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The sheep and the goats


heartstrings

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We played music at a benefit today, got home unloaded our gear and then I fed my sheep, After they had eaten all of the feed I just stood there and watched them for several minutes. Presently Sissy, the friendliest one, came over and stood in front of me and I began stroking her back. I seconds I heard hooves bouncing on the hard turf and as I turned toward the sound, Rocket was already there. When he saw me facing him, he stopped in his tracks and stood there with a threatening gaze. I didn't have my shepherd's crook so I kicked out at him. Instead of retreating he made like he was going to attack. So I held up the feed can as a warning and he stood down. I will make it a point to take my crook from now on and be ever more alert, especially when petting his girls.. When I returned to the house, I warned everyone again of his aggression. I don't think I will allow my wife in the pasture with Rocket anymore.

Had I not gotten into raising sheep, I would have never dreamed the rams could be so dangerous. It appears that shepherds not only have to be on guard to protect the sheep; but must be on the alert to protect themselves from the sheep as well. Not doing so has resulted in tragedy many times.

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Right after I bought him, my big Limousin bull tried to "bow up" at me all big and bad out in the pasture one day . I had done nothing to him but he was clearly threatening me. So I took a good sized stick and whacked him across the nose ONE TIME. It didn't draw any blood or cause any scars but he never did that again. I could walk all around him from then on and he would just move aside.

I remembered to take my shepherd's crook today and this time Rocket made no attempts to challenge me but came up acting all innocent and eating feed from my hand as before. I touched him lightly with the staff and he just move away from it. I then petted the friendly ewe freely but the ram kept a respectful, submissive expression in his eyes the whole time with none of the aggressive body language. He appeared to have a totally different attitude. But I'll be carrying my "big stick" from now on. Maybe I should call it my "Smith and Wesson"

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Saturday, we traveled to Monticello, Florida to pick up "Hornsby", our big ram, which I had loaned to another farm for breeding. He had become too aggressive, charging the farmer who was justifiably afraid of him. As I went into the paddock and cautiously approached him with my shepherd's staff in front of me. he stood there looking at me nonchalantly and chewing his feed, but never moved. I walked right up and grabbed one of his horns and he calmly walked with me to the trailer without any fight. You never know what animals will do. Anyway, we left there and drove to Cairo, GA to buy some more American Blackbelly sheep. I ended up purchasing 8 young ewes and one adult for $725. We got them all home OK and I trimmed their hooves, checked them for parasites, recorded their weights and put them into a quarantine pen. They will be given electrolytes and monitored closely for a couple of weeks. Our little herd of sheep has grown to 24 ewes and three rams. I am now looking for a buyer for the registered Gulf Coast Native ram(Hornsby) if anyone's interested. Just be forewarned that he is treacherous, unpredictable and dangerous, especially for an inexperienced shepherd (such as myself). We have decided to specialize in the Blackbelly and Florida Native "Cracker" sheep.

I am still anxiously awaiting baby lambs and hope to post photos soon.

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Rocket is a proud papa! This morning Missy.gave birth to twin lambs and they are adorable. Gertie, the big ewe I bought at auction a few months back, also had twins a week from last Sunday and they are very small as well but appear to be almost twice the size of Missy's babies. I noticed that the first mama sheep got VERY upset when her babies were picked up and carried. This was quite a contrast to the goats tended to be almost aloof when their kids were caught and handled.. Missy also, though much more socialized to people than Gertie, was very concerned this morning when I took one of her lambs in the house to show everyone. They are good mama's. Photos to come.

All of the goats are sold except the four purebred Boers and my daughter's pet "Little Bit". The big buck with the busted up horns sold for $150 at auction which was a surprise since his horns, though healing, were visibly damaged and the price was only $25 less than we paid for him. Enough kids were born and sold to make up for any losses on adult animals and some of the adults even sold for more than we paid for them. All said and done, the gross sales were $945 more than the initial cost of the goats, and although hay, feed, mineral, supplements, antibiotics and dewormers will come out of that, I feel like we made a tad better than breaking even moneywise. although time and effort would have been better spent working for someone for minimum wage. But I am so glad to finally be out of the goat business and thankful that we didn't lose our shirts.

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Ezekiel 34: 17And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.
18Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?
19And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.
20Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.
21Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad;
22Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.

Having lived on a farm all of my life, I have noticed horses, cattle, and goats do these very things many many times. The stronger horses will nip and kick at the weaker ones, cattle and goats, too, shove, and butt the smaller and weaker ones. Chickens use their beaks and, I suppose, this is where we get the phrase "the pecking order". Well, I learned that sheep are no different. When I feed mine, there is pushing, shoving and butting going on to the extent that, if I as a shepherd never intervened, the weaker ones will become weaker and eventually starve. The ram is especially belligerent but, sometimes the females even attack and chase the weaker ones. Jesus is our Good and Great Shepherd, and we, as Christians, are called His sheep. I can't help but wonder how much our behavior is like my sheep. How many of us do like my sheep by looking out for #1 and shoving that weaker brother or sister with an unkind remark, personal attack, careless disregard, selfish act, or even slander? The Bible even says that the words of a talebearer are as wounds...

I noticed also that when I pour feed into the trough, and one of the sheep steps in it, they avoid eating that spot and sometimes leave the trough altogether, even though they are still hungry. . How many of us are enjoying the benefits of God's blessings, but fouling the pasture and the water for everyone else by treading over the word of God with our careless lifestyle? There's probably much more to learn than I can ponder right now.

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