One try and that was it? It's painful that people don't take the time to educate themselves or even try with an animal they do not understand. Maddening.Everyone shut in and accounted for.
The sheep are a bit of a tragedy. I expect you'll understand.
We used to have a Ram. The people who own the sheep wouldn't manage the sheep and the ewes produced one lamb after another. The ewes who lambed the most got mastitis and couldn't feed their lambs. Towards the end I was getting goats milk from the farm down the track so the lambs had a least some colostrum. That's four feeds a day minimum and of course there are some you end up having to tube feed.
I'll whinge a bit here.
Every fool knows that sheep need shepherding. You keep them in a small field, fenced in and they strat getting ill and lazy. I started taking them out myself after a while. The Ram was a bit difficult.One day I got told that someone else was going to look after the sheep and take them out as a form of exercise for that person. I saw their first attempt. They had gone to walk the sheep and the Ram had said no.
They had the Ram shot a few days later.
So no, no lambing for the foreseeable future. The ewes are overweight but well fed and generally cared for as well as one can when the don't get walked and grazed.
Well, perhaps the sheep can consider themselves “retired” and hopefully there won’t be any more “Pastoral” additions to the property. Sheep are awfully high maintenance thanks to the centuries of breeding. I do feel sorry for the ram though, he was probably just doing his job, and someone without a lick of common sense took it the wrong way. That is almost the way things are going here with the cattle. Afraid of the bull, but won’t take the time to understand herd dynamics or the natural behaviors, then getting scared and angry when he doesn’t do what they think he should. Gus wasn’t raised roughly and has never worn a nose ring, so he doesn’t react quite the same as the last three bills have. And they don’t like his color, they think he looks “mean”, even though he’s just a big sweetie
Araucanas should be a good fit with the flock I have & especially the Campines. I think they have Langshans, bantam & standard, which I may consider...I just really don't know & John has ideas of his own ~ which is why I prefer not to bring him. He'll want something I'll have good reasons to turn down & it will take ages to explain...
I've just heard they have 2 Araucanas. I've asked them to hold them as well. No Wyandottes but... 
there are no hiccups, they have actually held these birds & it all works out according to plan ~ especially as the man is coming as YD was not available. I would rather YD. She is totally calm & unflappable.
