Show Sheep Beginnings

[Margali]

I'm not sure if training is going well or not. Mocha will come up to get her evening grain and let me put halter on. She grudgingly walks with Cassandra but will hop and shove. Let's me touch her legs but moves them back. We are only getting 2 -3 thirty minute sessions a week.

 

[Show Sebright]

I'm not sure if training is going well or not. Mocha will come up to get her evening grain and let me put halter on. She grudgingly walks with Cassandra but will hop and shove. Let's me touch her legs but moves them back. We are only getting 2 -3 thirty minute sessions a week.

Sounds like progress. Your doing great

 

[Baymule]

She probably wasn’t handled, sounds like she is doing real good.

 

[Ridgetop]

We did talk to a few people at the Kaufmann show that show Dorpers. The people were nice but freely admitted Dorpers are psychotic.. I also have issues with show docking that leaves zero tail vertebra and often causes prolapse issues.

Psychotic Dorpers are the black headed ones. White Dorpers are calm and if handled by children will be friendly for treats etc. We have White Dorpers. I don't like psychotic sheep and we cull them.

You have to differentiate between "White Dorpers" and "Dorpers" which are the black headed original ones. When the White Dorpers were developed all Dorpers were shown and registered under the term Dorpers. Once the White Dorpers were developed and reached significant numbers, they were given their own classification and are registered in a separate studbook. You cannot breed a Dorper (black head) to a White Dorper and register it. The offspring just be registered as percentages in the sire's studbook - either WD or D.

Katahdins dont have to be docked, but most Dorpers and white Dorpers are for 2 reasons. Dorpers and WD have wool which sheds in the summer, but they lamb in winter too when the wool is on them. With a long tail when lambing the wool can get fly strike (flies lay eggs in the wool, maggots hatch and crawl into the sheep's private parts and chew on them causing severe infection and sometimes death).

Show sheep are not allowed to be docked super short anymore. People continue to dock as short as possible though because it makes the rump look straighter and more level. If breeders are breeding correct conformation this is not necessary. Short docking was supposed to cause prolapse, but if you have sheep that prolapse, just cull the breeding stock that is producing them. In the show ring you have to be able to lift the tail stub with a pencil. Sometimes you will see the judge call for a pencil or measure in the ring. We feel that is still way too short so we dock ours at the 3rd or 4th vertebra so they have a short stubby tail. We are used to a dock after 30 years, and don't like messy vulvas or udders after lambing which attracts flies. If you want to enter a market class with a Katahdin, go ahead and dock because that tail will detract from the overall appearance of the animal in the ring.

Don't worry about difficulties in training a lamb to lead on halter. It is not your fault that it takes a while. Sheep are stupid. It is hard work, tiring, sweaty, and will require many tranquilizers or hard liquor, your choice. (Sometimes both!) Anyway here are some tips on teaching a lamb to lead in a halter.

Lamb Halter training 101
Our family has over 30 years training lambs and sheep to lead on halters. We are experienced. We still hate doing this job. Once the job was relegated to the youngest family members, now I have to bribe those grandchildren too young to claim they have homework. LOL I will share this extensive knowledge with everyone here on Margali's Show Sheep thread.

Once trained a sheep will lead on halter for the most part. The more it is led around the easier it will be to lead on halter. (This is a good exercise for small children who will enjoy leading a haltered sheep.) Being trained does not mean it will want to be caught to put on the halter though. Unlike horses that walk up to you for the halter hoping for a fun canter across the field, sheep will still treat you like a hideous monster when you approach with the halter.

Equipment needed
Adjustable sheep halters
Rope ones are cheap, great for families whose children leave the halter laying in the field never to be found until it turns up in the mower blades. Rope halters need to be understood.
Flat webbing ones are more expensive, but come in fun colors for kids, and can be marked with your family name for the Fair so no one makes off with it. They are also easier to put on and are adjustable with buckles.
Long sleeves, jeans, boots or tennis shoes will cut down on injuries
Gloves

One problem with halter training is the rope halters they sell for sheep. Rope halters have their place, they are cheap, and if lost at Fair no biggy, unless you are an OCD mother about equipment like me. However, rope halters look the same whether inside out, upside down, right side up, or in fact any way you look at them. You need to spend about half an hour sorting out the halter to figure out how it will go on. Good luck! It often takes several tries to get it on the right way. This happens to experienced people too, thus the muttered curse words in the Fair stalls next to yours.
Luckily, there is a solution. Buy nylon webbing halters. DO NOT BUY THE ONES THAT ARE COMPLETE HALTERS WITH A DETACHABLE LEAD. Those are cute but useless. You want the ones with the lead rope that goes under the chin and is firmly and permanently attached to the halter ring so it looks like a stud chain on a stallion halter. These are easier to put on the sheep and to adjust. Try to get the ones that have adjustable buckles on either side of the head piece. Luckily these come in all sorts of cool colors for your kids. Another positive is that you can put your family name on them with Magic Marker to avoid the bane of Fair mothers everywhere - "borrowing" of your equipment "just for a moment". Most borrowers remove the halter after use and toss it over the nearest fence post or in some cases into their own tack box. This leads to warfare in the barns. Try to keep all your stuff marked with bright colored paint. Choose 2 colors to use together so you can identify your rake, shovel, extra buckets, etc. across the barn. And padlock your tack box at all times. You will not be seen as mean, everyone else's mother will be doing the same thing. You can identify experienced Fair moms by the amount of equipment they are able to hold, or drape around their shoulders while tucking in shirts, adjusting 4-H ties and hats, nd sntching colored drinks from any child wearing 4-H whites. 4-H uniforms were obviously designed by men who had never seen a child for more than 5 minutes at a time.

