Random Sheep pics!

[boothcreek]

Seeing people post pics of their Sheep I thought I better join in. Made some pics when I turned mine out this am to free range. Its raining today but the little lambs were not detered to play and be silly.
Here are pics of my American Black Bellies and Euro Mouflons

The whole herd disappearing in the woods

Ram lamb - "Boothcreeks Spark"

Ewe lamb-"Boothcreeks Star" looking what her half brother Spark looked at

The American Black Bellies Boys. "Boothcreeks Jason"(red yearling) and Damien

Lastly the Euro Moufs, Aro and Inari

Will post more pics later today, when I first turn them loose they are too busy grazing to "work" with me for nice pics.

 

[Royd Wood]

They look great and the backdrop looks fab - better than the mudshots here

 

[theawesomefowl]

They're beautiful!

 

[boothcreek]

Today was the first rain in weeks, the plants needed it badly. Just the rain over night made the grass shoot up.
Its been unusually cold and dry this spring, normally night frosts are done end of march beginning of April and all of May is pouring rain day in and day out ...... then hot and dry til october. So far frost with a hot day every couple days. Thats why they aren't really shedding yet.

This afternoon we had scorching hot sunshine again so i made more pics.

Damien, this picture totally captures his character. Totally chill. Nothing can get this ram rowled up.

Jason, about 2 seconds before he was licking my camera lense...... not bottle raised but one would almost think he was. This is the only picture I got of him, for any others he was too close(unless you want a picture of an eyeball or nostril)

Star and Spark chilling inbetween grazing

Star couldn't quite see what I was doing so she stretched as far up as she could without getting up

Aro my Mouflon yearling, totally bored after figuring that I am not handing out treats

 

[rockdoveranch]

Love the pictures! Seeing the Mouflon gives me a better understanding of why our "Texas" Barbado look as they do!

Love your fencing, your trees and the GREEN! Do you have field wire on the fencing?

I took new pictures today too. I will try to post them later tonight or tomorrow. I was trying to capture pictures of our ewes that look like American Barbado, but they did not cooperate well.

Thanks for sharing your pictures. I love seeing pictures!

 

[boothcreek]

The fencing is just for the horses. The sheep go wherever they please. Rail fence is all we got except the sheeps holding pen which is wire.

They will dissapear in the woods for hours, no fence back there at all. Completely voice command trained these guys(more like spoiled to death).
Only ever once had them go on the road and one person came up to tell me my "goats" are loose and if I needed any help herding them home. Just seen some brown dots in the ditch way down the road and I yelled "Hey Sheep HUSTLE!" all 14 head went up and did a mad dash up the road and up the driveway baaing the whole way. The guy was totally astounded at that one.
Oh, and they run right into their pen too, no fussing at all.

Yes the mouflon influence is easy to see once you seen a mouf. The ewe whos head is in the picture with Damien has the white eye rings, white muzzle and dark face of the mouf. Not sure why. She came from a closed purebred American black bellie flock that had been that way for almost 20 yrs. As a lamb she didn't have those markings or last year or thru the winter. Now her summer coat is coming in Mouf patterned in the face....... But her Daughter Star has the perfect ABB markings.
A throwback to a loooong time ago I suppose. As long as she throws correct coloured lambs I will keep her.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

Awesome pictures!!

 

[rockdoveranch]

I was apparently typing while you were posting your second group of pictures. GREAT pictures!

Are the American Barbado and Mouflon easy to handle? Can you trust the mature rams? We dare not trust the ram in my avatar, or the other rams that we still have. Our 2 year old bottle baby ram got out of his pasture awhile back and surprised me as I was going out to feed and turn the ewes out. I thought I was in for it and saw my life flash before me, but he just wanted food. He is still my baby, but a potentially dangerous adult baby.

With the exception of bottle babies, our sheep are basically wild, although some of the ewes will come up to smell my hands, but then they are all over me when walking them back to their overnight pasture with a bucket of sweet feed.

We decided to begin a white dorper herd, but now after seeing your pictures and carolinagal's pictures, I am wanting American Barbado.

What do you do with your mature rams? Ours go to trophy hunting ranches. We tried a barbecue place in a town nearby and the walls were full of Barbado ram heads. YIKES!

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Nice pictures! I love the scenery. What are those evergreen trees in the first picture? I love them!

 

[boothcreek]

Nice pictures! I love the scenery. What are those evergreen trees in the first picture? I love them!

That is a good question. lol. I absolutly don't know my trees at all. I just know we got tons of them. I think those first 2 are Larch.

I find the ABBs pretty easy to handle, a bit more jumpy then dorpers or other domestics but mine are aware enough to look after the spook and decide if it really was scary and then come back immidiately. The ewes I don't handle but they are use to me kneeling with them when they feed and being petted and feet looked at and udder felt(if we are expecting).
I originally started with a trio and hung around them a lot and made them eat out of my hand etc until they were calm. The lambs learned from their moms and when I added new animals usually no more then 2 at a time. The newbies glue themselfs to the resident animals and watch them and learn.

The Mouflons are a bit more difficult being pure wild sheep they are much more skittish and mistrusting. My Ram Aro really picked up on the attitude of the ABBs but my ewe is not to be swayed. Only reason she has not run away yet is because she is so attached to the herd. I look at her wrong and she turns and leaves. Usually they are a highfence breed. For handling I have to lure them in the horsebarn and lock it up tight because the mouf ewe takes any opportunity to bail(seen her jump over 8 ft out of standing, shes a rubber ball that one). When caught they do not just give up either. This 50 lb tornado almost kicked me in the head last week when trimming feet(she was blind folded with ears plugged so she would be calmer)..... Handling her is so not fun. Wouldn't give her up for anything tho.

So far I trust all my Rams. I always watch for body language that may be agressive, but none have shown any tendencies at all *knock on wood*
Any agressive ones would get culled immediately since I don't have time to fool around with nasty rams.
Damien and Aro ignore me unless there is the chance for a treat to be had and then they just stand in front of my with very expectant looks. Jason thinks I have treats at all times and comes to see me as soon as I am in view. Has to check every hand too.
He may become a bit of an issue when older, he does not respect my boundaries/personal space. If he does he goes to a trophy Ranch 3 provinces over(only province which allows hunting ranches).

Most of my ram lambs go in the freezer unless they look like they will get really nice curls.