sheep

[Anny]

Does any one on here keep sheep as pets (on a small hobby farm)
I was wondering about sheep, which ones make good pets, what type of personality do they have?

Do you know any good websites with info on sheep?

What are some minature sheep breeds?

 

[Chicken Freak]

We've always raised suffolk sheep. They're pretty friendly. They're also very tasty!!

 

[kuntrygirl]

I have barbado sheep as pets. They are very calm natured and friendly. They run up to me and eat out of my hand. They love to run and play. The good thing about barbado sheep is that they do not have wool. They have hair. They are tan in color. I did a lot of reading and research about them before I bought them. I enjoy my barbado.

 

[luvmygirlsinAK]

We have both miniature shetland sheep and regular size shetland sheep-they are friendly, but I think it all depends on how they were raised from birth-if they weren't raised with human affection, I think they would be more skittish.

 

[FarmerDenise]

We are also looking into getting a couple of sheep and would like to know what the upkeep is. Do they need regular visits to the vet, what kind of shelter do they need. We don't intend to eat ours, we mostly need help with keeping the weeds down in the winter.
I also have same questions as Anny.
Any recommendations, suggestions? Please.

 

[griffin45]

We have Jacob sheep. I am not sure if you would consider them a pet, but they do eat out of our hands. They were adults when we got them so it has been a little harder to get them used to people as they were in a small herd the got little interaction. Jacob sheep were endangered back in the '90s but now they are making a comeback. Jacob sheep are great to look at and to watch. They are multicolored sheep and multi-horned. A Jacob sheep can have up to 6 horns. If you want a sheep soley as a pet, stay away from Rams. They can get aggressive and cause serious damage to you and/or your property. Otherwise I think any breed of sheep would make a great pet on a hobby farm. Not as good as goats do, but I am partial to our goats!

Chris

 

[azelgin]

We used to keep sheep a few years ago. We had Suffolk, Southdown Romney and I think Columbia. The Suffolk and Southdown were the mellow ones. We only had 5~20 at any one time. We were in Oregon at the time and altough we had shelter for them, they really didn't need it. I don't think in the 9 years we had them that we ever visited the vet. We bought our shots from the feed store and the shearing was free if they could keep the wool. We would borrow a ram for breeding. After weeding out the poor mothers over the years, we were having all twins and triplets at lambing time. They were really pretty low maintainance. They can jump fences, they just don't know it. If, you end up wit a jumper, plan on putting it in your freezer quick. The others will learn from it otherwise. There are some pretty good books for backyard shepards. We would probably have them where we are now, if the mules wouldn't stomp them.

 

[Beekissed]

You might enjoy a book I found on Amazon called Living With Sheep. Its from a new sheep owner's perspective and all they learned about sheep as they went along. Has some great picks and info in it for the first time sheep owner.

I plan to get Dorper/Katahdin cross ewes in a couple of months. They are hair sheep also, which means I don't have to buy any expensive shearing equipment or hire it done. They grow wool in the winter and shed it off in the spring.

You don't need much shelter out in the field but you should have a nice, snug place to lamb if you intend to breed them. You may need to trim their hooves about twice a year, depending on your soil/pasture.

I know there are some breeds known for docility~Katahdin are one of them. I think, if you get them as weanling lambs and work with them a lot, you can have them as tame as you wish. They do make great pets and mow your lawn better than goats, as they are grazers and not so much browsers, like a goat. You will need a pretty good fence, as they can get out easily, though not the escape artists that goats are reputed to be.

Here's a link to SHEEP! mag site and it has interesting articles that you may find helpful:

http://www.sheepmagazine.com/

 

[yoker]

I love sheep!!
I only have two and they live at a friends place.
They are a mixed Breed. Not two friendly as I only visit every so often.
When I catch them they lead very well.

 

[snugglepup]

We have 7 sheep (so this is obviously not a scientific study!). Dorper/Katahdin crosses, pure Katahdin, and a Barbados and her son. The Dorper/Katahdin crosses (Fridge, Harriet, and Taylor) are the friendliest in my crowd. The Barbados and her son (Barbie and Ken, isn't that awful!) are untouchable. Doesn't mean other barbados wouldn't be nice, it might just be that the one we have is possessed by a demon. Or maybe she just resents that we call her Barbie.