Do sheep make good pets?
Nah, they're pretty baaad.
Sheep are constantly trying to injure themselves. Idiot animals but sweet. They also get way more parasites than goats or cattle.
And you'll only be able to pet them twice a year (shearing time) since they're constantly covered in thick wool. You'll try to pet them. They'll look at you like, Huh? Eventually you'll figure out that the only place you can pet your sheep is on it's chin or nose. You'll grow sad since you can't pet your sheep. Also, they lay in their own shit to stay warm.
Not 'pets', but nice hobby farm stock. They do a great job on the lawn, look nice, won't hurt your kids (much), and do eventually come to tolerate you. The wool is worth enough for a shearer to come around for free if your not picky about the schedule, and selling the lambs every year covers most of the direct costs.
>do chickens instead
>>2138037
If I get acreage again, I'll probably get a Jacob sheep or two. Will definitely get goats. Chickens are pretty cool. They're relaxing to watch and you get eggs and really good bug control. I personally liked my guinea fowl better. There are also some really awesome heritage breeds of turkeys that are capable of flight. And they make damn good guard dogs. They're super territorial and no one wants a 15 pound bird divebombing them while screeching and pissed as fuck. Turkeys tend to bond to their people and their people only. And they love roosting in trees. I used to have ducks too. Duck conversations are hilarious. One will quack and then the whole flock goes mad quacking at each other. And once again you get eggs.
The thing to remember about sheep is that if you breed them, most domesticated sheep are no longer capable of giving birth without human intervention. If you are not there to assist with the birth, your sheep might die. You'd be much better off getting one of the breeds that is still capable of birthing lambs on their own (one of the reasons why I'm interested in Jacobs, and even Jacobs need help sometimes).
Livestock is livestock. If you're just starting out, I would recommend something easy like chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys or guinea fowl. Gradually work your way up to more complicated animals. Maybe a new species or two a year? And if it doesn't work out, you still get a really nice dinner.
>>2136259
Underrated
>>2137973
Dude, you just gotta learn to dig past the wool to give them good scratches. I love giving my boys scratches in their full coats, my entire hand vanishes into their wools.
>>2136197
It depends what you classify as 'pet' and how much time you put in; if you hand raise a lamb or two and spend lots of time training them and socialising them, it's like having a particularly dumb dog.
If you just hand feed your sheep you can eventually have semi-tame sheep that will like scratches but who will still spook if you move too fast.
Pic related for the first category; one of the twin lambs I hand raised. Comes when I call, wants pats and scratches all the time, and I aim to halter train him and his brother soon to stand still so I can crutch them easier. They're both in the grey area of pets for me, in that I like patting them every now and then, but they spend 90% of their time out in the field grazing like a normal sheep.
They will take any opportunity to bolt into the house though, since they lived in here for the first month or so of their life and now see it as theirs. It was cute when they came up to my shin, not so much now they come up to my hip.
>>2138131
Pic also related, our kind of tame ram (the black one) who appreciates scratches and food, and who you can hug, but isn't as loving as the lambs and will spook and run off if you move to fast or come at him with intent to catch.
He's being a little shit at the moment because he's split up from his girls and is starting to headbutt, and I swear to god if he keeps this up after the breeding season I'm eating his ass.
>>2138040
>most domesticated sheep are no longer capable of giving birth without human intervention
Meh, that's a gross exaggeration. If you intervene and then breed them, you can certainly encourage those traits within a flock. But if you cull the bad mothers, you'll soon have a more independent flock.
>>2136197
no, they are so domesticated to the point they can't take basic care of themselves
Half of your time with them is pulling them out of crevasses, redirecting them, trying to get them too look after their own young etc.
the most depressing thing about sweet little lambs is they turn into fucking sheep.
>>2138216
There are literally hundreds of breeds of domesticated sheep. You're taking feedlot-tier commercial sheep like Texel and Suffolk and extrapolating them out beyond all reason to be the entirety of "sheep". No. I have sheep (Cotswold) and I have friends with sheep. None of us put up with animals that can't lamb unassisted or be raised on range. As a result, we have healthy flocks.
>>2138349
Awesome. OP sounds like they just want a hobby farm with a couple though. It's not like he's going to be able to breed for healthier sheep. He might get lucky or he might not. You sound like you have a great operation though. Very cool.
>>2138135
>I'm eating his ass.
Not the best choice of words there.
>>2138216
A New Zealand high country farmer wants a word with you...
