Baa-Ram-Ewe

Today was sheep.
I guess I should say our intro to sheep, as we'll be working with them a lot more over the year (especially during lambing season). We started with a discussion on sheep mentality (dumb), sheep tendencies (herd well, be dumb), and sheep handling (remember they're big, strong...and dumb).
Did I mention sheep are dumb?

Anyway, we got a demo on the proper ways to handle sheep, and then we were turned loose on the sheep. Our assignment was (in groups of 4) to catch a sheep, "flip" the sheep, trim its hooves, and then vaccinate and deworm it. Catching was less difficult than I'd thought, with all the sheep in a small enclosure and nowhere for them to run. Convincing them to leave their herd and be dragged out the gate was just a tad more challenging. The correct way is to grab around the chin, and behind the poll, and then use your knees to shove them in the right direction. Given that these sheep weighed 200-250lbs, there was only so much shoving that could really be done.

Once we got the sheep into position, we had to flip them. This involves a quick series of movements whereby the head is brought back, a leg lifted, and the sheep flipped and dumped so it is sitting on its hind end, facing away from you. You then lean your backside against a wall, cradle the sheep's neck between your knees, and hang onto the front legs. This only kind of keeps the sheep still, and since your posture is very like one of those "deep knee bends" that are so good for your muscles, hanging onto the sheep can get a bit challenging. Add in a warm humid day, and the last thing you want to be doing is weight lifting a 200lb, squirmy, warm, woolcovered lump. Fun.

My team did fairly well until our third sheep, which was when we cut one hoof just a little too far. The shears went right through the lamina and into the foot itself. For those who don't know what the lamina is, it's the magic white line that separates "good place to cut" from "you're about to make a bloody mess". The instructor pronounced our sheep "leaky", and after 15 minutes, and a whole whack of quick stop powder (plus pressure), we managed to get the bleeding stopped. Keep in mind that the sheep was struggling this entire time....very fun.

We'd almost finished the lab when a particularly nervous sheep got free from its group and started a mad dash around the barn. I could see the sheep coming right at me, amid cries of "loose sheep! loose sheep!", but there a was a wall behind me and a person in front of me, so I took it right in the leg. I bent sideways at the ankle and went down like a ton of bricks, but luckily I didn't sprain or injure anything. Even luckier, everyone was so busy trying to catch the sheep, they barely noticed my tumble, or my highly ungraceful return to my feet.

Despite all that, I loved the lab. Ive always had a soft spot for sheep. I mean, really....what's not to love about big, brainless fluffballs?

Anyway, Tuesday labs are rapidly becoming one of my favourites. Course, ask me again after next week.
Next week is intro to cows.

image taken from PCC site