11 lines
1.5 KiB
Markdown
11 lines
1.5 KiB
Markdown
I am by no means an expert shepherd. I have had six ewes and a ram in my custody for three months. Really, this is the first time I've owned or cared for an animal on a serious basis.
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Man, I love these creatures. They're like a mix between a dog and a cow.
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They say you can never really understand the bible until you farm, because the whole text is constructed out of agrarian experience. Sheep are one of the main metaphors for us, and it's not hard to see why.
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They do clearly have a herd mentality. They want to be together. If one gets out of the paddock, she never runs away, she always stays next to the rest of the flock, just on the other side of the fence. Unless, another one escapes with her. Then, the two are comfortable roaming with one another, apart from the rest.
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They take quite some time to acclimate. When I first got the ewes, they were very skittish and quick to run away. Now, I'm able to ease in and handle them, check their eyes, pet them, et cetera. But this took months. It might have taken some corn, too. But seeing as I don't always give them supplemental grain, I think it is more a function of time and exposure. One got out yesterday. I was surprised how docile she was to me - it turned out to be easier to simply pick her up and place her back in the paddock rather than opening up the paddock.
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They are playful. If it's a nice day, in the evening, they'll get the "zoomies" and run back and forth for the heck of it. It is marvelous to watch them, really. |