It wasn't a fluke!!
Here I am. Staring out a far window into the pasture. Watching him suckle away till his hearts content.
Can't tell you why it took her brain so long to flip this switch. Just can tell you I'm absolutely over the moon about it!
I really did not want to cull this ewe. Very...
It's a miracle!
After the whole head restraint situation; she completely lost interest in him, didn't talk to him, ignored his cries etc.
Just went to hold her for a feeding and out of nowhere she started talking to him again. Curious, I gave some slack. She looked over at him. Gave his butt a...
An Update: I tried the headgate for a day and a half longer but gave up on that when she broke free repeatedly (turned out it was barn cats coming and going that was spooking her). I noticed he seemed to be doing really well despite her constant escapes so tried going back to just keeping her on...
I'm about to give up and let her go. She wrenched her head free again, almost snapped a tpost in half this time and knocked the top one loose. I was home to hear it. Almost sounded like a ups truck crashed into my carport. Because of how she did it, she managed to knock her halter down around...
She managed to flatten the Tposts last night after I went to bed somehow (looks like she eventually uprooted one by pushing forward and got the other loose the same way). Imgoing to try to use another tpost or 2x4 across the top to keep the posts together. At least she was still tied up by the...
No pallets, they're huge business here so get snapped up. I did however try to use a wall to keep her from swinging. The problem is tposts by themselves kind of have a lilbit of give and all she had to do was twist around to pry them apart or pull straight backwards to wedge them apart and slip...
VERY helpful. I was imagining something slightly different and was failing as a result. Not sure what I can use for the solid walls of it. With just the T posts it is super easy for her to pull free though.
Tried the headgate thing but she panicked and kept wrenching free. I'm maybe not imagining exactly what you're describing. Is there any chance you have photos or can doodle it? Google search turned up nothing helpful there.
Still not great. She will hold still for a very short period on her own but then starts spinning again as soon as she seems to realize what he's doing.
Only now when she spins to be face to face with him, she will headbutt him if he moves like he's going to come at her teat again (basically she...
They're definitely distant cousins. UF did genetic testing a while back and found they were distinctly two different breeds from different ancestors (they look slightly different too). They just got created in a similar way, to a similarly harsh environment. It's really amazing how the land...
EST, it was about 3am before I fell asleep (I'm a second shifter). He's still alive. Held her a few hrs ago but tempted to go with a makeshift headgate since she seems to be getting more and more agitated whenever I go out there.
FL crackers are supposed to be even more low maintenance than the...
Thank you all. I'm heading to bed now after she let him have another drink (Vicks wasn't needed, she didn't seem as put off by his smell this time but did resume spinning away from him as soon as I went to walk away).
Should know more tomorrow.
I've actually been giving her sheep cookies (ground whole grains moistened with a lil mollases and rolled into a ball or just squeezy buns if I'm lazy) so her reward is extra special for letting him nurse. Should I be trying to get her to eat pellets too while I have her?
Ohh I like this idea. Stick them parallel with each other and tie off the top with food and water directly in front of her that she can reach? I'll try this tomorrow before work.
Yeah nothing. Sold all my stuff when I sold the nubians because FL Crackers are pasture lambers.
Behavior wise: She sniffs and nuzzles him frequently and lays with him. Will not leave him. She nearly lost it when I caught him to check his mouth because he started crying loudly.
She seems to...