[melholly]

Hello everyone!

I have 7 sheep in total. 3 orphans and 2 mummy polled dorsets with their lambs. They are all together and have been for an age. But all my orphans are weaned now and my youngest, slowest and stupidest orphan has finally got the hang of drinking from a trough and eating nuts etc. But she is not accepted as a flock member. She's always by herself (her other 2 orphan pals have dumped her) even in foul weather when others take shelter she's out eating... They all scoot over when I walk past hoping for nuts and whenever my little one comes over she's pretty aggressively bullied (shoved against the fence) by the mummy's. Only 1 mummy is still feeding her lamb.

I just wonder if anyone can shed any light on this behaviour and in your experience what lies ahead here! With her lack of instincts to take cover and without help from the flock I already am worried for winter!

Mx
Http://selfridgestoscats.blogspot.com

[Anke]

I normally feed (in winter) in a pen, put the food in, open up and the pushy ones are through first. Then shut the hurdle, and put second lot of feed into trough in the field, so less pushy sheep also get their share. I find that any lambs/ewes that are in more need of special care, will come to call and can then be fed from the bucket individually. She will eventually blend in I think.

[Rosemary]

I know it's sad for us to see but don't human emotions take over. As long as her welfare is taken care of, I'm sure she'll be fine. She has the company of other sheep, food, water and shelter - mine are out in all weathers and shelter at the hedge backs. Sounds like sometimes she's choosing to be out eating on her own. Some of my ewes were VERY protective of their lambs this year and gave other lambs a real hard time, but they soon learned to leg it and not get butted.

[jaykay]

I think she'll fit in eventually.
I don't feed in two 'shifts' like Anke but I have long enough troughs to make sure that the greedy, bolshy sheep can't take over all of it and then the shy ones can get in at the end  

[robert waddell]

are the orphans the same breed if not that is what is wrong blackies stick together texels stick together etc etc (clannish)
all animals have human behaviour to bully , :farmer:get the pecking order sorted out and sometimes injure or maim

[waterhouse]

When we bought some Dartmoor ewes the flock operated as two separate groups until lambing when everythiing got mixed up.  But when we separated out the boy lambs and put a wether in with them he got very upset about being away from his ewe friends so we had to put him back.  Our single WBM is fully integrated

[melholly]

Thank you all!

Bless her, when Hiltz was born (see The Great Escape!) her Mum and brain left her I think! She really does the most incredibly stupid things like jumping on the back of one of my dorset mums creating a rodeo/bucking type scene! My Mums are pretty feisty. She doesn't seem overly concerned that she's got no mates but then she doesn't seem overly concerned to be the only one awake when the other sleep and the only one wandering about when the others are sheltering in a thunderstorm up against the hedge!

I"ve got 2 dorset mums and their lambs then my 3 orphans I got from a farmer across the way from me. They are not dorsets - can't remember - like texel but not... bexel (is that even a breed?!) There's a pic of them on my blog http://selfridgestoscats.blogspot.com for anyone good at identifying sheep! Anyway, point being, before they were all put together she was 'in' with the other 2 orphans and they went around all together - now my 2 eldest orphans have joined the Dorset clan and basically snub Hiltz now!

Sheep!
Mx

[morri2]

Hi!  Loved your website - I have Polled Dorsets too - love them to bits, so tame and affectionate.

I think the breed (similar to Texel) is probably Beltex, which I believe is a Belgian sheep crossed with a Texel or something like that!!

Hope your orphan lamb has found a mate or two - it does happen like this sometimes.  We've had bottle fed lambs who never seem to gel with the others but within a few months they become accepted.  Good luck. 

[andywalt]

To me they look like suffolk x texels, others may disagree, what a great place you have !!! good pasture

[melholly]

Bless you for replying! Beltex!! That's what I remember...other week at Heathfield show wandering round the sheep tents and my 3 year old shouts out 'look, there like Bonnie and Ollie' Of course she's bang on. Nothing else quite looked like them!

So right about the dorsets - temperament is superb. I tagged all my lambs today, was dreading it, but they all followed the feeding bowl into a pen and were so good. Now separated mums from lambs who are now just being greedy and they have been so good - so far!

Mx
http://selfridgestoscats.blogspot.com

[andywalt]

I was there too at the Heathfield show and saw them too

[melholly]

What did u make if it Andy? Dire day weather wise wasn't it? Where u showing or visiting? So are u around Sussex?

Mx
http://selfridgestoscats.blogspot.com

[andywalt]

I enjoyed it but that dam wind was so cold which was a shock after that hot weather, I was just visiting, I went to see some of the breeders that I had purchased from and to make new contacts. The shearing exhibition was amasing so calm and gentle,  I am in kent a village nr Sevenoaks north of Sussex where r u from?

[melholly]

Reasonably local then, I'm just outside Lewes, E Sussex. Everyone was wrapped up like it was winter! Thought the quality that's around to be pretty good sheep and horses wise. Missed the shearing which was annoying but saw the pig herding which was hilarious!

I gave the south of England show a miss as it's just too big for me. Weather mostly foul there too!

Mx
http://selfridgestoscats.blogspot.com

[andywalt]

I gave it a miss too, I was going but the day before my collie in the photo got his paw caught while jumping out the back of my truck and hes broken 4 of the 5 bones in his paw, he did scream it was a bit curdling, i took him straight to the vet and as he has one good bone, amasingly they have put his leg and paw in a tub and strapped it up tight< out of action for 6 weeks :O  thank god for insurance !! Im a big guy 6`2 tall and even me close to tears I have to admit !! hes a v special dog.   so thats why I missed the south of england show !!   whats the next one?