[Jacob-list] experience and wisdom

[Betty Berlenbach]

Hi, Gini,

I agree with much that's been said.  My lambs are jugged for three days after birth, during which time, I spend a lot of time in the jugs with them, and without upsetting the mother, sitting on the ground lower than she, and right next to her, I hold the lambs, make them look at me, talk to them, play with them, give them "ear massage", etc.  Then, for the month they are still in winter lock in until the pasture actually has grass growing, I try to catch them and pick them up every day, and sit out there among them each day, humming, reading, whatever.  It takes time, but it is ever so much easier to sell a lamb that is somewhat tame.  I find that in general, the shetlands tame up first, and by two months, most will jump in my lap if I'm sitting.  The jacobs generally will come to me and eat from my hands, only l/3 of them are needy enough to jump in my lap, and l/3 keep some distance, and healthy boundaries.  When I buy a new ewe, who wasn't raised here, often they are skittish at first.  I give them time; often it takes one or two birth experiences for them to trust me completely.  If possible I'm there for their lambing, cheer leading softly from the sidelines and helping them wipe off the babies with paper towels, alongside the mom.  That goes a long way toward trust and approachability.  I have one out of a dozen now who is still a little standoffish; the second one now comes over for ear massage, but wants no other contact.  She will, however, call out to me, if I'm leaving and she wants me to stay.  As far as electronetting goes, the lambs raised with it, learned at three days old that challenging it was not nice.  Sheep in full fleece with weak fences often miss getting stung, and need to be trained to the fence with a bit of grain just outside the fence, on the ground so they get stung, or in some other way.  As soon as they know about the sting in the fence, they don't challenge it, unless the fence charge leaves and they discover that on a day when they are hungry, their pasture is gone and there's green grass right next door.  However, even when that happens, they seem to stay on the property, just move to the next pasture.  The one hint I have has to do with what you do when one gets out.  It will be very difficult to get one back in.  What you do takes great courage: you let them all out!  Then stand inside the pasture with a pail of grain, shake it, and they all come running.  Throw the grain down on the far side, drop the pail, and run back and shut the gate.  Never has failed.  But it is hard to be willing to trust the herd instinct enough to let them all out.
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