[Jacob-list] Re: Jacob-list digest, Vol 1 #702 - 9 msgs

[kbarrett at oregontrail.net]

All of this reminds me of how I made best friends with one of my Jacob 
ewes. "Birdie" came as a skittish ewe lamb.  The following spring she still 
hadn't lambed and we had planned a vacation, of course everyone else was done 
lambing  a month before. So I took her up to the neighbors and she didn't lamb 
while she was there, but she came home with a terrible case of sheep keds so 
she had to go in isolation...the worst thing as far as a sheep is concerned.  
Well all by herself she became quite lonely and looked forward to any time I 
spent with her. I started spending 1/2 - 1 hour every afternoon after work 
picking keds. Well the chickens loved the keds, and so Birdie would stand or 
lay next to me quietly letting me pick keds, and 3 or 4 hens would patiently 
wait to see who would get fed the next one. I am sure it was an odd picture, 
but it was very relaxing for all involved!  Of course my husband caught me at 
it one evening, and decided we were all totally nuts, but that is just part of 
being the farming half of the family! I am glad not all the sheep are pets, 
some have such strong personalities as they are I would hate to change anything
Kate Barrett
Ruby Peak Jacobs.
Quoting rlynde <rlynde at onramp113.org>:

> .
> > It's just that after 4 months only one of them will so much as let me
> > touch her and that's only when I have food . They do greet me when I
> > show up but always stay just out of reach .
> 
> That's the way a lot of mine are. They will crowd around the grain bucket
> (or hay, when it's winter hay-feeding time), but if I try to grab them
> that's another story. That's why small spaces are good. Some of them are
> tame enough to just walk up to and handle or halter, but those are mostly
> ones who were handled a lot as lambs. Take them to a few fairs or other
> outings and halter them and let people handle them. Then they remember.
> Robin Lynde
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Jacob-list mailing list, sponsored by Swallow Lane Farm & Fiberworks
> Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
> http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/jacob-list
> 
>