[Jacob-list] handling sheep

[Debbie Bennett]

Great ideas, I agree,
routine and body language very important. I go out at the same time 
every morning to feed and water, even if its just fresh hay. I hang 
around while the ewes eat, to observe, walk around and touch them all, 
feeling along their back to gauge their condition, sometimes parting 
wool on their side to admire it.  They eat in an area that can be 
closed off. I can do routine worming while they eat. Just grab hold of 
one, move it away from the feeder, give a shot, check their hooves and 
back they go to eating. When the ewes have their lambs, my son and I 
try to handle every ewe lamb, every day, so they grow up accustom to 
being touched by us.
I can move my older rams using hand signals. I open their gate, get 
their attention, walk over and open the gate of the pasture I want them 
to go to. I might have to walk back and forth a couple of times, point 
to the ram I want and using my hands at his eye level, make the 
movements that tell him I want him to move to the other pasture. It 
takes a few minutes, but they get the idea.
I can tell a sheep I want to check their feet by raising my foot and 
pointing to my foot and then to their feet. I have had sheep walk up to 
me and raise a hurt foot, so I can treat it.
I want to be clear, I do not handle rams, so we do have to chase ram 
lambs occasionally. I do use rams that have grown up on my farm or I 
buy them as lambs, so they get used to the routine here or I buy them 
as proven old rams (say six years old).
Since its breeding time, I want to say, I keep one eye on the ram at 
all times. I don't touch HIS girls. I've noticed he watches me if one 
of his ewes comes over to be petted. Right now, I have a ram 
free-ranging with a group of ewes. The ewes lay in a shady spot by the 
house in the afternoon (on and near my parking place). I came home from 
the store last week, pulling up slowly (the ewes usually move), the ram 
turned around, saw the car, lowered his head and backed up to charge. 
Without thinking, I threw open the car door and hopped out, yelling, 
"Bandit, don't you dare." He looked at me, looked at HIS ewes, looked 
at the car, took another step back... I quickly got back in the car and 
parked somewhere else. LOL, he was behaving the way he is supposed to 
behave, protecting his ewes and not aware of that particular routine.
Debbie Bennett
Southern Oregon
On Wednesday, October 15, 2003, at 03:58 PM, gordon johnston wrote:

> <<< So... anyone with any good ideas as to how to wrestle them >>>
>  
> Very sensible answers so far.
>  
> When we first got our sheep 8 or 9 years ago, we knew nothing about 
> them either and , taking our cue from our neighbour - a commercial 
> sheep farmer - spent many exhausting sessions chasing them round 
> trying to catch them.  We got angry and frustrated and the sheep were 
> confirmed in their idea that getting away from us was a good idea. It 
> was a contest of wills, and guess who lost each time !!!
> Then when we were collecting a new tup from a farm, we found ourselves 
> amazed at how this farmer treated his sheep.  He was slow and gentle 
> with them, and somehow they worked together, not in confrontation.  He 
> asked us to help him put his stock tup in with the ewes, it being that 
> time of year. Whereas with our neighbour this involved much agro, 
> swearing and stress, with this chap, he just opened the gate, let the 
> stock tup out and we followed along behind for the long trek to the 
> ewe field.  Of course the old tup knew the way, but we were so 
> impressed by the gentleness of animal and farmer.
>  
> We went home and had a good think about this and from then on we 
> adopted the gentle, work-with-them approach.  We spent a lot of time 
> watching our animals as they went about their daily round, learning 
> their natural behaviour and reactions to different events.  One thing 
> we noticed was that they became used to our presence and, although 
> always aware of us, we became accepted as part of the farm.  On the 
> other hand, when strangers appeared (especially our neighbour !) the 
> sheep would startle and take up a defensive position. Particularly 
> noticeable was when my aunt appeared - she always spooked the sheep 
> and she could never understand why.  We watched them both and realised 
> that her body language said 'stalking' to the sheep, whereas she 
> thought she was sneaking up unobtrusively LOL.
> This leads me to my point, which is that sheep read body language.  
> They would need this skill to survive in the wild, where a prompt 
> reaction to the reaction of another flock member which had spotted a 
> predator, or the observation of a minute change of stance in a 
> predator which could presage an attack, could mean survival or not.  
> Sheep appear to the casual observer to spend their time grazing or 
> ruminating, but they are also always totally aware of their 
> surroundings and its occupants.
> So, they read body language, but not only of other sheep, also of the 
> humans with whom they have contact, and they learn to judge exactly 
> what we intend, even when we think we can trick them - particularly 
> when we think we can trick them !!!
> I wouldn't say we have got it perfect yet, because sheep always have a 
> little surprise up their sleeves, but for routine movements, things do 
> now go smoothly.  For routine changes of pasture, the sheep are 
> usually way ahead of us, standing at the gate and demanding 
> vociferously to get into the next field, once the grass on their side 
> is shorter than that in the new field.  Obviously all that is required 
> is to open the gate and through they go.
> We try to plan catching moves ahead and if necessary do them in 
> stages, say from one field to the next in the morning, then on into 
> the next and the catching system in the afternoon, so there is no 
> stress involved.  We never use dogs, except our guardian , which just 
> shuffles along with the rest. As then others have already said, 
> following a bucket is much easier and less stressful all round than 
> trying to chase, especially with primitive sheep.
> Once you have a routine in place, this will help to settle the flock 
> as they know what to expect when - sheep tend to develop a daily 
> routine of their own if left to themselves, so will quickly pick up on 
> the farm routine.  Also, we found that once the sheep had lambed with 
> us, they seemed to accept here as home and were much more settled.
> However, there will always be the flighty ones - they are the ones who 
> lead the breakaway, just when you think they will all trot into the 
> catching pen docilely, and they are also the ones who will jump and 
> knock you flat.  This is no joke, as a sheep can kill this way. If it 
> gets to that stage, let it go, don't stand in the way trying to block 
> the escape with your body - it hurts !  If just one gets away, it will 
> usually try to rejoin the flock, so if you have a double catching pen, 
> you can put the ones you have into the far away part, then entice the 
> escaper into  the other half and gently close the gate (don't slam it 
> because your body language will tell them you are about to trap them).
> When you have them in the catching pen, pack them together closely 
> (the double pen is handy here too as you can get them into the large 
> area, then close off half to squash them up), and deal with the 
> jumpers first.  For shearing, learn how to tip your sheep, so it is 
> sitting on it's bottom, with it's head hanging down to the side. You 
> really need to be shown this move by someone who has already mastered 
> it, but once there the sheep will happily sit while you take off the 
> wool - usually !!!
> Horned sheep hate to be handled by their horns, which is unfortunate 
> because they make such good handles ! More comfortable for the animal 
> is to block its body against the gate/hurdle/wall with your legs and 
> to hold it under the chin with your hand.  Also, don't catch a sheep 
> by its wool - again this seems very convenient, but will leave a 
> painful bruise, and the sheep will remember and be more difficult to 
> catch next time.
> Another benefit of careful observation of your sheep is that you will 
> quickly learn to recognise unnatural behaviour, for instance when a 
> sheep is sick, or when the flock has been frightened by a predator.
> So, get to know your sheep and let them get to know you - which is 
> just what Mary Ellen said, but far more briefly !!!
> Juliet in Scotland, UK
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