Thank you for the information, I have recently seen sheep in pet stores around Easter :o Can you imagine someone buying one for a pet with no experience...

Of course I had to add a picture of my girls :) I have 7 in all, they are for dog training and wool production, no "extra" fun or lamb/mutton here :)

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Thank you very much Ms Dee for another very well written and informative story. Not sure if I will ever look at sheep and goats in the same way though. lol I especially enjoyed the, who is training who part. Humans often seem to underestimate the intelligence of animals. I look forward to your next contribution. Again, Thank You.
:blush:

vary interesting and fun to read :wub:

Is there a way of telling whether a ewe is in estrus or not?

I have also heard that syphilis came from sheep....is this false?

Thank you for posting a very imformative article please accept my 10 as a thanks. :beer:

1)Sheep go into estrus or heat when the daylight decreases in the fall. The breed of sheep my also affect individual onset of estrus. There are no external signs of sheep estrus. The ram will rest his chin on the ewe’s rump, if she walks away, not in the mood. If she stands still, she is receptive, this is called a “standing heat”, for obvious reasons. The ram will mount and breeding will occur. The length of the coitus is very short, but will be repeated many times during the day. Once sheep cycle, they will continue to come into estrus every 15 to 17 days until successfully bred or until they reach the anestrous period. Gestation in ewes lasts for 144 to 152 days, depending on breed and season of lambing.


2)The causative agent of syphilis, Treponema pallidum is a pathogen with only one known host- humans. The organism has been unable to be cultivated in vitro, and the only successful growth of the pathogen outside human tissue is in rabbit testes. Untreated syphilis goes into the brain tissue ,causing memory loss, personality changes,confusion, and finally "insanity."

Great info!! Thanks for the reply!

Thank you for all your information, you have really helped me to open my eyes up as to which breed to get and the time care and attention they need.

A note of caution:

As stated elsewhere by Ms Dee, putting a goat or sheep on it's back is a risky proposition. All ruminants, by definition, have a huge "forestomach" full of half-chewed forage. Putting pressure on their belly can push this up the throat, into the airway. They Die. While more likely on their back, it can also occur standing, if pressure is applied. Personally, I highly recommend planning ahead, and putting her in a stall 12 hours or so ahead of time, with restricted intake.

Obviously, you can't do so if she's not your critter. No fencehopping-- don't threaten other people's animals..... :sick:

If your sheep is used to your presence, putting your hands on top of her rump will have one of 2 responses: Tossing her head and jumping away (not tonite), or standing quietly, possibly while looking back at you out of the corner of her eye, maybe holding her tail out slightly and wiggling it (please do....).


:D

My sheep were very used to my presence, they were my pets. I was there at their births… raised them and was a constant presence. Touching of any kind was most often responded to by movement, unless it looked like I had a grain bucket…… Usually the wiggling of the tail is followed shortly by the passage of stool....

Sheep do not develope the same response based human interactions in the way that dogs can and do. Dogs have an intimate relationship with humans because we are part of their pack. Wolves work together for a common goal, and have a complex social structure. Sheep are herd animals and the respond as a group to a threat by running first and asking questions later. You can watch them .... run... then turn back after and see if whatever that spooked them was really that bad. That is because the curious sheep becomes dinner first. :D

This post has been edited by ms deelight on Oct 8 2008, 04:42 AM

I certainly never meant to imply that your sheep were not used to your presence, only that mine regard me as a member of their herd--- a male member.......... :whistling: