# So I got A sheep. PIC ADDED!!!



## MindyLee (Oct 6, 2013)

So I brought home A lil male sheep the other day from a farrier client. She had about a doz in a stall that she wasnt sure what to do with cause they all where really and I mean really tiny in size. She said they where too tiny to pay to butcher and too tiny to breed. Said they where muntants. I fell in love with one and she said take it! And how glad she was that I wanted one as a pet.

SOOOOOO

I now own a tiny 14.5" 23lb black face Scottish sheep who was bottle fed and is super cute and friendly. He is this springs baby and I just love him. Not sure why hes called a black face as its white with lil black spots and a pink nose. He has tiny pencel legs with black spots too and white fleece. However NO fleece on his head or legs. My hubby named him Serta like the mattress sheep. This lil guy just loves my 30" lil mare Zarie and fits right under her belly.

Sorry for no pics as they are on my phone only BUT I did have a question if anyone out there can answer it...

Is he too old to be banded? He was born this spring so I believe he is approx 6-8 months old.

Thanks!!!


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## REO (Oct 7, 2013)

I don't know if he's too old to be banded. But I'm dying to see photos of him!!!




He sounds SO cute!!


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## Shari (Oct 7, 2013)

Yes, yes, please do band him. Pet Rams, no matter how small are just out and out dangerous.

And no he is not too old.

With sheep... make sure they are both down and stay down before closing the band. Sheep, specially small ones, can hid those things like no other.

With mine... DH held them, closing his eye and cringing.. .. and I would milk the testis down, band and before I let go, make sure they were still down and then quickly remove the banding tool.

Would do it as close as the body as possible, but at the same time, not getting the tiny false teets, caught in the band. Only some rams have them.
Make sure he has his CD&T shot.

That way you will have a calm safe pet wether.


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## Helicopter (Oct 7, 2013)

Don't care what people say I reckon sheep are really smart.

I have a crossbred who is about 5 years old. Had her since she was 5 days old. Her name is Lamington. She is so lovely. Thinks she is a horse. She hangs mostly with the old Arabian and the old girl lets her do anything.

A few days ago I was given another poddy lamb who, of course, thinks I am mamma. Think I'll call her Tiddles.

Your little fellow is so tiny. He's lucky to have found you.


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## Marty (Oct 7, 2013)

I like sheep but I wondered what the heck I'd do with one! i don't knit and I don't think they give milk......











So I guess they are nice pets?

Congratulations on your little sheepy!


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## MindyLee (Oct 7, 2013)

UPDATE!

Serta was banded tonight and oh boy do I feel soooo bad for him. I know hes in a great deal of pain and I feel so bad for him BUT know this needs to happen. I keep telling him (tho he dont understand) That this is for his own good and a few days of pain is worth not freaking about girls he will never get the rest of his life. A friend of mine did his banding as she used to raise/breed/show these types of sheep. She fell in love too and could'nt get over how tiny he was at his age. She did a look over for me and said besides being under weight he has wonderful conformation for his size and nice wool. She too agreed that banding him was a great ideal as he will be happier when he is older.

So Serta is in a stall where he can deal with his pain in peace and away from the mini horses. That way I can monitor him closly for any issues that could happen. He is up to date on his CDT and worming and will be getting a booster in 2 weeks. I will also be getting him some DQ feed and feeding him some green quality grassy hay to help with his new diet for weight gain.

I will try and get some pics tomorrow with the camera and share some pics as he is too cute for words!


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## Shari (Oct 8, 2013)

They have a little pain at first,,,, but it numbs up pretty fast. Some lambs don't notice and others, tend to have dramas.

Sure your friend with sheep has talked to you about the copper issue?

Sheep are a lot of fun Marty, most are, super smart.

I halter train all mine.

Some make great pets. Have a little brown Finn ewe lamb that I ended up with... she haltered train out very fast, loves people and attention.
Thinking of shearing her soon, so I can handspin her fleece.

Finn fleece, also felts well, so you can make all kinds of crafts products.

Also have three Katahdins, also halter trained and used to being handled. But I have hoping to add more colored Finns as I can.
Right now, mine are doing an important job of being lawn mowers. Which means less work for me.

(used to raise Brecknock Hill Cheviots for years)

Can't wait to see photos of your Scottish black face wether. They are wonderful sheep. You should learn to spin or felt!


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## anoki (Oct 8, 2013)

Marty said:


> I like sheep but I wondered what the heck I'd do with one! i don't knit and I don't think they give milk......
> 
> 
> 
> ...


But Marty....you own a herding dog!!!!!!






See where I'm going with this??? LOL

Yes, I bought some sheep last fall, JUST so I could work the dogs more frequently. Well, to be truthful, I've always loved sheep....so it was a good enough excuse!





Just be careful.....you don't want to try to replicate my sheep surfing photo!!





Can't wait to see pics of your little guy MindyLee. I have 3 Black Faced Dorper/St. Croix cross and 1 Black Faced Dorper/Cheviot cross. Hoping to get another group in the next year, as I have too many dogs for number of sheep to work every day.....

~kathryn


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## Carolyn R (Oct 9, 2013)

You have to get some pics on here! Love all critters, but sheep, oh so cute! Love the name!


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## MindyLee (Oct 9, 2013)

Here He IS!

Standing next to my 30" & 32" mares.

Serta the lil male sheep. Too Cute!!!

ENJOY!


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## chandab (Oct 10, 2013)

I don't know how bad sheep are with them, but be careful with him and his horns around your horses. [some animals with horns can get onery and try to use them.]

He's very cute.


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## MindyLee (Oct 10, 2013)

I got lucky! He was born and raised around mini horses.





