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- #41
Baymule
Herd Master
Paris has done ok with her transition. She still goes to her dog house in the back yard, it is still "hers" and her safe place. I'll get her to turn loose of her back yard yet....
The first lambing was November 28 and when I found them, Paris was right there with the ewe. Good girl. I lost both lambs the next night and had to put the ewe down.
The next lambing was December 4, a ram lamb and a ewe lamb born with her internal organs outside her body. I had to put her down. The ram lamb was healthy. Paris was right there with Miranda when I found them that morning. Good girl.
Paris has been real good with the lambs. She has not offered to chase them or even showed any kind of interest in misbehaving herself. But when she came in the night pen and got too close to Miranda's lamb, she butted Paris. Like a flash of lightening, Paris whirled, snarling and snapping at Miranda. I yelled at Paris and scolded, immediately she went from vicious to contrite and ran for the safety of her backyard and dog house. I hurt her feelings. Miranda stood victorious. Gheesh. Paris was doing so good!
Paris continued to guard the sheep and behaved like a good LGD. On December 16, I went out to check the sheep and Ewe-nique wasn't with the flock. Paris was in the pen with them and I asked her "Where is she?" Paris trotted off, even stopping and looking back to make sure I was following. She led me straight to Ewe-nique and shivering, cold, just born twin ram lambs. She was excited, but kept a respectful distance. I carried the lambs to the shelter, DH brought towels so I could scrub them dry. Again, Paris did good.
Yesterday, Paris followed me in the pen, being a good girl, looking to see if maybe there might be a stray feed pellet she could eat. Ewe-nique nailed her, butting her hard. Again, lightening quick, Paris defended herself, snarling and snapping. Again I yelled at her and again she ran for her safe zone. Funny, she gave a wide berth to the round bale of hay where Miranda with her lamb and the rest of the sheep were eating.
Paris is coming in heat, so I closed the gate from the back yard to the pasture. My husband made sure the hot wire was up and running, it had been turned off. Paris knows it is back on and won't approach the fence. Last time she was in heat, she was insanely crazy. This time she is in electric lock up.
I really wondered how Paris would handle lambing. She has been such a good girl. She was close, but kept a respectful distance. She guarded the ewes and new lambs. I am proud of her for that. The same night that the first lambs were born, she killed a huge possum that was stupid enough to come into her territory. Both times she snapped at the ewes, they butted her for getting too close to their lambs. The behavior I wanted to see was for her to back off, being submissive, NOT snapping and snarling at them. We still have work to do. I don't know if I'll ever get her to where I'd like her to be, but she has come so far from where she started. Her reaction when the ewes have butted her is the only bad behavior I have seen. Now I have to wonder if she would have backed off after she snarled and snapped at the ewes. Even if she would have backed off, it is still not acceptable behavior. Maybe she is a weaned lamb raiser and protector of the flock when there are no small lambs with the ewes.
The first lambing was November 28 and when I found them, Paris was right there with the ewe. Good girl. I lost both lambs the next night and had to put the ewe down.
The next lambing was December 4, a ram lamb and a ewe lamb born with her internal organs outside her body. I had to put her down.
The ram lamb was healthy. Paris was right there with Miranda when I found them that morning. Good girl.Paris has been real good with the lambs. She has not offered to chase them or even showed any kind of interest in misbehaving herself. But when she came in the night pen and got too close to Miranda's lamb, she butted Paris. Like a flash of lightening, Paris whirled, snarling and snapping at Miranda. I yelled at Paris and scolded, immediately she went from vicious to contrite and ran for the safety of her backyard and dog house. I hurt her feelings. Miranda stood victorious. Gheesh. Paris was doing so good!
Paris continued to guard the sheep and behaved like a good LGD. On December 16, I went out to check the sheep and Ewe-nique wasn't with the flock. Paris was in the pen with them and I asked her "Where is she?" Paris trotted off, even stopping and looking back to make sure I was following. She led me straight to Ewe-nique and shivering, cold, just born twin ram lambs. She was excited, but kept a respectful distance. I carried the lambs to the shelter, DH brought towels so I could scrub them dry. Again, Paris did good.
Yesterday, Paris followed me in the pen, being a good girl, looking to see if maybe there might be a stray feed pellet she could eat. Ewe-nique nailed her, butting her hard. Again, lightening quick, Paris defended herself, snarling and snapping. Again I yelled at her and again she ran for her safe zone. Funny, she gave a wide berth to the round bale of hay where Miranda with her lamb and the rest of the sheep were eating.
Paris is coming in heat, so I closed the gate from the back yard to the pasture. My husband made sure the hot wire was up and running, it had been turned off. Paris knows it is back on and won't approach the fence. Last time she was in heat, she was insanely crazy. This time she is in electric lock up.
I really wondered how Paris would handle lambing. She has been such a good girl. She was close, but kept a respectful distance. She guarded the ewes and new lambs. I am proud of her for that. The same night that the first lambs were born, she killed a huge possum that was stupid enough to come into her territory. Both times she snapped at the ewes, they butted her for getting too close to their lambs. The behavior I wanted to see was for her to back off, being submissive, NOT snapping and snarling at them. We still have work to do. I don't know if I'll ever get her to where I'd like her to be, but she has come so far from where she started. Her reaction when the ewes have butted her is the only bad behavior I have seen. Now I have to wonder if she would have backed off after she snarled and snapped at the ewes. Even if she would have backed off, it is still not acceptable behavior. Maybe she is a weaned lamb raiser and protector of the flock when there are no small lambs with the ewes.
DH and I laughed at her, killing the snake again and again. It must have tasted bad because she would shake it to bits, then make a nasty face, sticking her tongue out and spitting. She got a big drink of water and laid down. Good girl!
