[Jacob-list] Halter breaking rams

[Meg Steensland]

Sometimes works to let the sheep get a bit in front of you and nudge their butts with your knee and they think THEY are in charge of the adventure.  The jumping straight up an dhen smshing down and refusing to get up is a common 1st resonse to the halter experience.
   
  It is really worthwhile to break the ewes you are keeping as they can be walled two-by-two to the barn come winter.  Last year 2 ewe lambs were in a church pageant (2 diff churches really) and I was able to hand the leads to the costumed shepherds and they did well.  Only one of the last year ewes competed at the fair and the other just followed her like we had worked on it.

Linda <patchworkfibers at alltel.net> wrote:
          Well, the adventure begins.  The correct size halters arrived yesterday and today I got serious about halter breaking the boys.  Actually, it was a lot less exciting than I'd expected - not much of an adventure.  Not that I am complaining!  The most difficult part was putting the halters on while squeezing the ram lambs up against the fence with my leg to hold them still.
   
  I had the rams in a smallish pen, with a catch corner.  I picked three to work with and did three short sessions throughout the day.  The one ram that has always been a real bear to catch and work with (very spooky) was amazingly changed by the end of the day. Instead of hitting the fence at full speed trying to escape me, he resigned himself to being caught.  I doubt he's ready to be caught in an open field, but he seemed to realize that he was in a pen, there was no escape and he might as well give up.  Outside of the pen, he walked (granted, not very enthusiastically!) with me.  The second ram just figured right away that he might as well give in, but not without quite a bit of head shaking.  The third guy spent a couple minutes jumping straight up in the air.  He needs a bit more work *smile*.  
   
  Linda
 
  www.patchworkfibers.com
  Registered Jacob Sheep, Angora Rabbits, Handspun Yarn
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