I actually caught them two mares chewing on his horns and fleece and he loved it.

LOL


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## Shari (Oct 10, 2013)

He is adorable!


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## anoki (Oct 10, 2013)

He is cute!!!!

~kathryn


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## Marsha Cassada (Oct 10, 2013)

A new adventure!

Don't know about a sheep with horns being a danger to your horses; definitely wouldn't keep a horned goat with them. Are castrated sheep called wethers, like goats? You will have a fine pet!

One winter in South Dakota back in the 60's when I was a little kid there was a terrible blizzard. It lasted 3 days. Cattle were buried or drifted across the Missouri river and drowned. It was terrible. My dad went out one morning and there was a young lamb by the barn! No one within 50 miles of us had sheep. We had no idea where she came from and never found out. She still had a long tail. She stayed with us for a year.


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## REO (Oct 10, 2013)

He's SO cute!!!!!!!

I hope your mares don't kick the little guy. Would they give you another tiny sheep to be a friend for him?


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## MindyLee (Oct 10, 2013)

Im not worried about the horses at all. I had pigmy goats a few yrs ago and both had horns and lived for ys with my mares. both mares in the pic adopted Serta as if its their new baby. All 3 are stuck to each other like glue. The bay is the buckskins mom and the buckskin acts like the sheeps mom. And these 2 mare r at the bottem of the pecking in the heard. So I seperated them and serta is with them and they r happy to have a buddy that dont pick on them. I get all 3 running and its cute cause both mares run slow so serta can keep up and they let him sleep in the leantoo with them. I wish I got a pic where the buckskin and serta was back to back snoozing in the sun. Lol

But if there's any sign of harm to anyone...I would defently seperate so no one gets hurt or killed.


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## shorthorsemom (Oct 11, 2013)

Marsha Cassada said:


> A new adventure!
> 
> Don't know about a sheep with horns being a danger to your horses; definitely wouldn't keep a horned goat with them. Are castrated sheep called wethers, like goats? You will have a fine pet!
> 
> One winter in South Dakota back in the 60's when I was a little kid there was a terrible blizzard. It lasted 3 days. Cattle were buried or drifted across the Missouri river and drowned. It was terrible. My dad went out one morning and there was a young lamb by the barn! No one within 50 miles of us had sheep. We had no idea where she came from and never found out. She still had a long tail. She stayed with us for a year.


Hey Marsha, did you see the tragic snow storm South Dakota just had this week? Reminds me of your post. Horrible, no power and at least 75000 or more cattle froze to death. A repeat of your 60s snow storm. missed the news somehow and only just now is making some news stories. they are calling it the storm that never was.


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## Debby - LB (Oct 11, 2013)

I want some sheep! the man down the road has little sheep I think they are Katahdins. I've been meaning to research how easy they are to keep because I need something to eat all this grass. Since I don't' have all the horses anymore I'm having to mow a lot and diesel is so high. Your little is guy is so cute!! I'd be scared to death to have horns in with my 2 little mares though so no horns for me lol. Good luck with him!


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## shorthorsemom (Oct 11, 2013)

He is adorable, a friend of mine has a couple of huge sheep that he gets somebody to come in and take off the fleese. . I think about sheep, but don't want the dewooling job, I always wondered if folks allergic to wool can pet sheep. haha. I have goats with horns but they don't mix with my horses. Funny though, my minis aren't fond of the goats anyway, but enjoy their company with a shared fence line, but can't stand when the goats wiggle under the fence to share their space. My horned goats can't wiggle under the fence, but my dehorned goats can wiggle through the tiniest little gap they created themselves by digging a hole to lay in at the gate. A neighbor mixes goats and sheep in their herd together with their cows one big happy family.


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## Debby - LB (Oct 11, 2013)

These sheep my neighbor has he calls hair sheep. There is no shearing so I like that part!


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## CZP1 (Oct 11, 2013)

He is adorable!!


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## anoki (Oct 11, 2013)

Yes, there are 'hair' sheep, raised for meat (katahdins, st croix, dorper for example) and wool sheep that are raised for their fleece.

Just depends what market you are wanting to get into

~kathryn


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## shorthorsemom (Oct 11, 2013)

wow, never heard of a hair sheep, will have to google that one.


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## Shari (Oct 12, 2013)

I have Hair sheep, and now a Finn ewe. Decided to get at least one with wool, as I hand spin. Do plan on getting at least one more Finn.

Hope you do not mind me sharing.

This is the newest,, she is the Finn ewe







Here I have two pure Bred Katahdin and one Katahdin/Dorper/StCroix, they have a job, being lawn mowers. They are "Hair" sheep. If you want ones that fully shed, get the old line pure bred Katahdins.
Not the crosses.

The crosses with Droper, like the boy on the right... need some help fully shedding out. In fact, he still has a tuff of hair left, I couldn't get off.


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## anoki (Oct 12, 2013)

Shari, Yes, I've found that with my dorper/st croix they don't fully shed out....and the cheviot/dorper I have to shear.

I like your Finn...don't know much about them.....

~kathryn


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## Shari (Oct 13, 2013)

If all the Finn's are like her... they are super people friendly, easy to halter train and handle and wonderful to have around. Hear their fleece is both good for felting and hand spinning. Her's feels sooo soft!


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## Riverrose28 (Oct 13, 2013)

_Mindy your new little guy is beautiful. Back in the 80's we had a barbadoes sheep, she was brown and black and looked like a goat, I had to bottle feed her and hubby built me a play pen so I could keep her in the bedroom till she was old enough to stay outside with the minis. She was self shedding. We haven't had sheep for years, but this year at the fair there were some Old English Baby Doll sheep that were so cute, and now I want one!_


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