How to gradually make a small flock of sheep tamer?

SageHill

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 27, 2022
Messages
3,161
Reaction score
11,847
Points
473
Location
Southern CA
And this is what happens when they know you have treats …..
47C6AAE4-DB31-4FDA-A094-A5C951232517.jpeg

🤣🤣
 

Show Sebright

True BYH Addict
Joined
Mar 14, 2021
Messages
1,050
Reaction score
2,567
Points
263
Location
Orlando Florida
I’d say to train them on a halter so if anything ever happens you can just halter them and move em all quickly. Animal crackers are sheep crack so that will definitely get them to like you.
You can train your sheep to jump and come when called too.
 

Margali

Herd Master
Joined
Apr 23, 2011
Messages
1,683
Reaction score
7,027
Points
438
Location
Fort Worth, TX area
Being the occasional meany trimming hooves, etc will not ruin their trust of you. Trick is to run them thru setup chute /tie to fence several times before actually doing anything. Give a treat every time if they behave for you. They will learn brief aggravation gives treat!

I am currently working with my (new to me) ram on this. I greet him at the feeding station which is opposite side of corral from gate. He gets scratches and clipped to fence by collar. Sometime I leave him clipped and go in pen to clean. Other times he's released almost immediately.
 
Last edited:

jambi1214

Loving the herd life
Joined
Feb 11, 2021
Messages
193
Reaction score
353
Points
163
Location
Southeast Missouri
Just came to chime in. We got poorly treated and very flighty ewes last year and for so long I couldn't handle them and provide care they needed. Animals crackers made me new friends!! Something I should have done long before. Lesson learned :) food and love is the key. They also run to my husband for branches he breaks down for them. My herd now is handled as much as possible. Mainly katadhins, I spent lots of time with them this time of year just brushing and petting them. They love it and rub on me likes dogs. And the younger lambs see this and have started to come to me more. I do this minimally with ram lambs though! And now even after stressing them out a ton yesterday working them / trimming hooves, there attitude toward me hasn't changed. But they know I'm the food lady :)
 
Top