Merging Sheep of Different Ages

[mysunwolf]

Obviously very new to sheep! We have some week-old bottle baby lambs in our barn right now, but would like to add older, bred lambs or possibly ewes to the mix. Are there any precautions I would have to take when mixing the groups? I know disease is a problem, as well as feeding and supplementing. I would hand-feed or set up a creep for the little ones. Any tricks to dealing with the watering situation?Are hair sheep normally very aggressive? Would I have to be worried that the older lambs or ewes would kick or trample the little ones? Or am I fine just putting everyone together? Would I be better off setting up a partition and letting them meet through the fence first?

Sorry for all the questions! Thanks for any replies.

 

[Four Winds Ranch]

I don't put my bottlelambs in with older ewes. Older ewes tend to not like lambs that are not their own trying to nurse on them, jumping around or getting in their way! (not all older ewes, some are awesome babysitters) I don't want to take the chance that the ewes will headbutt and ram the bottlelambs and cause them serious injury!
This is just my opinion and sheep! There is probably others out there that have done it with no issues!

 

[Womwotai]

FWIW….I had 3 mature ewes and a mature ram when I purchased two lambs that were 2-months-old and had been pulled from their mother the day I got them. The seller advised that they might try to nurse from the ewes (who wouldn't appreciate that) and that I should keep them separate initially. I put the lambs in a pen fenced with livestock panels so there was ample opportunity for them to meet through the wire but not have direct contact. I left the lambs there about a week and a half and then opened up the gate. By then the lambs were weaned and all had met through the fence and there were zero issues integrating them at that point. The ram took a shine to them and to this day, he and they are almost inseparable.

Meanwhile, last Wednesday one of the original mature ewes gave birth to her first lamb. For the first few days I kept her in a "nursery" but then tried to let her out with the flock. The other ewes chased down the lamb to butt her over and over. She didn't seem to mind - almost considered it play and went back for more - but the biggest issue came with the ram, who wanted nothing more than to mount the mother ewe. In her attempts to both stay between the other ewes and her lamb AND ward off the advances of the ram, she was being run ragged so after about 10 minutes, I separated her to the same pen where they could see and talk to one another but no longer have contact, and peace reigned again. Since then, I've been letting the mother and lamb out with the ewes but not the ram, and they are all getting along great. The ewes will still butt the lamb on occasion but a) I think this is "normal" behavior to let baby know her place in the flock, and b) the lamb still seems to consider it play and is quite cheeky about running up to them and scampering away in the nick of time, so I'm not concerned about this at all.

 

[mysunwolf]

Both of these replies are perfect, thank you so much! At least it sounds like I'm right to be cautious, but that some of the butting is okay. (I've seen sows interacting with other sow's litters, and it tends to look pretty violent but the babies rarely get hurt, so maybe it is similar with ewes.) I think I will partition the little ones off into their own corner of the barn for a few weeks if I do choose to get older lambs. Thank you both again, I am so grateful for the advice!

 

[mysunwolf]

Muahahahah, I just bought two pregnant ewes. Set up a little pen in one corner of the barn for the lambs, and put the ewes in the other part of the barn. Both pairs of sheep are happy to have a herd, but we'll give them a few weeks before integrating. I can feel a sheep addiction starting already