[Jacob-list] crow for dinner

[Linda]

Junco is halter broken, so I imagine once I got his horns, he just went back to "domestic" mode.  I've certainly had to 
drag rams to the gate while trying to keep them from attacking.  Let's not even get into the time I let Groucho graze 
in the yard!  I swear he spent the day hiding around the corner of the house waiting for me to come out.  That was a 
hard catch and a LONG walk.   If anything spooks Junco, I sure haven't found it yet!  He's an easy ram to handle, but 
still he's a ram - which was kinda my point to start with.  I think he is much more motivated, at least this time of 
year, by food than anything else.  He's kind of a pig.

Actually, I was not bending over - I've got enough sense to not try that.  A young girl as at a neighbor's farm with 
her parents and the farm owner in the pasture with the sheep.  She was observed squatted down, holding her hand out the 
ram.  She was quickly told to get away from the ram.  Not knowing much about sheep, she proceeded to back up, while 
still hunched down and with her arm still extended.  Perfect challenge position, which of course the ram responded to.  
Happily, with only some bruises for the girl.

Linda

On Tue, 22 Jun 2004 07:59:25 -0700, Penelope wrote:

>
>I raise goats that are of equal or greater size to the Jacob sheep.  Our
>breeding buck and the rams are buddies, but the buck out masses and out
>muscles the ram without even trying.  Many of the does are very tame.
>However, if they feel like it, for whatever reason, they will butt a person.
>I think it's an attempt at changing their place in the butting order.  Just
>checking to see if they can move up into your spot.  It doesn't stop me from
>going in with them, or for letting my child in with them.  But it does remind
>me that I need to be ready to  hold my place on the butting order if the need
>appears.
>
>My spouse, reading over my shoulder, adds that it sounds like a "head thrust"
>rather than a ram.  He says that would be the most delicate offensive move a
>ram could do.  Perhaps he was spooked by the snap.  Spouse adds, that having
>been rammed, he's had to fight the ram once he has the horns, work to hang on
>until he is on the other side of the gate from the ram.  Perhaps he thought
>you bending over was an offer to play head butting games.  Sheep body language
>is different from human body language.
>
>Spouse says go back to being proud of your gentle ram, who is also always
>going to be a Ram.

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