Has any one every owned (or still own) sheep?

[Eohippus]

Thank you for the help I've received so far! The girls have settled in quite nicely. One is 8 years old, soon to be 9, and the other is around 5 or so. They haven't been handled much so they're kind of wild (getting them from trailer to pen was quite the sight!). The horses aren't sure what to think of them but they love the horses and keep bleating/calling to them. Their names are Polly (split ears) and Butterfly (shorter and whole ears). I'm not a fan of their names but don't have the hearts to change them.

Here are some pics!:

Seconds before he bolted. Kinson originally called to them, but being able to see them up close... He's decided they're scary.

I've been trying to do all the online research I can about them while I wait for our local library to open on Tuesday (so I can check out any/all of their books). But in the mean time, I was wondering what advice I could get on here? All the forum members have such a broad range of knowledge that I can't think of a better place to ask!

Are their stomachs and digestive systems most similar to horses? Or are they more similar to goats? Cows? etc.

What kind of clippers should I get/use to sheer them?

Where do you buy your sheep wormer?

What kind of shots do you suggest?

 

[Genie]

We had suffolk sheep many years ago.

Dystosel, ivomec and glanvac 6 were the needles we had to give. Some were sub q and some were muscular shots.

I would say digestive system would be similar to cattle. They chew a cud.

The lambs require vitamin AD and penicillen and that was done at the time we docked the tails. If you aren't docking the tails then penicillen wouldn't be required.

We used a burdizzo for docking tails. Pinch the tail with the burdizzo, cut the tail and iodine on the wound. Some people use the elastic type of thing for the tail. The principle with that method is cutting off the circualtion until the end dies and drops off. Think it is likely messy and in the hot weather would attract flies.

I believe that your area also dictates shots required. Sheep lack selenium so the three shots I mentioned earlier were required because they couldn't get it from the grass in this part of the country.

We haven't had sheep for a long time so I am sure there will be people with more recent experience than ours.

The green twine on hay and straw has copper in it and that is very toxic for sheep, so don't use hay or straw that has that on it.

Don 't use second cut hay as they will abort. Use grassy hay.

In the bible you might have read that the shepherd had to rescue a sheep that was "caste". A ewe heavy with lamb could lay on an uneven part of the stall or field and become caste, meaning over more on to her back. A sheep can not move if rolled to it's back and will lay there until they die.

The shearer sits them up on their rear to shear them, because they can't move in that position.

Prior to lambing they need heavy "graining" or they will suffer with pregnancy toxemia and die quickly. Especially when they are having multiple lambs, they get pulled down quickly.

A sick sheep is a dead sheep was a saying we heard a lot.

I am remembering lots of little things now and could write a book

I will close now by saying "never turn your back on the ram"

 

[Eohippus]

Wow! Thank you! I wasn't expecting so much!

I'm picking up two miniature cheviot ewes later today. I don't plan on breeding, they're just for fun pets and for fiber. Not to say I wouldn't mind having a fun lambs running around

Is it only the green twin that contains the copper? I did read that copper was toxic to them, which is good to know. I plan on feeding Bermuda grass hay. All the bales I've been getting lately have black twin. Sometimes white, red, blue, or orange. I think I've only ever seen green baling twine once and years ago. And I'll use a professional for shearing this year, but by next I hopefully I'll be able to.

 

[Genie]

I am not sure on the various twines but the green is heavily used here in Ontario, Canada. I guess you just have to investigate the twine and it will have content listings on the farmers' roll.

The salt you use is different and I am not sure which you need. I think it may be the blue salt, but not sure.

The miniature cheviot sounds nice. The sheep are wonderful for the pasture. They keep it neat and fertilize at the same time. Being grazers, they go at the pasture in an orderly manner, as opposed to goats and horses who "browse" going from one spot to the other. Our sheep kept everything nipped off except for thistles

The forum members from Australia and New Zealand would be a great source of info you would think.

 

[Helicopter]

No help here but I have one sheep.

She was given to me when she was 5 days old. Now she is 6. She's wonderful and thinks she's a little horse or a donkey, depending on her mood.

I had trouble with her last year. She decided to start butting.......everything...... ponies, donkeys, old Arab, me (she never actually butted me but she would line me up and start to run at me but I'd challenge her and she'd back down.

I think eventually Lord Humphrey (paddock boss) sorted her out. She was lame for a couple of months.

Her name is Lamington. Love her to bits.

Don't forgfet to post photos of your 2 little girls.

 

[bevann]

We have Cheviot sheep here in Delaware.borrowed some 2 years ago to mow our excessive pasture since I no longer have so many horses.They are easier than horses-no colic.Can't have pink salt bricks due to copper.No horse feed-only sheep feed with no copper.We feed our alfalfa hay because we had some left in the barn from the Minis.The sheep love it.We barter for shearing.We also got 4 ewes&1 ram Miniature Babydoll southdowns and hoping to have lambs in May or June.We lost 1 ewe due to bloating we think.Our Minis are black.We have friends interested in lambs to start the Welsh Corgis herding.We still have lots to learn.Our Cheviot flock is now up to about 13&we got a new ram in July 2011 that was Reserve CH at our state fair.Gestation is 5 months.Lots of info on line.Be sure your sheep are scrapie free or from a certified free flock..WE had ours tested.

 

[anoki]

.We have friends interested in lambs to start the Welsh Corgis herding.

Cheviots are NOT good sheep to start dogs herding, especially corgis!!!!! Believe me...been there, done that....Cheviots are near the bottom of the list of sheep that I want for my beginner dogs!!!! They are far too stubborn and 'aggressive' to dogs to start them on....

~kathryn

 

[bevann]

My friends are interested in the Babydoll Miniature sheep for the Corgis.There is another Babydoll breeder in my state who is a Cardigan breeder and she sells some of her lambs for herding purposes.The full grown sheep only come up to my knee.the Cheviot lambs are show and freezer lambs.