Simply Sheep

[Mini Horses]

Nice! They are looking good. Shine will come around...in a while. You should have some colorful lambs there in Spring. My goats would be all over those leaves!

 

[Beekissed]

Nice! They are looking good. Shine will come around...in a while. You should have some colorful lambs there in Spring. My goats would be all over those leaves!

I don't know if the sheep are eating any...haven't seen them. Their pen will be about belly deep in leaves this fall as I collect many, many bags to put in there for DL. Wonder if they will sample them then?

The ram's granddaddy is a big ol' black ram and he also has a red sibling, so it might be interesting to see what kind of colors I can get out of this bunch. The first colorful ram lamb I get that I like for personality will be my wether lamb companion for Jo for those times when he can't run with the ladies.

I don't think Shine will ever be friendly but if I ever keep another ewe lamb to fill out this tiny herd, I'm going to choose one for both conformation AND docility so that I can have at least one sheep that will be a pet for the grandgirls.

 

[Mini Horses]

Yep, those girls will want one to love on easily.

In 2018 I had a goat who delivered trips. Two right away, cleaned up nursing, then #3. She cleaned but wouldn't let it nurse. First 2 white & cream, last black & white...smallest. I made sure she had colostrum, held to teat & doe let her nurse but not thrilled. Long--short, she became a bottle baby. Stayed with & looked after by doe but, not allowed to nurse! I'd milk & bottle with does milk hoping she'd be allowed. Nope. So, Peanut became extremely human attached. To this day, she runs to me, follows like a puppy, still on small side. But such a cuddle bug!! One of those "keeper" types -- personality huge.

I hope you get one for your DGDs to love on. It's so sweet & fun. But then, I think all the lambs have THE cutest faces when babes. Sometimes a "pet" is worth their keep.

 

[tortoise]

I have bottle baby ewes that are 5 years old now. They are just so sweet. I wish all my sheep were that tame. (except the rams, learnt my lesson there)

 

[Beekissed]

@Mini Horses , noticed the ram gobbling up leaves today, so I'm guessing the sheep are liking leaves also. He'll founder himself on leaves if he keeps that up, as we have tons upon tons of leaves on the ground right now and will all season.

 

[baymule]

My sheep love the acorns that are falling now. Wild persimmons should be hitting the ground before too long.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I know nothing about sheep. But, wouldn't dry leaves have the same effect as coarse hay in the sheep rumen? I can't imagine there is much protein in them.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Interesting article on leaf feeding. Of course it refers to goats but should apply to sheep as well.
https://www.waldeneffect.org/blog/Feeding_tree_leaves_to_goats_for_winter_fodder/

 

[Beekissed]

I know nothing about sheep. But, wouldn't dry leaves have the same effect as coarse hay in the sheep rumen? I can't imagine there is much protein in them.

They seem to need that coarse, woody stuff in their diet to balance their rumen. Especially if graze is rich and in the fall, it's sometimes pretty rich if you have clover and tall fescue aplenty.

I save corn shucks until far into the winter and feed them then...they LOVE those, mold and all. Eat them like candy.

 

[CrealCritter]

Here if you cut pine in the fall, it is full of sap that is going to the roots for the winter. The sap crystalizes and preserves the wood. We call it lighter pine because it is a good fire starter. It also makes good fence posts and will last for years.

I've always called it Lighter Knot. But your right, its pine resin contained in the heartwood of pine wood. If your in the woods and need a quick fire when every thing is wet. Bust off a couple of pine branches from the main trunk. Those branches contain heartwood resin at the point where they were attached to the main trunk and will start a fire very easily.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatwood