[Jacob-list] experience and wisdom needed

[Mary E Hansson]

Virginia,

Some Jacobs are born a bit more flighty than others, but there is SO
MUCH TO SAY for how they are raised and how their farm environment is.
If you have a group of sheep put out to pasture and occasionally fed or
checked on in a "hands-on-manner", then those sheep will NOT be happy
being around people.  They will probably become friendly if worked with
and shown lots of love and attention.  I wouldn't bet the farm on that,
though.

If you purchase sheep from somebody who has spent lots of time with
those lambs, you will notice that the shepherd is jostled and pushed
around by the sheep at feeding time, but that whether there is a feed
bucket in the hand of their handler or not, they will be there.....those
are the sheep that are the most likely to produce your sweeties and your
lovers.  I have one 6 year old ewe that was my second girl.  She is a
sweetie, and her offspring tend to be as well.  That works in the ewes'
favor and in the rams' movement to the slaughter channel---they are
equally friendly as babies and then the hormones kick in on the rams and
they become more aggressive and I will not be dominated by my sheep.

I have worked with lambs of flighty ewes and made sweeties of them.  It
can be done and it is done regularly.  I have not turned flighty into
sweetie.

In any case, I doubt your girls will go through fences or hurt you
unless you ship them into a corner and scare them.  The times I have had
horns in my head and face were times that I forgot where the sheep were
and was not thinking about what their next likely move would be.  Their
moves were predictable and I was the one that was not mindful.
Yes---there have been times I could have lost my eyesight or had a
broken skull.  I haven't yet.  I can also go out and get myself killed
on the highway pretty easily as well---but I still drive my vehicle down
the road.  Life is full of opportunities to get hurt, but I still go out
and live my life and rather fully if I do say so myself.  :o)

Mary Ellen Hansson
ISeeSpots Farm
Jacob Sheep:  Those horny, fuzzy critters
Shop:  Knitting, crochet, spinning supplies
www.iseespots.com