OK ~ so maybe we do things a bit different here in the Bluff Country. Take grazing for example. My ewes can frequently be seen 'grazing vertically'. 
No nose-to-the-ground grazing for MY girls! 
No sir-EE! They like their food to be air born ~ or at least suspended in mid-air...
Parasites are much less of a problem if you feed your flock from above ground level. 
The tenderest, tastiest bits never touch the ground!
It's much easier to watch for predators when one's head is elevated...CHANCE says...
"REALLY!! It's true! That's why we DO it..."
"What? You have a problem with that???"
Wow, you've got some smart girls there! ;)
ReplyDeleteBTW, I just love that they look like they have white knee socks on. They look like school girls. Maybe that's why they're so smart...
That's the HST markings that I breed for, Christine. White on the Head, Socks and Tail. I love it too!
ReplyDelete;-)
Beautiful ewes. Yes, my does like to eat vertically. I had just read about how they like to eat vertically because of less bugs.
ReplyDeleteLOL great pictures. Chance is looking so grown up and beautiful. Gypsy actually likes to stand on her back legs and eat tree leaves in fall...must be a Bluff Country thing! *grins*.
ReplyDeleteCute, Nancy. Sheep are never satisfied with what they can reach easily! Great pictures.
ReplyDeleteI guess im not the only one who noticed the high stockings on your younger ewes. They're beautiful! Who is the one in the last few pics? (Who i hope has a good relationship with Dream considering her "last word" special spot! ;)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures. I have read about using sheep to prune lower growth on grape vines. I have noticed though, that my own sheep eat higher up on the viburnum shrubs than I would want them to do on my grape vines. Not sure how this whole training-to-eat-low thing works?!
ReplyDeleteWe have had several girls over the years that like to graze "vertically" too. But keep an eye on them - I had a big Rambouillet get her leg caught in the fork of a tree trunk yesterday and then go down. When I found her, she was on her back with her leg stuck up in the tree. I had to lift her back up to release the leg - probably would have been a good "funny video" moment as she outweighs me by a bit! No major damage, fortunately - I think her leg was a bit numb. But she went back to eyeing the higher branches to see what she could reach - of course, she's bigger than most of the rest of the sheep, so she can reach higher!
ReplyDelete