Lamb taming 101.....

[theawesomefowl]

I picked up my sheep yesterday: Sadie, a Katahdin/Dorper cross, and Amelia, a Katahdin/ Unknown hair ram cross.
They are adorable, soft and fuzzy! I will post some photos as soon as I can. They are only about 8-9 weeks old.
Problem is, they're terrified of me. (especially as they escaped twice and I had to chase them ) I'm trying to tame them with some grain, which they love, but does anyone have any other tips? I know I can feed them apple, etc. but they wouldn't eat it.

I have learned 2 important things about sheep so far:
1. They hate being chased.
2 Don't look them in the eyes.

 

[patandchickens]

Lawn chair (or cinderblock etc to sit on instead, if they are too freaky about the chair) and good book.

Seriously.

Just sit there in their pen, preferable if it's a small pen so they can't get too far away and forget about you, and read your book for an hour or two each day and IGNORE THE SHEEP. Even when they come over and sniff you and taste you, just ignore them. When it's been a few days of them easily coming over to sniff and sample you, you can happen to have a hand hanging down off the arm of the chair for them to sniff; at that point you can likely look at them or speak to them, but don't reach for them.

Also feeding them a little handful of grain or other nummies every day helps a lot. But the combination of that AND just sitting out there amongst them reading your book and ignoring them will be your fastest route.

And for heaven's sake fix things so they cannot POSSIBLY escape any more, since as you have observed it has the opposite effect

JME, good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[theawesomefowl]

Great advice! I think I'll take my biology test in there...why not?

 

[carolinagirl]

I got my Barbados Blackbelly sheep a couple of weeks ago and they were wild!! The ewe is 3 years old but the babies are only 3 months. I put a feed bag on the ground and held a pan of feed right next my leg. They were freaked out, but did eat it. Well, the ewe didn't but the little ones did. The next day they were much calmer about eating right next to me. Now I can pet them while they are eating. The ewe will eat out of a bucket I am holding, but I am not allowed to touch her. yet. We'll get there! They are all pretty used to me now and beg for food when they see me. they are calm when I walk around in their pen. The other day I took my 3 year old grandson in there though and they freaked out!! Total terror of that calm, quiet little kid. I guess they will get used to him too.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I have a more hands-on approach when I need to tame lambs, especially for halter training or showing. I will catch them (often in a corner or something) and halter them, and just handle them. Pet them, talk to them, sit with them, etc. Pat's method works great, but I am impatient and sometimes need animals to come around faster than that, and I generally don't have that much time to sit with them. Once you start handling them and petting them, walking them, etc, they'll learn you're not as scary as they thought.

 

[carolinagirl]

I have a more hands-on approach when I need to tame lambs, especially for halter training or showing. I will catch them (often in a corner or something) and halter them, and just handle them. Pet them, talk to them, sit with them, etc. Pat's method works great, but I am impatient and sometimes need animals to come around faster than that, and I generally don't have that much time to sit with them. Once you start handling them and petting them, walking them, etc, they'll learn you're not as scary as they thought.

I think I like this method better. So do you keep a collar on them so you can grab them easier? Or do you leave a halter on them? I really want to get these girls tamed down before their pasture is finished. Once they have a few acres to escape from me on I fear I won't make much progress taming them.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I have a more hands-on approach when I need to tame lambs, especially for halter training or showing. I will catch them (often in a corner or something) and halter them, and just handle them. Pet them, talk to them, sit with them, etc. Pat's method works great, but I am impatient and sometimes need animals to come around faster than that, and I generally don't have that much time to sit with them. Once you start handling them and petting them, walking them, etc, they'll learn you're not as scary as they thought.

I think I like this method better. So do you keep a collar on them so you can grab them easier? Or do you leave a halter on them? I really want to get these girls tamed down before their pasture is finished. Once they have a few acres to escape from me on I fear I won't make much progress taming them.

No, I really don't like using collars at all unless it's for a goat that is already calm and knows how to be led. Halters give you MUCH more control over the animal, and they won't choke themselves by pulling.

I just corner them in a small area when I catch them, and either catch them by a leg or under their neck. Sometimes I'll bribe them with grain.

 

[carolinagirl]

Can you leave a halter on them all the time?

 

[aggieterpkatie]

If you get a certain type of halter, I guess you could. I have the one-size-fits-all type, so no. I'd imagine sheep would get in trouble with halters on if they could....like getting caught on things or something. That would be my luck.

 

[carolinagirl]

This actually may not be as hard as I thought. Yesterday when I fed them, I picked one's front half up so it couldn't get away and just petted and rubbed her. She really didn't seem to mind and didn't struggle to get away. I did that to several of them. They adult ewe is a different story. As long as I can get the lambs tamed down I'll be happy.