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ranchwithaview

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Hello, thank you for adding me. I am glad to find this site. We are new to sheep. We got lambs a few weeks ago. We have two. One was letting me pet him a lot today, which is unusual, and I noticed his eyes look different from the other, they are not siblings. Are his eyes Is it normal?

Thank you.
 

Sheepshape

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Welcome to the forum and to the world of sheep.

Contrary to what folk who don't know one end of a fleece from the other, sheep are not all alike and have very different personalities. Some love petting, others don't. What I'm not clear on is, had the lamb which recently enjoyed petting changed his behaviour and didn't previously like attention?

Does his right eye look different from the left, and, if so, has there been a change? Is he obviously blind in one or both eyes? (Flick your fingers near the eye to be tested and see if he blinks). A normal sheep eye has a rectangular pupil which constricts symmetrically in bright surroundings.

His pupil looks a bit strange to me, but a pic. from the side would show if there's the normal rectangular pupil if you can do that.

His eyelids don't look inflamed, and he doesn't have entropion (turning in of the eyelids).

Time for me to ramble..... I kept a totally blind ram a few years back. He coped extremely well. Leave his food/water in the same place and keep them out of fields with big holes etc. I currently have a partially sighted (and brain damaged ) ewe called Becky. She copes very well in a flock of ewes. A 'jumping ram' managed to get her pregnant last year, but she wasn't up to motherhood (so her lamb had to be bottle fed). Sheep are resilient creatures in many ways, though.
 

ranchwithaview

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@Baymule @AmberLops @Sheepshape Thank you for the welcome, and the help. The lambs are still new to us, we have had them a month now. They are lacaune and East Freesian cross. I think they are just warming up to us. After a week of seeing Peter get scratches, Mary has also decided they are good. She would let us pet her head previously, but not as much as Peter. Peter practically falls asleep at the fence he likes his scratches so much.

His eyes look the same on both sides. His pupils are rectangular, but I have a hard time soon the pupils on either one. And Peter seems to have sight.

It was a relief to get feedback and tips on what to look for. Thank you.
 
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Baymule

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Question, are you keeping them together? Is Peter a ram? Be aware that they can start breeding in age of as low as 2-3 months old. You don't want your ewe lamb bred too early.
 

ranchwithaview

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Question, are you keeping them together? Is Peter a ram? Be aware that they can start breeding in age of as low as 2-3 months old. You don't want your ewe lamb bred too early.
My mom asked me about that, but the farmer I bought them from didn't think they would breed before the fall. They are together. Peter is younger and smaller than Mary. Hopefully that will delay things. I would hate for them both to be alone.
 

Baymule

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How old are they now? You can build them a pen next to each other. If Mary gets bred too young, it can stunt her growth. Please get them separated. I have an "Oops" lamb right now. One of my ewes bred back less than 1 and 1/2 months after having twins. I did not get the ram lambs out soon enough.
 

Sheepshape

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Sheep eyes do vary quite a bit and some have bands of tissue in the iris which means the pupil dilates but the inner surface of the iris is irregular. If he can see with his eyes, then that is the best indicator that they are a normal variant. My near-blind ewe has eyes which look completely normal, but she sees very little.

Ram lambs can be very precocious.....and ewe lambs can come into season early....separate the sexes. I currently also have a tiny ewe lamb who had a lamb who is now almost as big as her......and she was separated from my ram lambs by 4 months. The fact that the ewe lamb may be his mother/sister/aunt etc. won't deter ram lambs.

Ram lambs often are more friendly than ewe lambs. Don't let him start to take liberties by 'play butting' you. This may seem almost charming with a baby lamb, but is downright dangerous with an adult ram. If he starts to play-butt, stop him, say 'No' loudly and make it clear you aren't going to accept that behaviour. Remember that YOU are head ram, and you demand 'civil' behaviour.
 
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