[kelly58]

Dont know if this is in the right place but here goes !
Could anyone advise me please ? l have a pet sheep, she is 2 this year. l wasnt going to put her to the tup but the farmer l got her off said it would be best and now ! She is pure Cheviot, my tup is a Boreray so the result wouldnt be big and make lambing difficult for her first time. She went in with him, he was interested but she just ran round the paddock yelling at me to let her out so after a while l did. Was it because it was her first time ?
Should l try her again or is it ok for her not to have lambs ?
The Boreray ewes are in with him, they didnt bother her, Had thought maybe because shes a different breed ?
Help !

Whats best for her 

[mab]

When you say you have A pet sheep I thought she might not be used to sheep, but then you said the ewes didn't bother her so that's probably not it.

I don't know so I can only guess:

If he's a different breed she might not be sure about him, and if he's being pushy (which he probably will if she's in season, I think) that may well be too much for her.

If she is in season now, you could try again over the next few days and see if he's a bit calmer if she's no longer in season and let her get used to him before she cycles again in 17 days?

Or keep her in an adjacent paddock for a few days 'til she gets used to him being near?

I'm sure someone who knows more than me will be along soon...

[Hillview Farm]

If you plan to bred from her then now is the best time to do it, leave it till next year and you risk her not getting in lamb as she will lay fat over her organs. The ram choice is good for easy lambing, put her in and ignore her, she'll be fine and they tend to run around when the ram goes in, no one wants to kiss on the first date!!  It's all perfectly normal

[kelly58]

Many thanks, will try her again tomorrow. She has been with a pet wether in the field next to the Boreray, l wouldnt leave a sheep on its own. 

[fiestyredhead331]

I put my Boreray tup in with my boreray ewes and a couple of boreray crosses and it took them a wee while to get used to them, he followed them around like a love sick puppy for days before one of them let him near her...then they all wanted a go....lol.I would put it down to them not being in season as they go in cycles as HF says.
What will be interesting is how she deals with her lamb/s as we find that the occasional pet sheep we have don't take to motherhood as well as the hill sheep, in fact one of them refused to have anything to do her offspring, and it was the next year so we've given up with her, much to her delight 

[SallyintNorth]

It sounds as though she's just not interested yet, kelly58.  He'll be interested to get to know her and sniff her, but on one day out of the next 17, she will return his interest! 

Could you put her in with the tup and put her wether in with them also, so she has her friend with her to settle her?   And yes, put her in, turn your back and ignore her pleas to fetch her back out!  Leave her in with the tup for 18 days at least.

Cheviot cross Boreray would be a very interesting fleece...    (Got some Cheviot dyed and drying now - it's dyed beautifully and I haven't seen any other fibre so very resistant to wet felting, so it's a great one for dyeing.)

[kelly58]

Thank you for the  feedback  Would the wether (Dillon) be ok in with the tup (Bill) or would  Bill feel
his dominance is being challenged ? Dillon is such a big dafty wouldnt want him to get hurt   
Your right about the Cheviot fleece, really thick and water resistant, beautiful !

[SallyintNorth]

I doubt the tup would feel threatened by the wether, especially as they've been next door to each other so aren't complete strangers - but of course do keep an eye to make sure they settle without undue fisticuffs.

[kanisha]

If the wether is such a softy he is likely to back off. I have in the past mixed my wether in when the ram is in with the ewes no particular problems to report.

[sarahdean_66]

some of my ewes wont let the ram close untill they r in season! and they have been put to him before with success so hes not a stranger to them!