[waterbuffalofarmer]

We're still waiting here!! I wish I'd not put 3 weeks now, the farmer is obviously busy with other things and weaning will happen when it happens.  He's got 100's of acres to finish harvesting and looks like he's just had a huge pile of lime delivered so I'm guessing he'll be doing that next.  Hopefully we'll get them shortly though as he did say another couple of weeks when hubby went for the corn for our chickens.
Re the sugarbeet, does it need to be soaked?  I'm asking from a horse background as we'd not feed dry sugarbeet due to it swelling, just wondering if it's the same?  I'll pick up some ewe nuts next time I'm passing the agri shop.  I'm so excited!

I feed my sheep sugarbeet pellets, but they do love mushy sugarbeet, I wouldn't advise it though!

[Old Shep]

Maybe volunteer to give your farmer friend a hand when he's weaning or doing anything else with the sheep so you get confidence handling them? He may or may not take you up on it (sometimes newby help is more of a hindrance) but it may be worth an ask?


And welcome - this forum is brilliant! It was a lifesaver for us when we unexpectedly inherited my mums flock of sheep 5 years ago - and I'm still learning now.

[TracyC]

I'd like to introduce Barbara, Dolly and Lucky - say hi
(Oh no I can't insert a picture as it is too big.....)

They are amazing and already feeding from our hands compared to running in the opposite direction like they were possessed!

Thank you to everyone who offered advice already.  We are going to continue to tame them as best we can.  We've been to the local agri store and they've given us some feed we can use to do that and probably will use as an actual feed through the winter.  At the moment they are on a paddock the ponies were on in the summer whilst we fix the garden we have (think more small field that the previous owner liked to call a garden when using his sit on lawnmower) to be sheep proof.  They will move in there and won't need any extra feed for a good while as the grass is right up.  Then the plan is to supplement them with hay and hard feed when winter hits so I will be back for advice then.

In the mean time, they have been wormed and treated for fluke prevention.....now to get used to how the should look so if and when they get a limp, I can notice it.  I am used to horses movement, not sheep just yet.

[twizzel]

Congratulations  we bought our first breeding sheep back in August- we penned them for the first 2 days whilst they were wormed etc and then they went out into a rather large field- I honestly thought I wouldn't see them again! The minute I walked into the field they were on edge and started walking away. Get them used to cake, doesn't need to be large quantities but a handful will do wonders. There will normally be 1 more inquisitive one out of the group who will come up and see what the fuss is about. Keep your distance and don't push things too fast. We have had our ewes 8 weeks now and they now come running to a bucket, and we can pen them up in the field/lead them to new fields or into the shed by rattling the bucket. I walk through mine at least twice if not 3 times a day, it has got them used to me and now some of them will wonder over and say hello. It just takes time but they will get there- enjoy them!

[TracyC]

How interesting thank you. Well I hues we must be really lucky as ours are eating from the bucket and coming to say hello already. They are really involved with our day to day activities as we have to go through them to the other animals and we feed them a very small amount of mix morning and night. A palm full. They seem to thrive on the routine which is good as routine I can do! They are so funny with my dogs who are on the other side of the fence to them. Very inquizitive and full of fun.

[twizzel]

Yes they love routine, ours did not appreciate a bucket being rattled at midday on Saturday and knew something was up (we needed to catch the ram). However same bucket rattling on Sunday morning at 8am and they were running up the field as fast as their legs could go 

[TracyC]