Does anyone know if it's ok to have just one sheep? Or do sheep need the company of another one of its kind?
Thanks in advance,
Gary
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Does anyone know if it's ok to have just one sheep? Or do sheep need the company of another one of its kind?
Thanks in advance,
Gary
Goats do, or they'll baa their butts off
Nico
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Posted in reply to the post by Gary Jensen:
Sheep and goats are herd animals, so they really like to have at least one buddy nearby. They tend to vocalize a lot and be anxious if they are alone, the sheep more than the goats, though.
An option is to get a pet goat to keep the sheep company until the sheep is "converted" into leg of lamb if that is what you have in mind for the sheep. If you just need a self-propelled weed-eater, get a goat... or better yet two goats and make sure at least one of them is fixed! The local goat dairies have a crop of extra little billy goats each spring from freshening the nannies.
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by Gary Jensen:
Hi Gary,Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by Gary Jensen:
I have sheep on an animal sanctuary. It is highly stressful for a sheep to be alone since they are flock animals and their only defense is in numbers. They are wired to live in groups. Even if you have the one sheep in a safe place, he or she won't be able to relax. I rescued a sheep that was alone and she rarely moved from the side of the barn where she could see goats in the distance. She would stand there rain or shine. She had a whole field but did not feel safe to use it. Plus it's a lonely life for a flock animal. Common wisdom says that the minimum number is three (and four is better) before they can begin to feel safe. Of course, you need to have room for that many because if you don't have a large field, worms will just get recycled. For more about sheep, see my website. www.stephaniemarohn.com, click on sanctuary.
Stephanie
please see my post about my lonely sheep!
Absolutely. They are herd animals. I am no bleeding heart, but when I see lone animals in a pasture, I cringe. I have worked on several ranches and I have seen the consequences of that kind of isolation.
Deadwood
Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by Gary Jensen:
Hi Gary,
No, it's not okay to keep a sheep alone. They are flock animals and need their flock to feel secure. Sheep are wired to rely on safety in numbers as their only protection against predators, so it is highly stressful for them to be alone. A sheep should have at least one other sheep for company, two more would be better unless they are with donkeys, goats, or horses. See my farm animal sanctuary website for more information: hwww.stephaniemarohn.com/sanctuary/
Stephanie
Why just one sheep? Are you rescuing a ram or a ewe? I have 4 sheep I rescued and now have 9 including there lambs they had this year. I also rescued pygmy goats a momma and twin baby girls. So with about 20 chickens some rescued I have quit the farm. They all hang out together. The goats sleep in the chicken stall so I don't have to close the chickens in at night (free range). The goats protect the chickens by standing on there hind legs and tilting there head with there little horns. It's so cute. Anyways, If you need another sheep to keep that one company I need to get rid of a couple of rams. Out of 5 baby's I got 4 rams. 1 ram can service a lot of females, so the rams will fight to the death sometimes. My ram I'm keeping from last year is a real sweetheart. He love to be petted. Can't do that with just any ram. But I raised him from a baby. i'll stop rambling now. LOL! Good luck keeping to just one. It's addicting!Quote:
Posted in reply to the post by Gary Jensen:
Sheep do not like being alone. They are a flock animal. Being alone will stress a sheep.
Emily
Sonoma county sheep co.