Author Topic: Bullies (Read 3272 times)

Marlboro · « **on:** March 10, 2013, 06:43:39 pm »

I am amazed by the bad behaviour of some of my ewes.I shut them in at night now as they are due but some of the old brokers are the biggest bullies I have ever seen. I had to turf one out from the hogs pen as she would just charge and hit them against the wall.

I had done my best to grade according to feed needs but what do you do. There is an outside yard to the main pen and at present the large shed area is guarded by four of the bullies, if anyone else tries to come in they get the stare

and immediately turn around and run, I wish we didn't have a camera showing me all of this. OH says a bargain for 30 quid but not for finding out how badly behaved they are.
They were due Friday, so far only my old kerry who had very bad fluke back in January has produced a fine pair of boys. The others are waiting for snow.

littlelugs · « **Reply #1 on:** March 10, 2013, 07:01:59 pm »

Hehe.. We are the same I have just been saying to my better half I wish we did'nt have a camera installed because my girls are rotters to each other! our due date is today but nothing so far

for a quiet night!

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #2 on:** March 10, 2013, 09:03:58 pm »

One of my Badger Face tegs has turned into a real rotter - the others turn and run if she so much as looks at them. It's goodbye after weaning for that one.

Pedwardine · « **Reply #3 on:** March 10, 2013, 09:57:54 pm »

I'm glad I haven't got a camera!

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #4 on:** March 10, 2013, 11:12:12 pm »

I really love my Manxes, such characters - but that Pricket is a devil with those horns. I run them with 6 other 'fleece sheep', all hoggs and gimmers, and the two Manxes control two 10' troughs between them!

I am a little worried she'll drive her pointy horns into other ewes' lambs, but when they did have a ewe and lamb with them for a day she did have a good look but didn't threaten the lamb at all - she shooed the mother away from 'her' grass, though, even though she (Pricket) is less than half the size of our commerical ewes!

Fleecewife · « **Reply #5 on:** March 10, 2013, 11:39:00 pm »

We had a beautiful little Gotland lamb killed by a Jacob with horns very like your Pricket, Sally. She flung him away from the trough with her top horns and must have damaged him internally as she did so.

steve_pr · « **Reply #6 on:** March 11, 2013, 12:06:43 am »

Well Greyface Dartmoors are normally regarded as placid, but we have a couple lambing at present that behave more like rams than ewes! I wish I knew what they were saying to each other, but it cannot be nice, 'cos it ends up with the two of then head butting each other through the bars - and heaven help anyone else who gets in the way!

Maybe it's just an oestrogen thing! They were never like this before and seem OK in a bigger area.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #7 on:** March 11, 2013, 12:18:40 am »

Quote from: Fleecewife on March 10, 2013, 11:39:00 pm

We had a beautiful little Gotland lamb killed by a Jacob with horns very like your Pricket, Sally. She flung him away from the trough with her top horns and must have damaged him internally as she did so.

Aye, that's the worry $:-\$

wellies · « **Reply #8 on:** March 11, 2013, 09:01:33 am »

yes a couple of mine can be rather hormonal at the moment. I have split them into 2 stables as one of the coloureds was getting really stroppy with one of the younger ewes and I was paranoid she was going to do damage. She's now in a stable with one of her long term buddies (been together for years) and peace has been resumed. In the other stable I have three very laid back ewes who are more interested in sleeping. My most stroppy ewe is one who has been completely placid since tupping but failed to hold and she's an absolute madam at the moment. She is terrorising the horses, her sheep companion (a ewe whose lamb died) and me as well as being incredibly flightly; she is driving me up the wall

Marlboro · « **Reply #9 on:** March 11, 2013, 11:56:18 am »

Thanks for the comforting thought that mine are normal $:-\$ I just hope the worst ones lamb early (didn't raddle will next year), not sure I can cull for extreme hormonal behaviour I may not have reached the age I am if it was common practice in humans

Herdygirl · « **Reply #10 on:** March 11, 2013, 09:56:42 pm »

We have also separated some ewes that were getting bullied quiet shamefully. we call it the coddle pen, to give them a quieter life. they are getting 5* room service at the mo and they are not complaining!