[Jacob-list] experience and wisdom needed

[Beatrice A. Gilbert]

Virginia,
We were new to sheep three years ago and began with our barn not yet ready,
our fencing to be determined once we had some experience, and an electric
mesh fence to start.  We have young children so giving our Jacob lots of TLC
from the start was easy.  I would agree that lots of gentle contact does
increase the sheeps contentedness in their electric mesh pen.   Gentleness
and methodical routine behavior on the part of the shephard keeps the sheep
calm.  We found that when we began building the permanent fencing around the
mesh, the sheep became so accustomed to our being their for hours every day,
that they were calling for us when we didn't show up.  Halter training was
also a really useful excuse to be with the sheep.  Our children needed to
train the sheep for 4-H shows but it actually serves a very good purpose for
socialization.   You have an easy opportunity with the lamb but the older
ones will come around too.

Beatrice in Maine

Original Message -----
From: "Mary E Hansson" <iseespots at prodigy.net>
To: "'virginia ferguson'" <gininurse at yahoo.com>; <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Sent: Monday, April 15, 2002 5:41 PM
Subject: RE: [Jacob-list] experience and wisdom needed


> 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
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Jacob-list mailing list
> Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
> http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/jacob-list
>