Catching Sheep

There are situations in which you need to catch an individual sheep. If you don't have a handling system to assist you , you can use gates and panels to make a small catch pen. You should make the pen small enough that you don't have to chase the sheep. This will prevent any unnecessary stress for the sheep and you! Always approach sheep calm and slowly. Cup your hand under the jaw, not the throat. Point the sheep head up, you will be able to stop its forward motion. If you keep the sheep head up you can maintain control of it. Sheep have much more power when the head is down. If you cannot get close enough to grab the sheep under the jaw then reach for a hind leg or rear flank. Reach for the hind leg above the hock, then move you other hand up to control the head asap. Adult sheep are able to kick with power so this method works best for young lambs. You should never catch a sheep by the wool. This is painful, stressful and can cause bruising to their carcass.

Hope the start of breeding season is going well for all of you!

Andy Karras
Karras Farm

andy@karrasfarm.com
http://karrasfarm.com
http://eastfriesiansheep.com/

http://awassisheep.com/

Sheep Sense of Smell

The olfactory sense of sheep is highly developed and difficult for humans to relate to. A sheeps heightened olfactory system most likely incorporates olfaction more completely with their interaction of the natural environment.

In spite of humans inability to understand the full scope of a sheeps sense of smell, perhaps we get a hint when an odor triggers a long buried memory or emotion. The sense of smell is mysteriously linked to the core of human and divine sensibilities.

Sheep use sense of smell in numerous ways. One way often observed is when smell is used to identify other sheep, particularly when a ewe uses smell to identify her lamb. Another common use of smell is during mating. The ram moves from ewe to ewe detecting which ewe is in heat (estrus). The classic head raising, lip curling behavior of the ram as he smells estrus females is called Flehmen response. This trait is occasionally noticed in females due to a Vomeronasal organ in the roof of their mouth not found in humans.

Baaaaaa Baaaaa and have a great day!

Andy Karras
Karras Farm
karrasfarm@gmail.com