Taming Hair sheep

[Ducklover2]

How do i get Katahdin/Katahdin x Dorper sheep to calm down and not run like crazy when im 50 feet away?

 

[mysunwolf]

Pen them in a smaller space (I like to do this during the winter when I'm feeding hay), start giving them treats (grain is cheap and easy), just a handful for each sheep. First put it in a trough and stand nearby, for a few weeks just practice being near them without them running off. Then leave it in the bucket and see if you can get a few to come up to you for the food in the bucket. Next step is eating out of your hand. It'll take a lot of time and patience. They may never be pets, but this will help them calm down around you.

 

[Baymule]

Mine were bounce off the wire scared and crazy, they came off a 300 acre ranch. I did as @mysunwolf said, and I sat on an upturned milk crate and just talked softly. They settled down, but one stayed wild. The wild one finally decided she liked me-about a week before she lambed. She wanted treats and belly rubs. Now she's my biggest pet.

Mine will run to me now. I move them from pasture to pasture, calling SHEEP! SHEEP! SHEEP! in a shrill voice. They are so funny.

I went out this morning to find the 3 ewe lambs out of the weaning pasture, snacking on oak leaves. They are very unsure of me, but started Baa Baaing when I softly called them. I got a coffee can of feed, they followed me right back to the pasture.

Always call them. They will associate your call with feed, treats and hay. It won't be long before they run to you for their feed.

After a while, they will yell at you anytime they hear your voice. They KNOW when you go outside, and your only reason for living is to bring them feed and they will yell at you to feed them. LOL

 

[Ducklover2]

Pen them in a smaller space (I like to do this during the winter when I'm feeding hay), start giving them treats (grain is cheap and easy), just a handful for each sheep. First put it in a trough and stand nearby, for a few weeks just practice being near them without them running off. Then leave it in the bucket and see if you can get a few to come up to you for the food in the bucket. Next step is eating out of your hand. It'll take a lot of time and patience. They may never be pets, but this will help them calm down around you.

Thank you for responding quickly. I may try this.

 

[Sheepshape]

Sheep generally are fairly easy to tame. They are a naturally timid prey species, so everything is telling them that they are at risk, so they have so see that not only do you pose no threat, but that you come bearing treats and head/neck/chest/belly rubs.

Do as Baymule suggests....once they start to gain bit of confidence, talk to them....mine are Girlies (even the rams). They also respond beautifully to hand clapping, so I move the whole flock from field to field (Border Collie sitting watching) by clapping my hands and shouting 'Girlies'.It really is a couple of minutes operation (apart from when the lambs are very young and get left behind).

Mine get hand-fed digestive biscuits from an early age, and will jump through hoops at the sight of the package. The old feed bucket works well, too.

Sheep, even older wilder ones, often become wonderfully affectionate. They easily learn names (especially two-syllable ones)....I have regular 'conversations' with several of my sheep....along the lines "Hi Minnie'...."Aaaargh"...How are you doing, Minnie?....."Aaargh".....Where's you lamb, Minnie?....."Aaaargh.......etc.

Patience is the key.....some sheep will always be more friendly than others, but I've never met one who can't be trained.

 

[Mike CHS]

I have found the biggest thing is to never appear to be a threat. I spend some time in the pastures with them every day (especially when I'm working our pup LGD with them). I never walk directly at the timid ones and spend a lot of time just moving with them as they graze. They learn that you aren't a threat to them pretty fast and accept you as one of them. The hand clapping does work and I can call them in to grain no matter where they are on the pastures. Once they are on the feed I walk out of the way to let them feed with no pressure. Half our flock is super tame but even the other half is trusting, which is all we want. In a short time you should be able to take a bucket of feed out they will follow you anywhere you want. We cross from one pasture to another that is a couple hundred feet but they only see that bucket and not all that green grass on the way we are going.

 

[Gorman Farm]

My sheep are like pet dogs, they come for scratches. I just starting putting a handful of oats in a pan and then sitting there while they ate. Gradually they would run to me to eat the oats before I even set them down. Then I was able to pet them while they ate, now they come whether I have food or not. Mine also like carrots.

 

[Skiesblue]

Molasses or molasses feed can work wonders. I mix my liquid wormer w molasses and most of the sheep figured out it tasted good and would run up to me to be dosed.

 

[WolfeMomma]

Grain and treats. Lots of handling in a small space so that they can't escape and run off. We did this with out Katahdin ewes and they are more like dogs now. They always follow us around, come when called, and will walk calm and stand when wearing halters with leads ect. It took a while, but it was more then worth it in the end. They are so friendly that my kids can lead them around.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day,I use a simple method.We are transitioning from English Suffolk's to Hair breeds .When I visit the sheep with the dogs I just move "quietly" around them,If I want to move them I use a series of whistles to let them know I want them somewhere else,always the same whistle,keep the dogs t the back of them and work them ahead of you until you get them where you want them.They will soon understand what is required with "practice",its repetition that teaches them what is required of them.

Good Luck,Cheers and Beers...T.O.R.