[Jacob-list] Jacob-list Digest, Vol 74, Issue 16

[Heather Hettick]

Hi Miranda,

Certainly, Jacobs can form attachments to people.  Bottle lambs usually do
and sometimes others do for various reasons.  Lavender is a bottle lamb, who
now fits well into our flock, but she still welcomes me when I walk the
pasture.  She lets me touch her but isn't a big petting fan.  I have a
couple Icelandic leader ewes who are big pets and like to be scratched and
fed treats.  They weren't bottle lambs but their leader background makes
them a bit predisposed towards humans.  Cotton, a Jacob yearling, will
occasionally come over and sniff me but otherwise isn't that tame.  I think
a lot of them check in to see if you have something good to eat and then go
about their business.  They trust me more than others who don't take care of
them too.  My husband has a terrible time if the sheep get out as they won't
follow him.

My sheep like to browse too - if they get out of the pasture.  They don't
have browse in their pasture, other than some overhanging trees, but we feed
them trimmings and weeds. I think it's the novelty of it plus the fact that
most of my bushes, small trees are fruit bearing - they get into the garden
too, so we try to avoid this happening.

Parasites can populate quickly especially in warm, damp weather.  Jacobs are
generally pretty resistant to parasites and heat, although I like to keep an
eye on the lambs just in case.  I have a small place and no good way to
rotate pastures so we are stuck dealing with parasites.  My Icelandics are
not as parasite resistant as the Jacobs, although I love them for other
reasons, but they sure keep me hopping during a hot summer like we've been
having.  Possibly, your merino is having similar problems.  Also, I think
Safeguard is one of those wormers that is becoming less effective as the
worms develop resistance.  You may want to worm again with something else.
I use Cydectin in bad cases.  Prohibit is good too and a bit cheaper.  If
she is anemic, you may want to give her molasses for a few days too. Your
Jacob's browsing is a good way to not pick up parasites off the ground too -
which may be part of why Jacobs has less trouble.

Heather Hettick
Moonstruck Farm
Creston, OH
www.moonstruckfarm.wordpress.com



  From: "Miranda Tanis" <gothorses at gotsky.com>
Subject: [Jacob-list] Worming and eating
To: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
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My Jacob is from Unzicker, and a Huntsberger cross, she enjoys spending time
with me and we have bonded very well, but when she is out to pasture, she
refuses to eat the grass, instead she eats whatever thorn and raspberry
plants she can reach, and when those are gone she stands at the fence
wanting more. Is this normal? And do Jacobs form bonds with humans even when
they are with other sheep?

Also, I have a Merino who has never had any chemicals, but was raised all
natural, her previous owner gave me some of the dewormer he used, and when
that was all gone, I switched to Safeguard, 2 weeks after deworming, she has
a large parasite load, and dropped a lot of weight, should that have
happened?

Miranda Tanis