[Jacob-list] Old Sheep Needs

[Punkin's Mom]

I loved hearing about your old girl and how long the Jacobs can live.  My
first sheep "Punkin" was a cross bred stockyard rescue and he only lived to
be 13, which my vet (a long time shepherd) said that was *extremely* old for
a sheep.  Folks can't believe it when I tell them Jacobs regularly live much
longer.

Here is the nutritional advise you DIDN'T want :-).  During Punkin's last
couple of years he only wanted "cookies", preferably the homemade horse
treat kind, but would also eat triscuits, wheat thins and garden crackers
when I didn't have time to bake for him.  I doubt this was nutritiously very
sound :-/, but at least he was eating something and he thought he was pretty
special, too.  Arthritis was his downfall in the end, but he survived so
many death defying illnesses (heck, he should never have even survived his
birth at the stockyards), a stroke, and even a dog attack over the years.
Proof that sheep are not the "quitters" that people think they are.

Regarding the horns, I have an old ewe (not sure how old - we were *told*
that everyone in the group we were picking from was 3-5 years old - but she
looks pretty darn old to us compared to the others and we've had her several
years now, too) who lost a horn last month.  It looks like the bottom got
thin and flaky and the whole thing just slipped off the core.  Will be
interested in hearing from everyone else about this.  Our sheep are fed
alfalfa hay, "ewe nuggets" and have access to minerals all the time, too.

Sara Dunham
Cynthiana, KY
www.myfavoritesheep.com