Goat Collar/Lead/Harness

[Ridgetop]

Sheep halters have the lead going under the chin and through a ring so it can be loosened or tightened as the sheep pulls back on the halter. The halters we use for our rams are leather with a metal chain shank for more control. The adjustable rope halters don't loosen and tighten easily. They tighten and stay tight so I don't like them for training purposes. We do use them for restraining a sheep in the pen when necessary and keep a couple in the barn for emergency use. The best thing about the rope halters is that they can be adjusted to fit any size head.

The best way to train sheep to a halter is to have several children who will do it for you.

 

[Show Sebright]

Absolutely agreed. The first ram I purchased walked right up to the owner and let her put the lead on and proudly walked with her to my trailer…I thought I was set! I had dreams of showing this magnificent beast! But first time I walked up to him and tried to put the lead (the same lead) on him..he ran. Wanted NOTHING to do with that! When I finally got it on him she simply dropped to the ground and stared at me…360lbs of ram challenging me…DARING ME to do something about his decision to not cooperate.
I look forward to training each new generation but those original lambs all got the idea that this farm would be the one they didn’t have to cooperate at….and they are firm on their decision. The easiest thing for me is to shake a bucket of grain and walk fast to where I want them to go. It never fails! When my genetics are set and my breeding program yields the desired results I will have lambs that have grown up on the lead and don’t understand why grandma and grandpa are so weird!

Well if you really need them to walk use a prong collar.

 

[DeEtta]

Hello,
What is the best way to lead a goat outside their usual space? I've seen several options--metal collars, leather collars, rope harnesses--and have no ideas of the pros and cons of each. This is not for showing. Just something practical that grown goats unused to being lead can acclimate to. Thanks.

My girls were already 8 months old when I got them. They came with collars on. One is very friendly and they other not so. Neither one will walk in a leash. This is a major issue.

I use the collars for catching. I am teaching them to walk in a lead with halters. Little ***** want to fight it and won't follow grain bucket. Patience on my part will eventually win out.

I agree that starting babies on collars is the best way to go. They learn to give to pressure rather then fight. Have fun with your kids.

 

[Legamin]

Sheep halters have the lead going under the chin and through a ring so it can be loosened or tightened as the sheep pulls back on the halter. The halters we use for our rams are leather with a metal chain shank for more control. The adjustable rope halters don't loosen and tighten easily. They tighten and stay tight so I don't like them for training purposes. We do use them for restraining a sheep in the pen when necessary and keep a couple in the barn for emergency use. The best thing about the rope halters is that they can be adjusted to fit any size head.

The best way to train sheep to a halter is to have several children who will do it for you.

We moved away from the rope leads as well going with the chain and webbing model. It works for us and we hope that we will be able to ‘lead train’ every new lamb that is born so coming generations will simply be used to it. I promised myself I would not get into showing. Right now our breed is too rare for there to ever be an experienced judge or another sheep to compete with… I’m not patient with ‘show people’ (which is my own shortcoming..they enjoy what they enjoy as do I). My thing is all about the genetics and the perfect anatomical structure with not one lock of wool sprouting from the wrong place. Good health throughout life and consistent easy birthing. They must be polled so these are the directions I’m breeding in and we have gone to great lengths. I think the ability to slip on a lead and take one sheep out of pasture would be a nice thing to be able to do. But I think we have to train the new generations rather than try to re-train the old.

 

[Ridgetop]

I no longer show any animals either. Fitting has become too labor intensive for me. I prefer to breed to the standard and improve my flock according to what I am trying to produce. I breed White Dorpers for a meat carcass. I also select for a ewe that will breed every8 months, lamb easily, and raise a heavy pair of lambs. I want a heavy weight at weaning without grain feeding. My sheep shed their wool, so shedding is another quality I select for.

I have found that although the standard of perfection was written sensibly in pursuit of the perfect animal for the purpose that show breeders have developed a style they like and convinced others to follow it. Over advertising of certain winning animals has contributed to this. In addition, judges that disagree with what influential show people want are not always invited to judge. The reverse is true when popular judges are those that put up certain animals belonging to certain people or handlers.

Since Leicester Long Wools are known for their beautiful wool, you could always enter your wool fleeces in shows to be judged on the quality of the fleece. I don't think the fleeces are required to be entered by breed, although there will be other requirements as to length of wool, etc. Any class for fleeces will have the class requirements listed.

Exhibiting your wool fleeces woold be a great way to popularize this breed. Particularly with people catering to hand spinners.

 

[Ridgetop]

I no longer show any animals either. I have found that although the standard of perfection was written sensibly in pursuit of the perfect animal for the purpose that show breeders have developed a style they like and convinced others to follow it. Over advertising of certain winning animals has contributed to this. In addition, judges that disagree with what influential show people want are not always invited to judge. The reverse is true when popular judges are those that put up certain animals belonging to certain people or handlers.