But back to sheep training -
Unless you are proficient with haltering a sheep that is jumping into your face, running between your legs, trying to knock you over, or otherwise acting sheepishly normally, it takes a while to figure out how that rope halter goes on. It is particularly hard because you have to hold the sheep around the neck with one hand, while putting the halter on the sheep's nose with another hand, and holding it there while placing the head rope behind the large stick out ears with your 3rd hand - Oh wait, you don't have a 3rd hand? You will have to sprout hands 3 and 4 while struggling with the sheep, dropping the halter several times, retrieving it and putting it on wrong. I usually put it on upside down the first time. It is best to practice this halter thing in private several times to avoid sneering laughter from your children.

Once you have hands 3 and 4 you can easily hold the halter on the sheep while tightening it on the sheep's head. Then transfer your grip to the lead rope and brace yourself for the rocket like attempted escape that will follow.

Oh, did I forget to warn you to do this in a tiny pen about 4' x 6'? OOPS!

Oh, and did I forget to tell you to make a small escape proof pen about 10' x 10' for the first lessons? OOPS again!!

Let's assume you have grown your 3rd and 4th hands, have the sheep in a 4 x 6 pen for the haltering, and have a second 10 x 10 pen close by for the actual lesson. Let us also assume that you have finally gotten the halter on the sheep in approximately the right way. Now you can begin the training. This starts with getting the sheep to move from the 4 x 6 haltering pen to the 10 x 10 training pen.

In a soft coaxing voice you will attempt to get the sheep to take a couple steps forward. The sheep will back up. NO problem, a couple fingers under the tail will coax it forward. As you lean over the sheep for this fingers-in-the-dock maneuver, the sheep will bolt forward past you (if you are lucky) or through you (if you are not). This can be very painful on your hands. Next time you will remember to wear the gloves I mentioned under equipment.

Once the sheep is out of the haltering pen you will have to drag the sheep to the training pen. The sheep will whirl around, bucking and leaping. Be quick in your reflexes! Don't let it run around you on the halter since this will effectually tie your ankles together. In some form of strange dance, twisting and spinning, you will eventually maneuver the sheep into the training pen. Sometimes it helps to have all family members surround you and the sheep and help shove it into the pen.

Once in the pen you are now going to start the training to get the sheep to walk calmly on the lead. Sorry. The sheep will lunge every which way. Your job is to hold onto the lead rope. Occasionally the sheep will appear to calm down. This is a trick while it catches it's breath and hopes to catch you off balance. If you pull the sheep along little by little, your sheep will try to fool you by throwing itself backwards to the ground and lay there apparently choking to death. Don't be fooled by this. As soon as you rush to revive your sheep, it will explode into the air, knock you down, and dance all over your body with its sharp, mucky hooves. From your prone position on the ground you will see that a sheep's mouth wears a nasty sneer.

Finally, after what seems like hours, but is actually about 30 minutes, the sheep will stand quietly. This is because it is exhausted. This is when training can actually begin. You gently talk to the sheep as you lead it back to the haltering pen. Remember to keep a tight grip on the lead rope since sheep keep a reserve of energy for the unwary. Turning the sheep back into the small pen it can have water. You can have that stiff drink, several aspirins, a long lie down and wonder why this ever seemed like a good idea.

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, ad infinitum, you will have to repeat this process since sheep forget everything they learn within 10 minutes. For some reason children, particularly 8-12 year olds think sheep training is hysterically funny. They even enjoy being dragged across a pasture when they have tied the lead rope around their waist, "So he can't escape." Their siblings enjoy watching this even more and beg for a turn!

Keep hydrogen peroxide in the large economy size and antibiotic ointment on hand. Wear jeans and long sleeve shirts. Start with small lambs. Once you have some ewes trained, their lambs will train easily. Halter them as babies and lead them around following their mamas. Two people are needed here, one for leading the ewe, one leading the lambs.

Once you train your kids to do the sheep halter training you can sit back in a lawn chair with a cold drink and laugh yourself silly! Enjoy your sheep! Mwaa Haa Haa!

Alternatively, hitch the trailer, load up all the animals, and head for the auction. Then go on a cruise. Oh yes, leave the children at home too.

 

[Baymule]

That made me bust out laughing! @Margali you have years of fun ahead of you! Tortuous, but fun…… maybe?

 

[Margali]

@Ridgetop You are quite reassuring! I have succeeded in impossible thing already. Mocha will walk up to eat grain and be haltered.

My Pepper and Dash have what I consider a reasonable dock. Their tales are about hand long and cover anus and vulva but not below. The show lambs at Kaufman fair had ZERO tail left like this example pic. Picture is from Texas show lamb FB group where several people are dealing with prolapse.


All Cassandra's gear is going to be purple. This is the show halter her grandma bought for birthday, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002MV9V32/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 .

 

[Baymule]

I have one of my original ewes left. Ewenique. She has no tail, not even a stub. Miranda had no tail either. They just looked pitiful. I’m not a fan of no tails!

 

[Show Sebright]

Aw I love the no tail. My sheep had it. But if this dude had a tail he would have broke it. Dutch is crazy

 

[Margali]

Training with Mocha

 

[Ridgetop]

Where is the video? Was going to suggest you tape a session and now I can't find it!

Great news on your training success!

Remember to buy some purple spray paint and spray splotches of color on all your equipment. Also cut out a stencil with your last name and spray on larger pieces.