[Jacob-list] Catching Rams

[Linda]

Tara,

I'd love to see a picture of your rams pulling the wagon. Could you 
share with us?

I have to disagree just a bit here. While I see my sheep every day (many 
times a day), I don't really feel that it's necessary for me to chuck my 
rams under the chin on a daily basis to look after them properly :-)The 
amazing thing about Jacobs is their adaptability. It sounds like they 
thrive with your literal "hands on" approach, but they also thrive 
untended on a remote island, on large ranches with the occasional check, 
on tiny little one acre farms, on medium sized acreage, and about 
everything in between. We get to know our sheep and can usually tell 
with a visual when one needs a more hands on check.  While I do halter 
break my rams, I don't hand feed them.

Jacob Sheep are being raised successfully by breeders who are as 
individual as our Jacobs and who use a wide variety of management 
techniques. There is no "only way" to do it successfully or to properly 
look after our flocks, just as there is no "perfect" Jacob Sheep.

Linda


ranchrat wrote:

>

> All ours are halter trained, will stand quietly to have toes trimmed, 

> stand quietly tied high on a fence if required, draft trained to pull 

> our covered wagon in the Bighorn Rodeo Parade, and you pretty much 

> hafta tell'em to MOVE outta the way when changing their water or 

> adding more bedding.  Not that I'll ever totally trust an intact male 

> (we never turn our backs on one nor do we "pat" them on the head to 

> encourage butting!), just really nice to have good mannered boys 

> about.  Now because the boys get chin scratchies, it is just a matter 

> of leaning over the corral and rubbing my fingers together and they'll 

> saunter on over to see what's up.

>

> Can't stand spooky critters, so it ain't uncommon to find me with a 

> chicken perched on my arm...or head or pulling on my shoe strings 

> trying to make me trip up.  If you can't work on your livestock, you 

> can't keep them healthy.  When I first began doing the fun stuff on 

> the Jacobs, I'd carry around this small nylon bag of grain.  Anytime I 

> "captured" a victim, they'd end their ordeal with a treat.  Sometimes 

> I'd just catch them to give them a treat.  Keep 'em guessing!  If your 

> animal is stressed over being caught, you really do have an ordeal on 

> your hands before you even get started.  In sheep, because of the 

> fiber, you hafta put your hands on them to condition score them...if 

> you don't handled your animals, you are not going to catch the first 

> signs that something is wrong with them from parasites to weight 

> loss.  Mine get pats every day...only way a good shepherd can do their 

> work & look after their stock.

>

> Chicken UP!

>

> Tara Lee Higgins - Rat Ranch, Alberta

>

> Home of Canada's 1st Grand Champion Jacob Ewe Melody

>

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>

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-- 
Patchwork Farm Jacob Sheep <http://www.patchworkfibers.com>
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