>>2138379
Nope I just want ONE as a pet, I already got 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 Axolotl's and I got a big shack in my backyard and I want to put a big sweet animal in it. When I was younger I worked on a farm for a while and fell in love with the animals there so when I started thinking about getting a "farm" animal as a pet, sheep were my first choice but they're no good then what about a cow or goat?
>>2139822
Sheep are fine pets. Goats are fine pets. So are cows and ponies. The problem with all these animals, however, is that they are herd animals. They will require a companion. Doesn't have to be of the same species, but it needs to be an animal that will be around all the time. Herd animals get very stressed when they are alone. There is the rare exception that is confident/brave enough to stay healthy alone, but how would you even find that individual? A stressed goat, sheep, or cow will make a lot of noise and try to escape to find a companion. A stressed horse will just escape to find a companion.
>>2138407
Welllllll.....
Might calm him down.
>>2138407
Haha, yeah, on second thought that might not have been the best wording.
How about this: If he doesn't clean up his act, it'll be mutton for dinner.
How good are they as lawn mowers? I have about an acre or two of land and sheep might be more work than mowing the grass but I fucking hate it.
I love animals, I would sooner spending hours working with an animal than half an hour doing something I hate.
I would sooner dodge sheep shit and potentially get charged at then fucking mow the grass.
Thank fuck my dogs and chickens tear lumps out of it.
>>2139893
My father always wanted a donkey but we could not afford two or more so we stuck him in with my uncle's cattle.
Works well he seems to like them, he tends to bully them sometimes though but they are big bullocks so he is more of a pest.
He seems to think he is the leader or their protector because he will not entertain us for long if the herd is moving off without him.
>>2140085
They are excellent lawn mowers, provided your lawn is mostly grass. They will also eat many kinds of weeds but not all. Some of our pastures have a lot of buttercup and they won't touch that. Also have been disinterested in the thistle. So the sheep won't completely replace mowing. You have to mow the plants the sheep don't want to eat, or those plants will be the only ones reproducing and will spread.
If you have good fences, sheep are great for an acre or two of pasture/grass.
>>2139822
Wont work out then. You need at least 2 or a sheep and another, similar herd animal (goat, horse, something). Sheep are not solitary animals and they need at least one buddy that will chill with them in the pasture 24/7
>>2136197
No. Get a goat. Any goat. Goats are awesome.
>>2140301
Get more than one. Never less than 2 goats.
>>2139822
If you have the resources, why not rehome a small donkey?
>>2140287
It is just pure grass, my dogs and chickens kill every weed or moss.
I just about have daisies and some shamrocks.
Ill definitely look into it, I know where I can get some sheep.
How many would I need to two acres, I know they need to graze but I assume they will need other feeding like grain or something.
>>2140390
No, they don't need grain. Goats and sheep and horses and cows only need grain if they are being asked to do something other than just stand around. Gestating, lactating, working, etc. If the pasture goes totally dormant in the winter, they will need hay, though. What kind of climate do you live in? If the grass is lush, try three sheep for two acres. If they can't keep up, you can add a third, but the amount of sheep required to keep two acres tamed for the summer will be too many for the same ground in the winter.
>>2140301
Goats are awesome but they aren't grazers. They are browsers. They won't keep a pasture or lawn mowed the way sheep will.
God no. My sister raised one and they are the most messiest animals ive seen. They are also not very bright, and require a LOT of grooming.
>>2140446
Their poop can be loose if they are fed anything other than grass or hay. When the grass gets lush first thing in the spring, too. Lambs that are nursing or being fed anything that comes in a bag will have loose gross poop, too. But adult sheep on pasture or hay will have poop that is more like goat or rabbit or deer. Pellets. If you get a hair sheep, it will shed seasonally and not require clipping. Otherwise, wool sheep need to be clipped (sheared) twice a year. I wouldn't call that a LOT of grooming. They don't even need bathing or anything. What kind of grooming did your sister do? Did she raise it for 4-H or something?
They are pretty dumb, though. Sweet, but dumb.
>>2136197
Yes , my brother Muhammad and his sheep are inseperable
Really, really stupid. Like could be dead thirsty, DROWNING IN WATER, and still not be able to find water to drink.
Hella easy to doctor up though.
>>2141142
Not that dumb. And no more / no less easy to doctor than other livestock.
>>2136259
Was just about to post this you fucking faggot.
>>2141199
1st OF ALL, THAT WAS FROM LIKE A FUCKING WEEK AGO YOU DUNCE
2nd OF ALL THATS LITERALLY THE FIRST FUCKING COMMENT ON THIS THREAD
>>2141328
There's no need for ewe to get so upset.