Since Leicester Long Wools are known for their beautiful wool, you could always enter your wool fleeces in shows to be judged on the quality of the fleece. I don't think the fleeces are required to be entered by breed, although there will be other requirements as to length of wool, etc. I believe that any catalog with a class for fleeces will have the class requirements listed. I think that the fleeces are required to be fairly clean, in the grease, and wrapped in a paper wool sac.

Exhibiting your wool fleeces would be a great way to popularize this breed. Particularly with people catering to hand spinners. Check out California Wool & Fiber Festival in Northern California. They have a fleece competition, and the fleeces are then sold after judging. The Eastern WA Fair in Spokane or one of the others in eastern WA or in western Idaho should have fleece competitions. Or any large livestock show with a sheep entry through Idaho, Montana, or eastern WA should have fleece competitions. It is possible that you could also enter in other shows across the country and ship the fleeces.

 

[Legamin]

I no longer show any animals either. I have found that although the standard of perfection was written sensibly in pursuit of the perfect animal for the purpose that show breeders have developed a style they like and convinced others to follow it. Over advertising of certain winning animals has contributed to this. In addition, judges that disagree with what influential show people want are not always invited to judge. The reverse is true when popular judges are those that put up certain animals belonging to certain people or handlers.

Since Leicester Long Wools are known for their beautiful wool, you could always enter your wool fleeces in shows to be judged on the quality of the fleece. I don't think the fleeces are required to be entered by breed, although there will be other requirements as to length of wool, etc. I believe that any catalog with a class for fleeces will have the class requirements listed. I think that the fleeces are required to be fairly clean, in the grease, and wrapped in a paper wool sac.

Exhibiting your wool fleeces would be a great way to popularize this breed. Particularly with people catering to hand spinners. Check out California Wool & Fiber Festival in Northern California. They have a fleece competition, and the fleeces are then sold after judging. The Eastern WA Fair in Spokane or one of the others in eastern WA or in western Idaho should have fleece competitions. Or any large livestock show with a sheep entry through Idaho, Montana, or eastern WA should have fleece competitions. It is possible that you could also enter in other shows across the country and ship the fleeces.

This sounds interesting. I will have two shearings this year and lots of perfect fleeces. I was informed by a yarn spinner in the area that the perfect length is six inches so If we shear in March and August we can end up with two sets of six-eight inch flowing fleeces. The August fleece will be the perfect clean ones. The early ones get sent straight to the processors for roving. They need deep cleaning from Winter and lambing. This year we couldn’t get a shearer to come crutch and the snow buried our dry lot handling set up so it will just be a mess. Somehow it all gets sorted. But the Fair here is huge and if Omicron doesn’t shut this year’s fair down again I will be prepared.

 

[Ridgetop]

Check with the all the Eastern Washington Fairs for wool classes to exhibit fleeces. Sme of the wool and fleece shows also have classes for rovings. If you check with the hand spinners and spinning/weaving associations and clubs in your area they can probably put you in touch with wool fairs. If you enjoy it, you might just start going to the wool fairs and spinning exhibitions to sell your wool. You can probably get a booth to sell at the association shows. Particularly if you show in some fairs and win, you can decorate your booth with your ribbons. Since you have a specialty breed, your wool will probably be in high demand. Check it out and let us know if you exhibit your fleeces. Post pix!

 

[Legamin]

Check with the all the Eastern Washington Fairs for wool classes to exhibit fleeces. Sme of the wool and fleece shows also have classes for rovings. If you check with the hand spinners and spinning/weaving associations and clubs in your area they can probably put you in touch with wool fairs. If you enjoy it, you might just start going to the wool fairs and spinning exhibitions to sell your wool. You can probably get a booth to sell at the association shows. Particularly if you show in some fairs and win, you can decorate your booth with your ribbons. Since you have a specialty breed, your wool will probably be in high demand. Check it out and let us know if you exhibit your fleeces. Post pix!

Will do. Sounds like a good potential revenue stream.

 

[Ridgetop]

Absolutely! and great advertising for your breed. Also check to see if there are any hand spinner magazines or associations with publications and check into writing an article about your sheep breed and the amazing qualities of their wool. Advertising in those magazines is also a good way to get your endangered breed known. Since Leicester Long Wools are known for their wool, those are the places in which to advertise.

If you decide to get a booth, or exhibit at a Fair or Wool Show, save the short clips from shearing which would otherwise be swept up and discarded. Attach small clean 1.5" snips to some of your business cards to pass out at shows as samples. Handing out small samples will introduce people to your breed's beautiful wool and let them see firsthand the crimp, etc. Since you would otherwise toss out those short bits, you will not be taking anything away from your sale fleeces to make your sample cards.

Although naturally colored wool has become popular, white wool is still the most preferred. Colored wool, even when from the same fleece, has gradations in color while white fleece can be dyed. Many hand spinners like to use natural plant dyes on their white wool.

Let us know what happens!