[Jacob-list] Outcast ewe

[Linda]

When she returned here (after being gone for over a year), I put her 
with the ewe lambs and another rather gentle ewe. When I put the 
breeding groups together (I'm not breeding ewe lambs this year), she and 
the gentle ewe were not in the same groups.
She is in no danger of being injured or deprived - I just find the 
behavior curious.  I think it's largely because she is such a timid ewe 
and gives ground quickly. I'm not sure where that timid attitude comes 
from because it's her mother that is the most aggressive!
She's bred now and can be moved back with the ewe lambs.


Black Sheep wrote:

> I don't think it's so much that there is something different about the 

> ewe or wether, but that you have introduced a single animal into an 

> already established group.  This doesn't work.  Better to use Pegs 

> method of penning the newcomer closely with the alpha animal in the 

> group - once it is accepted by the alpha, it will be accepted by all - 

> bar a little chasing around.  Ewes are less likely to kill it than 

> males.  Another possibility is to pen them _all _closely for a night 

> then put out some interesting food for them when they are released to 

> distract them. 

> It must be extremely stressful for the introduced sheep to be alone 

> and rejected.  We bought a single ewe this year and had to isolate her 

> for a week because of conjunctivitis, but she was surrounded by other 

> sheep, so when she was finally released from the isolation pen, she 

> was accepted straight away by the other ewes (it wasn't very good 

> isolation so they had touched noses before).  But she hated being on 

> her own in the isolation paddock - what a noise !

> Juliet

> www.scothebs.co.uk <http://www.scothebs.co.uk/>

>  

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

> _______________________________________________

> Jacob-list mailing list, sponsored by Swallow Lane Farm & Fiberworks

> Jacob-list at jacobsheep.com

> http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/jacob-list

>   


-- 
Patchwork Farm Jacob Sheep <http://www.patchworkfibers.com>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.pairlist.net/pipermail/jacob-list/attachments/20101103/e0077d9e/attachment.htm>