Baymule’s 4th Lambing

[misfitmorgan]

We just wait until they are a couple weeks old and put the rope halters on them loosely with the lead dragging, when they stop fighting the halter and start ignoring it, we take it off. Rinse and repeat, until they no longer care when you put the halter on, then we start holding the lead...do that until they stop pulling and start acting normal, remove halter, rinse and repeat until they simply dont care anymore. Then start doing the halter on and walking, etc. It's all baby steps but it doesnt take long, like Roving said a few sessions and they are good to go.

Works the same with goats. As a kid Big boy was broke with a halter and then broke to a collar so he is completely fine with either one which makes him super easy to work with. Most all of our stock has had halters or collars on at some point and kids/lambs are so much easier then as adults. Put a halter on Ivy and she will try to kill herself getting it off...collar she doesnt care much.

I think any method you use the results are pretty quick. I know a lot of people do the fence tie thing Roving mentioned but only user supervision and I know the younger you start the easier it is and the less likely they will hurt themselves.

 

[Baymule]

Thanks for the tips. Patience and kindness is the winner.

 

[SA Farm]

Yeah, this is great! Thanks, guys. I’ll be using some of those ideas for my lambs too

 

[misfitmorgan]

That's is for you @Baymule. I made a lamb halter today to start training duke. This morning we had a 15 minute session with her just wearing the halter, she tired to rub it off a few times. The pictures are this evenings 20 minute session. After about 5 minutes she didn't care it was on and was busy trying to eat that box and play with her friend. Btw that's the boy bottle lamb next to her.

 

[Baymule]

Sheep halters are just sorta looped over their head and around their nose. Looks easy to rub off, how did you keep it on her?

 

[misfitmorgan]

Sheep halters are just sorta looped over their head and around their nose. Looks easy to rub off, how did you keep it on her?

I make my own halters for lambs/kids. They are smaller over the bridge of the nose and also stay snug better. They are just plastic baling twine braided and then made into a halter with an about 8" nose band. I think is just the material being not as smooth as the normal rope sheep halter that keeps it on better.

 

[Baymule]

I ordered one and it fell right off when it wasn’t kept tight. Good on you for making your own.

 

[Mini Horses]

Like goats, sheep can be trained. Start young. Most of my does wear collars, can be lead but they tend to pull you, unlike a horse who will work with voice & halter pressure commands. The goats/sheep can be trained -- takes longer & more patience than a horse. Halters, wow, lots of adjustments are best to fit their nose, head, etc. You can look at Jeffers and find halters. Personally, I find a heavy collar works well for a tie out. Both of my bucks are used to tie out and I can use them for that. My older one was the previous owners "lawn mower" LOL. She had him since bottle baby, so he's done that for years. Now, at over 200#, be sure he's tied tight! It sure helps them to be moved around when lead broke.


You needed a little something more to do, right??

 

[Baymule]

You needed a little something more to do, right??

How EVER did you know?

 

[misfitmorgan]

Just get three pieces of twine, tie a knot at one end, braid them, tie a knot at the other end, melt both ends into a smooth ball(not the knot itself). Measure 8" from the end of the rope and follow this tutorial.

Where he talks about the three loops lining up just shove it thru a spot on the braid. The entire process took me about 10 minutes including the braiding and melting.

I also made a horse halter/lead in the same style later that day just with a 5 strand flat braid instead.