Author Topic: who ever said sheep were stupid? (Read 20096 times)

Buffy the eggs layer · « **Reply #45 on:** August 11, 2015, 09:04:25 am »

I agree with the middle leader thing and my sheep also come to me for security when the rabbit men are are in the field to reduce the bunny population. I deliberately stand in the field so my sheep feel safe and dont keep running about in panic. If the drag hunt goes by I let them out of the roadside field as it passes and they stand with me. Then follow me back in when its passed.

I think the social / leadership / pecking order is complex in all my animal groups and not a simple domino effect. All my most self assured, independent "leader" birds and animals take a middle or center role and are never bolshie or bullying. My horses were the same. Any animal who questioned their position would receive a measured response that reinforced the message. But most of the time the highest ranking go unnoticed.

I have a my own personal theory that as very few animals feed each other beyond weaning as LRR said. Then providing food establishes some form of relationship hierarchy similar to mother and offspring. Im not sure what that arrangement signifies to them. They know that I am not their mum but the calling them and feeding them routine does establish a relationship beyond cupboard love. And perhaps its the calling that establishes this rather than just the food offer, as people that pour food from the back of tractors dont always seem to establish the same rapport.

At the end of the day though I suppose the more time that you spend with them in a calm relaxed manor, reliving the occasional itch, their pain, their hunger and their thirst.Not to mention getting them out of trouble! They've gotta think your pretty great right?

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #46 on:** August 11, 2015, 09:47:32 am »

I think animals associate sounds with food. For example when i start the tractor up the buffalo start running to the fence thinking am gonna put a bale out for them, even in summer sometimes!

My point is..... animals associate noises with certain things, routine I guess. I once rescued a sheep from a dog which had cornered her, one of the expensive big dogs you can buy(I think it was a dogue de bordeaux?) anyway I never had a gun with me, but I chased it off by looking really angry and shouting and it ran away. The owners who had lost it were thankful to have it back, but I said to them that it was worrying my livestock and if it happened again I was perfectly within my rights to shoot the dog (I never saw it again). Anyway when I was chasing the dog away the poor sheep (which was a pet) followed behind me and stuck close to me never leaving the back of my legs and was bleating all the time, she then followed me to the gate. I thought that was really sweet

Buffy the eggs layer · « **Reply #47 on:** August 11, 2015, 10:27:48 pm »

We were out trying to repair the tractor (again!) this evening and the lights and activity in the barn lead to the piglets sitting patiently at their field gate and eventually failing asleep in the grass. It's a warm night so I suppose they would be just fine but I decided to ask them to follow me to their shelter and I crept inside in the dark. The trundled in with me grunting and I threw clumps of straw over them which they seemed to appreciate as they wandered to the back of the shelter and promptly went to sleep. They are soo endearing. I could quite easily have snuggled up with them.

But instead I crept out and tried to remind myself that they are porkers not pets..... $:-\$

Ideation · « **Reply #48 on:** August 12, 2015, 12:05:49 pm »

Quote from: Buffy the eggs layer on August 11, 2015, 09:04:25 am

I agree with the middle leader thing and my sheep also come to me for security when the rabbit men are are in the field to reduce the bunny population. I deliberately stand in the field so my sheep feel safe and dont keep running about in panic. If the drag hunt goes by I let them out of the roadside field as it passes and they stand with me. Then follow me back in when its passed.

I think the social / leadership / pecking order is complex in all my animal groups and not a simple domino effect. All my most self assured, independent "leader" birds and animals take a middle or center role and are never bolshie or bullying. My horses were the same. Any animal who questioned their position would receive a measured response that reinforced the message. But most of the time the highest ranking go unnoticed.

I have a my own personal theory that as very few animals feed each other beyond weaning as LRR said. Then providing food establishes some form of relationship hierarchy similar to mother and offspring. Im not sure what that arrangement signifies to them. They know that I am not their mum but the calling them and feeding them routine does establish a relationship beyond cupboard love. And perhaps its the calling that establishes this rather than just the food offer, as people that pour food from the back of tractors dont always seem to establish the same rapport.

At the end of the day though I suppose the more time that you spend with them in a calm relaxed manor, reliving the occasional itch, their pain, their hunger and their thirst.Not to mention getting them out of trouble! They've gotta think your pretty great right?

"as people that pour food from the back of tractors dont always seem to establish the same rapport".

No true, the sheeo for the rapport with the tractor rather than the person!

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #49 on:** August 12, 2015, 12:14:27 pm »

One of the reasons for Down sheep being so docile is generally held to be that the breed originally grazed the downs (which are actually hills - confusing, eh) during the day and came down to the in-bye land overnight, where their dung fertilised the arable fields. The shepherd was therefore with them all day. I doubt they'd view a quad bike in quite the same way.

Ideation · « **Reply #50 on:** August 12, 2015, 12:18:34 pm »

Its funny. I used to keeper on an estate, the sheep were fed from a snacker in the fields by the farm manager on a red quad. . . . . when they saw the keeper (me) with driving a red quad with a hopper on, they would go mad chasing me around the place calling.

Womble · « **Reply #51 on:** August 12, 2015, 12:31:18 pm »

We used to live next to a field of cows. When they saw us come out of the house, they'd panic and run away. Then we'd get into the car and they'd say "Engine! must be food!" and come running. Then we'd say "cows! let's go and say hello to them", then.........