our high tensile fencing, so we hauled him a couple hours away to trade for a lamb ram from a lady I've bought rams from before. She got some fresh blood that will stay in her standard fencing, I got a good ram lamb in trade and neither of us had to spend any money. Eli chose a 2 mo. old creamy looking ram lamb, out of a set of twins, with speckled points and a long, balanced body. We hope he develops fine.

The other ram has settled down in the ram paddock but is still VERY wary of us since we manhandled him into and out of trailers and such. He's such a big boy compared to all the other sheep we've had or even seen of this breed. Like a cow lying down there in the clover.

With the black ram we got a year old ewe with twin lambs, male and female, of a month old. Took some moving and grooving to get all these different sheep acclimated to each other and to the dogs on a pasture based system....we are still learning and making stupid mistakes in that regard. I'll not tell the saga of all of that, as it would take pages. Suffice to say we've been chasing a lot of sheep, tying up both sheep and dogs, penning up sheep in the field shelter, etc. Right now we have the new ram lamb tethered in the ram paddock after a not so merry frolic all the way down to the big field.

He's the only animal remaining tied or penned at this moment. I think Eli would have shot several animals this weekend if they all weren't so expensive to replace.

Pics to follow soon.

 

[Baymule]

Ram swap. Everybody’s happy. I have a mental picture of sheep escaping, y’all chasing, wild sheep round up! How many sheep do you have now?

 

[Beekissed]

Ram swap. Everybody’s happy. I have a mental picture of sheep escaping, y’all chasing, wild sheep round up! How many sheep do you have now?

You picture it exactly right....but add us being fat people and it makes it all the more comical. Fat people, rounding up really quick and strong sheep. So funny it hurts.

We now have one adult (1 yr old) ram, 3 ram lambs, 9 ewes, 2 ewe lambs for a grand total of 15 sheep on the land. Here are some pics of new arrivals but please forgive the poor pics...this new camera of mine is horrible on zooming. Lose all clarity when I do that.

The next two pics are Little Bit, Lola's ewe lamb. She's a week and a half old.

This is the new ewe, a 1 yr old with her first lambs, a male and female. Selkie, Dodge, and Idgie, respectively. These lambs are a month old.

The black lamb is a ram, the spotted grey is the female. They were sired by an all black ram.

Pinky Pie is 7 mo. old now and doing a GREAT job with the sheep. Even the new sheep trusts her around more than Blue. She's a sheep whisperer!

Today's swap subject, Otis, a 2 mo. old ram lamb. Swapped him for that 1 yr old black that we bought along with the ewe and twins. They all came from up near Cleveland, OH~3 hrs from us~ and this boy was 2 hrs east of us, so we've done a bit of traveling these last two days. He's got his mouth open in this pic, so he looks misshapen in the face.

And then there is Ezra, a 1 yr old ram, which has now been dubbed "Big Red", for obvious reasons. He's the biggest Katahdin ram I've ever stood next to, but very sweet and easy to handle when he isn't scared out of his wits by being chased by us and loaded onto trailers.

We call him the wall o' meat and the little ram, Otis, is the "tube o' meat" until he gets his full size and we'll see if he makes "wall" status.

 

[Baymule]

Look at all that color! Love the spots! Little Bit is adorable. The new ewe with twins, all 3 are great additions to the flock.

Pinkie Pie is growing into being a big girl!

Otis has a good top line and a nice rounded butt! You did good on the swap!

Ezra. He is huge. Wall ‘o Meat is right! What do you think he weighs? He looks good all over and I love his color.

You have made some good purchases and trade. Nice, Bee, real nice.

 

[Beekissed]

Look at all that color! Love the spots! Little Bit is adorable. The new ewe with twins, all 3 are great additions to the flock.

Pinkie Pie is growing into being a big girl!

Otis has a good top line and a nice rounded butt! You did good on the swap!

Ezra. He is huge. Wall ‘o Meat is right! What do you think he weighs? He looks good all over and I love his color.

You have made some good purchases and trade. Nice, Bee, real nice.

If I had to guess on that wt, I'd say he goes a good 225 but I'm a terrible guesser...not below 200, for sure. I know our 32 in. tall high tensile hits him mid chest and he just jounces when he runs, like a cow. His hooves are twice the size of that black ram's were and they are the same age. He made that guy look like a ram lamb.

I feel so blessed to have found this ram and for the price we paid!!! $200!!! His pasterns are good, he's thick in all the right places and he's got a good, docile personality, while also sporting a true hair coat, like Rose. More like horse hair than sheep's hair/wool.