BAYMULE FINALLY HAS SHEEP!!!

[baymule]

 

[thistlebloom]

Perhaps not, but you could be committed for choosing to be milking every day. Of course, cows are not the only milk-able farm animal choice.

That's right. There's also buffalo.

 

[Beekissed]

Perhaps not, but you could be committed for choosing to be milking every day. Of course, cows are not the only milk-able farm animal choice.

Yep...she could milk her sheeples! I had tiny stanchions at my place, all built with milking the sheep in mind. Plans fell through on all of that and I soon moved but I would have gotten around to it.

 

[barefootgardener]

Baymule.. Congrats on your Be-Ewe-Tiful sheep! I can feel your excitement and am so happy for you! It will take some time for them to get used to you and their new home, but go out in the barn and pen as often as you can and talk to them. Put a few treats in a small bucket, like cut up apples, carrots, or sweet feed. Once they know you have treats for them, shake that bucket and they will come running. It will take a bit of time, but, you will win them over eventually.

My husband and I recently just bought some Shetland Sheep ewes and a ram lamb via Craigslist. They came from three different farms. We started with two, and now have seven. They are so cute and friendly (Well, all but the "Boss" is friendly, she is skiddish for now.) We got them for wool, milk and meat for our family. They are a smaller breed and much easier for me to handle at this stage in my life. I love seeing sheep out in the pasture. We have been busy building fences and adding onto our corncrib/barn. Have too get ready for winter and am thankful November has been pretty mild so far!. I will post pictures and more info soon. barely have time to breath these days.

PS: We also recently (Thursday) got a couple Dexter/Jersey cross heifers. more about them later.

PS: My husband told me too stay off Craigslist!

Ginny

 

[baymule]

@barefootgardener Stay off craigslist???? Glad you got sheep too! We are still working on fence and probably will be for sometime.

 

[digitS']

Bay, isn't there a mini cow? Are you planning on having goats? Lets see so far you have chickens, sheep, pigs, and dogs. Hope I didn't leave any one out. Don't you want to make your own butter and cheese?

Mary

PS: We also recently (Thursday) got a couple Dexter/Jersey cross heifers. more about them later.

I don't know how anyone milks them.

DB decided we should have a Jersey when we were kids. I don't know why Dad went along with it. When she freshened, first thing he says was that he couldn't milk her because her teats were too small.

So, you can figure out who got to milk her ... When I tried to point out that my digitS' were not smaller than his, it was ignored. I was younger. Therefore, milking her with 2 fingers on each hand was considered reasonable.

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

I known I am a city boy, but if you left the baby with mother to nurse, wouldn't that stop need to milk?

 

[digitS']

I'm not sure how much Wikipedia knows about it, however, "The average for a single dairy cow in the US in 2007 was 9164.4 kg (20,204 lbs) per year, excluding milk consumed by her calves ..."

Of course, that milk has value.

A dairy cow is genetically built for milk production. She can digest a large amount of food but doesn't have much muscle mass. The result is more milk than a calf can drink.

Steve

 

[baymule]

It rained almost all day, finally cleared out late, right before dark. I walked Paris around in sheep pasture. The sheep were comfortable with her, I thought she was comfortable with them. WRONG! I took the lash off, Paris went to the sheep, everything looked ok, then the sheep trotted off. Paris chased them. They ran. Paris ran. I ran. Paris bulldozed them. She rolled a sheep. I bulldozed Paris. I rolled Paris.

I let Paris know that I was unhappy with her. She really doesn't know what she is supposed to do, this is going to take some work. But I've done this with her before and I'll do it again. I am concerned with the coyotes, I sure don't want them to get my sheep! So.....do I let the coyotes get the sheep or do I let Paris get the sheep?

Since it was almost dark, we moved her doghouse in the sheep pasture and chained her to a post. I hate to chain her, but at least she can bark her warning if the coyotes get too near. A little protection is better than none at all. I have been out to check on her and I'll go out again before we go to sleep. She was in her doghouse, warm and snug.

Tomorrow we will build an enclosure with cow panels and put Paris in it. In the evenings, we will take Paris out and put her in another pen. We will feed the sheep in the enclosure and close them up for the night and let Paris back in the pasture. They will be safe and Paris can protect "her" pasture. In time, she will come to claim the sheep as "hers" too. I just hope it doesn't take 2 years like it did with the chickens!!

Security comes first, shelter will come next. Ya'll cross your fingers!

 

[Nyboy]

Did her pasted home have sheep? If not you can't blame her. Like everything it will take time and hard work. Have you had the puppy in with them yet?