Our First year Lambing! (2024-25)

[LearningSheep]

I’m waiting on lambs too. I never get tired of the babies!

I have to point out to you that donkeys are a prey animal. Mini donkeys are no match for any kind of a predator. Some years back, when I lived in northeast Texas, a neighbor lost most of her goats to a cougar. She had guard donkeys. The cougar made rounds around my place but didn’t come in. My dogs barking told the cougar that there would be a fight and it went looking for easier prey.

If I relied on donkeys, I would have no sheep. I’m now in deep East Texas, same predators but more coyotes. All donkeys have to do is outrun the sheep.

We have dogs too. The coyotes we have around here don't like the donkeys or the dogs. Heck, I went in the pen the other night to close a gate after it was dark and had to use a flashlight and the Jenny (her name is Mimi) was about to stomp me because the sheep were wound up. The jack, named Velcro, will bray and charge anyone he finds offensive. They have become quite the little Flerd, we had to separate Velcro when our Ram was in with the girls as he was NOT happy with the temporary addition. This pasture is also about a little less than a .25 mi from the house, so if I hear him in the middle of the night I know something is wrong. (he really is that loud).

These two donkeys are a bonded pair, but once it looks like we have active labor going on, they will be locked out of the same area to ensure they don't interfere with bonding.

 

[Baymule]

Sounds like you have a good handle on things!
Waiting on lamb pictures!

 

[LearningSheep]

Sounds like you have a good handle on things!

LOL I don't know that it's a "handle" but it's definitely the most backasswords way of doing a lot of things And yes, I'm waiting for lamb pics too!

This is Dorothy... and if the whole "they don't eat prior to going into labor" thing is a sign, she isn't ready yet as she was bossing everyone around this morning to be first in line.

 

[Mini Horses]

I had goats & donkeys at a time yrs back. Some donks are great guards, others not. One gal actually killed a week old goat kid that had gone thru a fence and she did not want the intruder in with her goats. Cautioning because they were all Boer goats, look alikes! Watch your lambs. Other donks I had only went after dog, fox, rabbits, etc.

Often when the buck or ram is introduced to a herd, they are subject to attack. Each personality is different. Some of mine didn't care who or what entered the field. Most were alert and aggressive to dogs & cat types.

 

[farmerjan]

We have Jenny's with sheep and they are fierce protectors. Had coyote problems before and DS had guys come in with infrared scopes on their rifles, and killed several a couple different nights. Lost some more lambs... moved one jenny home and have had NO PROBLEMS since. She pays little attention to DS's dogs...but does not like strange dogs. We do not have cougar problems here, but have black bears that seem to leave things alone for the most part... but there have been a few that have been problems over the years. The cows mostly ignore the black bears out at the one pasture... Ran a male donkey for years and he babysat the calves all the time....

We also had llama's and I have never seen the like of the 2 females that worked together... dogs entered the field, owner walking along the road and ignoring the situation... they go to chase the sheep.. one llama took the flock up the hill, the other stayed down and went after the dog... I am driving by, watching this from up the hill, go barrelling down the road to her, stopped, screaming at the woman to call her dogs out of there... she acts like no big deal, I told her they would get shot if she did not get them out of there... and was calling the animal control when she finally got them out... I would have shot them right there and worried about the fallout later... and she thought it was no big deal... and how could I even think about shooting her pets when they weren't "hurting" the sheep... I wanted to shoot the bi@#h right there and leave her lay in the road...

I am not saying LGD's are not as good or better... but other than cougars, which attack from above if they can, donkeys can be very effective protection... and for places like rented pastures, places with less than perfect fences, and for remote places where they are not always seen everyday... donkeys and llama's are very effective...

 

[Baymule]

Ewes will continue to eat. Haven’t found much of anything that will make them go off their feed. They will also abandon newborns to rush the feed trough to fight for their share. When feed is all gone, they suddenly remember they have lambs, that are crying pitifully, and go running to find them.

 

[Ridgetop]

Sometimes the ewes will go off feed for a day r so, then the lambs shift into psition and they start eating again because there is room in the rumen again.

Llamas can kill coyotes and dogs with their huge claws on their front feet. Several years agp we had some cougar problems (illegal to kill them in CA) with rwo running the neighborhoods with kills. We had Pyrs but decided to adopt a couple llamas for extra protection. Worked just fine except during kidding when the ungelded male decided to chase ad breed the goats! Loaded him up and had him gelded that day! Kidding and lambing odors can mimic estrus. I also found out that instead of guarding the goats against cougars, that llamas are favorite prey of cougars and jaguars. OOPS! LOL

Good luck with lambing!

 

[LearningSheep]

So far... no dice . We are still waiting!!

 

[Baymule]

So far... no dice . We are still waiting!!

I have 2 about to explode. Driving me nuts.

 

[LearningSheep]

This mama is driving me BONKERS... I admit it... first time "mom" with sheep... but sheesh...
I was able to feel around her tail this morning, it is very soft/loose like the cows get. She had a much smaller bag for about 2-3 weeks but it's gotten bigger slowly this week.
@Baymule best guess, she's a Katahdin and I know your experienced here?? LOL I'm dying here...