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09/18/08, 12:17 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Pa
Posts: 1,166
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Cows came home this morning plus a surprise
DH bought a small herd of bred heifers and one bull. They were supposed to come this Saturday, but ended up at our place at 12:45am.
So there we found ourselves unloading a cattle truck when I've normally been asleep for hours. It was dark and we were all tired and the cows wouldn't come off the trailer. DH climbed on board to get them moving when all of the sudden he yells out "what the heck is THIS???"
"Oh yeah," says the hauler... "I forgot to tell you there's an extra on board."
"Well, what is IT?" again asks DH.
Now I'm curious, but outside the trailer I can't see much. So I climb up the side to get a better look and see something small and black darting under the heifers.
Our driver is laughing now and tells me it's a calf - doesn't look like any calf I've ever seen but then again, it's dark and hard to tell.
Moments later the cows run off the trailer and out comes the new "calf."
sheep with one of our calves
Seems the thing has lived as a cow for 5 years and does not know it's a sheep. It hopped on the trailer and every time they threw it off it came right back on. So, he came with the rest of the herd!
We're naming it Cousin It 'cause we can barely tell what's under all that wool!
Made me laugh when I needed it.
Last edited by Peace n Quiet; 09/18/08 at 12:41 PM.
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09/18/08, 12:25 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Posts: 606
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Lori
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09/18/08, 01:15 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 1,881
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Way too funny!
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09/18/08, 01:45 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: NW-IL Fiber Enabler
Posts: 10,215
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nom, nom.
fiber on the hoof!
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09/18/08, 01:49 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: northcentral MN
Posts: 14,383
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Looks to me like you'd better start looking for a spinning wheel and loom. 
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"Do you believe in the devil? You know, a supreme evil being dedicated to the temptation, corruption, and destruction of man?" Hobbs
"I'm not sure that man needs the help." Calvin
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09/18/08, 03:03 PM
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Very Dairy
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Dysfunction Junction
Posts: 14,603
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OMG, reminds me of the news article from a few years back about a sheep that hadn't been shorn in (how many??) years ... he looked about like that one!
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"I love all of this mud," said no one, ever.
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09/18/08, 03:37 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 46
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For a Shetland type sheep (which that appears to be), that looks like a year's growth to me. I started with Shetland's, so hearing people talk about a 2 to 4" wool length for spinning confused me, as I was getting 5 to 10" lengths. They are crazy wooly creatures.
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09/18/08, 04:13 PM
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Almst livin the good life
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: W. Washington State
Posts: 1,126
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Great story, and cute picture too!
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09/18/08, 04:30 PM
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My kids have hooves
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Central Virginia
Posts: 2,224
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LOLOL! That is the funniest and the cutest story I've heard in a while! 
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Beth ~ Old Church, VA
3 Nigerian Dwarf goats, 4 cats, 3 Pekin ducks and 7 chickens. One very patient husband~
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09/18/08, 04:57 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: New York bordering Ontario
Posts: 4,786
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That's funny! Looks like the cows got to keep their pet.
Jennifer
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-Northern NYS
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09/18/08, 05:00 PM
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SW FLORIDA HAPPYLAND
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 440
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Bless Its Baby Heart For Tagging Along. What A Blessing For You.
Mom
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WOULD THAT ALL WOULD FOLLOW THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND PARTAKE OF HIS GOODNESS.
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09/18/08, 05:09 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: GA & Ala
Posts: 6,207
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Awh I loves me some sheeps..they are adorable. What a great surprise!
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Be yourself - no one can tell you that you're doing it wrong!
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09/18/08, 05:19 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Pa
Posts: 1,166
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Glad you all got a laugh from my story. We're still chuckling here too.
But I don't know the first thing about sheep! (other than the little kids want one to try their hand at mutton bustin)
I need to hear from all the sheep people on this board. What do I do with it??? Special needs? Can he/she/it stay with the cows? The guy that sold us the cows says it always hung around the cows at his place and never wanted any part of the other sheep!
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09/18/08, 05:44 PM
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Almst livin the good life
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: W. Washington State
Posts: 1,126
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Sure, don't see why it would not be ok for it to stay with the cows. I think there are a lot of opinions on sheep raising. IMO, grass hay is all they need. Our sheep have always wasted more alfalfa than they eat. Unless the sheep is a ewe and is bred, you should not need to feed any grain. If it kind of squats to pee while lifting it's tail, it's a girl. You will probably need to worm it at least twice a year, and give it at least an annual CD&T vaccination. Access to minerals is good, but many folks avoid cattle/horse minerals for sheep because of high copper levels. Oh yea, it will benefit from hoof trimming at least once a year, maybe more depending on your climate/ground that it's on.
You might want to give it grain to tame it to make it easier to catch when you need to work on it or give meds or to shear it!
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09/18/08, 07:56 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Michigan's thumb
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That sheep does look a little long in the wool. If you can, take a ruler and measure the staple (length of wool). You may need to shear it soon. If you do it now, he'll have enough coat to be fine in the winter. When the shearer comes out, have him also trim the hooves and give you an idea of the health of the animal. Don't expect the shearer to catch the sheep, try to have it contained when he gets there.
Sheep can't have cattle minerals because of the copper content. He also should probably not have grain, maybe a little handful of oats in the winter if you are graining the cattle. Sheep prefer forbes (weeds) while cattle prefer grass. Your sheep will not be taking anything from the cattle. Since he's been with the cattle all these years and obviously considers them to be his herd, don't worry about keeping them together.
That fleece looks like Black Welsh Mountain, but the coloring on the face is not. BWM will have beautiful coal black fleece at the base.
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09/18/08, 08:48 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Pa
Posts: 1,166
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Cousin It's wool is very long. Nearly touches the ground through the hindquarter. Here in NE PA it's already becoming quite cool. We've been known to have snow by Halloween. Is the climate too harsh to shear this late, or would I be better off waiting? The sheep will be out on pasture most likely, with only run-in sheds for cover. I do have a barn but don't think it would do well being separated from the herd and there are no animals kept in the barn at all.
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09/18/08, 10:48 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 2,894
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I hope the cows and the "cousin" will be very happy at your place!
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09/19/08, 08:37 AM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Oregon
Posts: 1,092
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If it's used to being a cow I'd let it be. ON the wool...I don't think I'd shear her until spring. If it gets to be too much it will start to pull out on it's own, but I would be leery of leaving her naked right now. Our neighbors haven't sheared in three years and their sheep (Shetlands) are doing just fine, even in our temperate climate. I loved the story, btw, that's a good surprise.
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09/19/08, 12:16 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,656
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what a cute story and nice suprise.
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09/19/08, 12:24 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: South Georgia
Posts: 903
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I'm still wondering why they were delivered in the middle of the night.
???
SBJ
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