Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Pet Lambs  (Read 1932 times)

emma37

  • Joined May 2014
Pet Lambs
« on: May 15, 2014, 11:21:42 am »
I have two native ponies that need to be on restricted grazing throughout the year, to help me with this i was recommended to keep some sheep with them to help keep the grass down. The gentleman who we rent the land off keeps a small flock (20 ewes & 1 ram) off mixed large breed whom he breeds each year for meat, though wont graze them with my ponies (whatever his reason, my ponies have grazed with sheep before and are fine)
However this year during lambing one of his ewes died unexpectedly leaving 2 lambs orphaned who have been bottle fed and are doing well and i have got quite attached to them and hate to think that they will be going to slaughter in autumn. They have been kept away from the other sheep so they can come in on a night. I was wondering if purchased these two pet lambs, a ewe and a wether ram could i keep them together and graze with my ponies or would keeping a girl and boy together only be a recipe for disaster?     

smallflockshearing

  • Joined Jul 2013
  • Devon
Re: Pet Lambs
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2014, 04:15:58 pm »
In my experience if they are brought up together, a ewe and a promptly castrated wether will rub along just fine, with no hankypanky nor aggression problems.  This is for whiteface Dartmoor; wouldn't wish to speak for other breeds in the same situation, but doubt it would be different. Incest is a natural taboo, but through segregation and standard stock-keeping methods we remove the relationship continuity and allow it to happen sometimes. The downside is that when you lose one, the other won't be far behind.
Carefully shearing small flocks throughout the South-West.

kelly58

  • Joined Mar 2013
  • Highlands, Scotland
  • Home is were my animals are.
Re: Pet Lambs
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2014, 11:31:40 am »
Ive kept two pet sheep together, one Suffolk cross wether, the other Cheviot ewe( she is now a 'ewe' as she had her first lamb on saturday  :excited:) Never had any problems  :thumbsup:
Have kept the pair of them in with my flock of Boreray too and no issues.

 

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