Well what do ya know :)

[heartstrings]

Just this afternoon, my beautiful Wife and I were separating out six ewe lambs from the main flock. They are "pick" lambs because of their quality and genetics but won't be old enough to be with the ram until next fall. Anyway, five of the lot ran past me into the holding pen but the last one cautiously held back from the gate, eyeing me with suspicion. I said to my Wife, "watch this" and simply turned around. The ewe zipped right by into the pen and the job was done. That may not sound like much but I have also observed a ram watching my eyes as well, waiting for me to look away long enough for him to charge me. I've seen skittish lambs which normally keep a good distance (called a flight zone) but come right up to me when they could see that both my hands were full with buckets or something. I've also seen sheep, terrified to come near a dog, boldly approach and ram the large dog in the ribs because they knew that I had the dog restrained by the collar. Then tonight I'm reading news on MSN (I know, I know) and came across this.....

http://daystyles.com/life/animals/18-smartest-animals-from-around-the-world-14.html

Why would this be in the "biblical" section? Because it's commonly mentioned from pulpits that sheep are "dumb". That is actually what the World thinks, but it is grossly unbiblical. Nowhere is that found in the Bible that I know of. What the Bible DOES say, is that sheep go astray. Another thing I recently heard my own pastor say(and I love him), as I've heard men say before many times is that "God didn't do us any favors comparing us to sheep". Well, being a shepherd, I think my sheep are very beautiful, very interesting and quite delightful and I'm quite confident that the Lord feels the same way about His too.  

[Alan]

heartstings,

I always enjoy hearing your sheep stories, songs, photos, and stories concerning your farm. One of the things that I miss is being around farm animals. Thank you very much.

I noticed this phrase on the link that you posted about sheep, "Sheep have the ability to recognize faces..." The Lord Jesus said, "And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice." John 10:4, and, "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine." John 10:14

Sheep, evidently, can recognize a shepherds voice and face.

Thanks again.

Alan

[heartstrings]

They can distinguish other sheep's 'voices' as well. I was watching some ewes eating at a trough one time, just munching away, when suddenly one raised her head, looked toward a bunch of lambs playing together a good distance away and said "baaaaa". Instantly one of the lambs , and only one, made a beeline for her and began nursing. Sounded like "baaa" to me.

[heartstrings]

This is a new ram we just bought, last week, for breeding half of the flock. Unfortunately when I bought him I failed to notice that he has a tennis ball-sized knot in front of his left elbow. Knots like this appear in the lymph glands when a sheep has Caseous Lymphadenitis (CL) which is a very dangerous, highly contagious and zoonotic disease (transmittable to people). His knot is not really in the exact anatomical area the disease typically appears but we're taking no chances. He will be quarantined until we can determine he is safe to put with the flock.

Edited September 1, 2016 by heartstrings

[Ukulelemike]

When we get this sort of thing, we make sure they have plenty of free access to kelp meal and rice bran. We have had problems with cysts for the last couple years, but they always break and clean out, and rarely come back, if we have ample minerals and nutrients for them. Most of your 'uncurable' diseases are merely nutritional deficiencies that can be cured with proper nutrition.

As for the animals knowing you and being smart, absolutely! Sheep are very smart, but, like goats, are also very willfull and tend toward being selfish and that's why they make a perfect picture of man's carnal state.

[heartstrings]

Yes, some cysts are harmless but CL is caused by a species of bacteria which, in the cyst stage, is unaffected by antibiototics. It is an incurable disease which infects and destroys internal organs in small ungulates and humans, including lungs, kidneys etc.. When the cysts rupture, they expel the pathogens into the environment where they can survive in the soil for up to 8 months, waiting to infest another host. The bacteria can get into your skin via small cracks and possibly even intact skin. I'm not going to take any chances until I know. One symptom of CL is that the hair falls off the skin over the cyst; that doesn't appear on my ram so that's a good sign. But I'm going to wait.

Edited September 1, 2016 by heartstrings

[heartstrings]

Yesterday afternoon, I was gone to town but was to meet a man at my farm about some vehicle parts he wanted to purchase.  The man arrived before I did and as I greeted him, the first thing he said to me was "I just want to tell you: that little dog over there 'perked up' before y'all drove up.....and them 'goats' out there did too.....what kind of goats are they?". This is the first time I knew anything about my sheep recognizing the sound of my truck and it doesn't surprise me at all. But I'm still amazed.

[swathdiver]

We have an app on our phones called Life360.  When people come home the app dings as they are coming down the street to tell us that they're home.  The dogs now hear the ding and head for the door all excited because they know someone's about to enter the house.  

In another home, where the cars could be heard outside, my coon hound could tell the cars apart by their engine sounds when they pulled up.  He gets more excited over the kids than me!   

[Saved41199]

I know this is old but it made me giggle. My cats know the sounds of our cars. They ONLY react to hubby's truck if they know I'm not home. If he's the one who's left...they don't care when he gets home. If i'm driving his truck, according to hubby, they can hear the truck and jump in the window to wait for me. They know my car...

Years ago, when we lived somewhere else, we had 2 dogs. They could hear me turn into the neighborhood (about 1/4 mile away). Crazy critters. Gotta love 'em.