The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: feldar on May 11, 2011, 03:07:38 pm
-
Did anyone see Adam Henson with his adorable Soay sheep on sun, the ewe was so protective of her lamb we were in stitches watching it. Reminded me of a Llanwenog ram lamb we had once that tried to kneecap us at every oppotunity used to beat the feed scoop right out your hand when you fed it! used to bring me out in a cold sweat when we had to deal with him, but he was funny
Finally the day came he had to go ,hubby went in the stable and there were bangs, clashes, swearing and cussing and we got him in the horse box (you could use them in those days before the EU regs got so tight) we shut up the tail board only to see him jump clean over the top!!
we had to catch him and go through the whole process again this time with a sheep hurdle tied over the gap
Never been so glad to see the back of a ram as i was this one. God help whoever bought him
-
Yes, we also saw the episode with the Soay sheep - very amusing.
Err, what is wrong with using a horse box to move a sheep? Surely if the box is the type of box that fully encloses the animal and there is plenty of straw bedding then that is OK. Obviously suitable for a horse, why not a sheep?
-
it does not have the gates at the side of the ramp (i think it is to prevent escapes)
-
I see, that makes sense. Thanks :)
-
Oh good grief, that's regulations gone ::) Presumably you can use a horsebox if you put temporary hurdles down the side of the ramp....... :P
-
yes
-
There are also regs about the space each sheep has - neither too much nor too little, adequate ventilation and the angle of slope of the ramp. The trailer must also be hoseable so no wooden floors.
-
Yes I'm afraid these days if your moving animals to market you need a washable box, some horseboxes fit the bill, it depends on how strict your Trading Standards person is at market. They are strict in my area and quite rightly so, i saw one man turn up at Wilton sheep fair once with a tup in the back of his estate car!!
-
Going back to the original post, we keep Soays and Hebrideans, both of which are very protective of their young in the early days. Most of the year all is sweetness and light between the sheep and our dogs, but at lambing time one of the dogs stays well clear (having learnt by experience), but the other is a simple little soul and he can't understand why he is forever being bowled over by his friends ;D All he wants is to meet the new lambs and say hello, but the dams will have none of it. Once they get to the stage where the lambs go off in gangs then little Rip gets lots of new pals - they are bigger than him soon after they are born, even the Soays :D
-
Going back to the original post, we keep Soays and Hebrideans, both of which are very protective of their young in the early days. Most of the year all is sweetness and light between the sheep and our dogs, but at lambing time one of the dogs stays well clear (having learnt by experience), but the other is a simple little soul and he can't understand why he is forever being bowled over by his friends ;D
Our Ryelands tolerate the dogs too - even some of them after they lamb, but Jura and Lyra (mother and daughter) chased our dogs this year. Really chased them - pursued them right out of the field.