My lamb is a butthead

[PollyGirl21]

.....literally!

Normally, she's an angel. I raised my lamb, Winnie, by hand in the house the beginning of last summer after her mom rejected her. At the end of the summer we put her in the barn with the big sheep, and after months of bullying and exclusion, she is finally fairly settled in. The others accept her presence.
Anyways, recently she's been having a problem. She has started a very bad habit of butting us all the time. Whenever I reach in to pat her, she flattens her ears and tosses her head and tries to butt my hand. My little sister refuses to go near her anymore because the lamb is especially rough with her.
Just to be clear she is not afraid of us--she comes right up to me and baaaas for me when I leave.
I think she just wants to blow off some steam, after all she is the only young one in the flock and she doesn't have any other lambs to frolic or play fight with.
She is still smaller than the others, but I don't want this behavior to continue into her adulthood or someone could get hurt.

Is this just a phase? I've seen other lambs grow out of it before, but they were never quite as bad as Winnie. Should I use a spray bottle on her?
push her back?
Should I get her a playdate with a lamb from a neighboring farm....? (now this would be adorable)

Anyways, I just wanted to know what you all would recommend.

 

[HKG]

.....literally!

Normally, she's an angel. I raised my lamb, Winnie, by hand in the house the beginning of last summer after her mom rejected her. At the end of the summer we put her in the barn with the big sheep, and after months of bullying and exclusion, she is finally fairly settled in. The others accept her presence.
Anyways, recently she's been having a problem. She has started a very bad habit of butting us all the time. Whenever I reach in to pat her, she flattens her ears and tosses her head and tries to butt my hand. My little sister refuses to go near her anymore because the lamb is especially rough with her.
Just to be clear she is not afraid of us--she comes right up to me and baaaas for me when I leave.
I think she just wants to blow off some steam, after all she is the only young one in the flock and she doesn't have any other lambs to frolic or play fight with.
She is still smaller than the others, but I don't want this behavior to continue into her adulthood or someone could get hurt.

Is this just a phase? I've seen other lambs grow out of it before, but they were never quite as bad as Winnie. Should I use a spray bottle on her?
push her back?
Should I get her a playdate with a lamb from a neighboring farm....? (now this would be adorable)

Anyways, I just wanted to know what you all would recommend.

My goat would head butt my leg alot but I would just grab his head and push him back. I would also hold his head so he couldn't just walk away and do it again, just hold it for a couple seconds after she tries to pull it away. It is mostly in the rut that they will do this. He seemed to pick up on it but it seems to only be a one person thing if you are the only one pushing her back then she will learn to not head butt only you. I wold encourage your sister to do it as well. Don't encourage this behaviour at all. You want whatever you do to shoe them you sont expect this and it has to stop. Do you must be firm. I hope it works well, it isnt fun to get head butted. Let me know how it works out.
A play date would probably be great for her also

 

[PollyGirl21]

My goat would head butt my leg alot but I would just grab his head and push him back. I would also hold his head so he couldn't just walk away and do it again, just hold it for a couple seconds after she tries to pull it away. It is mostly in the rut that they will do this. He seemed to pick up on it but it seems to only be a one person thing if you are the only one pushing her back then she will learn to not head butt only you. I wold encourage your sister to do it as well. Don't encourage this behaviour at all. You want whatever you do to shoe them you sont expect this and it has to stop. Do you must be firm. I hope it works well, it isnt fun to get head butted. Let me know how it works out.
A play date would probably be great for her also

Thank you very much! I will try this.

 

[chickchicklife]

I made a new post if you guys could please check it out I need some help please!!

 

[cassie]

.....literally!

Normally, she's an angel. I raised my lamb, Winnie, by hand in the house the beginning of last summer after her mom rejected her. At the end of the summer we put her in the barn with the big sheep, and after months of bullying and exclusion, she is finally fairly settled in. The others accept her presence.
Anyways, recently she's been having a problem. She has started a very bad habit of butting us all the time. Whenever I reach in to pat her, she flattens her ears and tosses her head and tries to butt my hand. My little sister refuses to go near her anymore because the lamb is especially rough with her.
Just to be clear she is not afraid of us--she comes right up to me and baaaas for me when I leave.
I think she just wants to blow off some steam, after all she is the only young one in the flock and she doesn't have any other lambs to frolic or play fight with.
She is still smaller than the others, but I don't want this behavior to continue into her adulthood or someone could get hurt.

Is this just a phase? I've seen other lambs grow out of it before, but they were never quite as bad as Winnie. Should I use a spray bottle on her?
push her back?
Should I get her a playdate with a lamb from a neighboring farm....? (now this would be adorable)

Anyways, I just wanted to know what you all would recommend.

Bear in mind that rams are called rams because they ram things. Ewes are not quite as bad but they can be bad enough. You might keep a spray bottle handy when you go in the pen and give her a squirt of cold water in the face when she tries to hit you.