What to do with a feral sheep?

[Foxglove]

Last October a Barbados Blackbelly ewe came into my pasture and began living with the horses. She particularly likes one Percheron and is always close to him. She is terrified of people. She comes into the barn twice a day with the Perch, goes into his stall and stands in the far corner while he eats, then goes out with him when he goes out. I’ve caught her twice (not me personally, but two local shepherds). The first time we got the numbers off her ear tags and tried to find the owner. We did find the breeder but he claimed to have sold her and have no record of to whom. The second time the vet treated her for a sore foot and vaccinated her and wormed her. Other than that, no one has touched her.

Until this weekend, it was a kind of live and let live situation, but I guess we got too comfortable with it, and forgot she’s really feral.

The kids named her Mutton, FYI. Mutton accidentally walked into the wrong stall. When she realized her error, she tried to leave at the same time the horse was coming into the stall. Mutton panicked and tried to jump over the horse, colliding with his head. She knocked him down and he fell into the cement aisle. She too was knocked down but regained her feet and jumped over me (over my head) to get out the open barn door. My husband saw all this. He’s worried she’s going to seriously hurt or kill someone in her panic to escape. The horse was ok, but it could have been worse there too.

So I think I agree that our farm isn’t the right venue for a feral sheep. But what do I do with her? Husband said to donate her to the local wild animal rescue (they will humanely put her down, then feed her to their lions and bears). Or we could take her to the livestock auction, but she wouldn’t survive there long either, I don’t think since her breed is a meat breed.

Ideas? From what I’ve read, “taming” a wild sheep of her breed isn’t possible.

I’ve never heard of a sheep rescue. I contacted the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep association, but heard nothing back.

Thank you for ideas.

Foxglove

[shezabrazenmare]

They’ll shoot her or cut her throat, or both, if you donate her. They won’t use drugs to kill her because they don’t want the wild animals to eat that meat.

Can you have someone dart her with a tranq and have her killed while she is unconscious and then buried? Too bad you cannot tame her. A state wildlife ranger may be able to do this. Or animal control. Both would require that you pay for the drugs, since they usually just shoot the animals. Shooting is not always an instantaneous death.

[Mosey_2003]

Do you know anyone with a flock of her kind of sheep she could live with? She might settle down to “not going to kill herself or a person” if she had enough time with a flock. Or, she might not, but it might be worth a shot.

It is really unsettling to have that forceful reminder of just how powerful sheep are, they look so gentle and small. I’ve been bowled over more than once, just helping my friend with her four or five ewes.

[PlanB]

[QUOTE=shezabrazenmare;8238140]
They’ll shoot her or cut her throat, or both, if you donate her. They won’t use drugs to kill her because they don’t want the wild animals to eat that meat.

Can you have someone dart her with a tranq and have her killed while she is unconscious and then buried? Too bad you cannot tame her. A state wildlife ranger may be able to do this. Or animal control. Both would require that you pay for the drugs, since they usually just shoot the animals. Shooting is not always an instantaneous death.[/QUOTE]

What a waste, to pump it with drugs and bury it.

Shooting is a pretty humane death and then the body is put to good use.

You are living in dreamland if you think a vet;s “humane euthanasia” always goes off without a hitch.

[IPEsq]

Sheep are useful to hops farmers. Not sure if feral sheep are useful to them, but might be worth asking?

[RPM]

[QUOTE=PlanB;8238168]
What a waste, to pump it with drugs and bury it.

Shooting is a pretty humane death and then the body is put to good use.

You are living in dreamland if you think a vet;s “humane euthanasia” always goes off without a hitch.[/QUOTE]

True. It doesn’t always go well. To say the least.

I would try calling the Blackbelly Sheep Association and keep trying 'til you get a live person on the phone.

Here is a list of the Board of Directors, with names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses:
http://www.blackbellysheep.org/association/board-of-directors/

Hopefully at least one of them will answer if you call.

Is there another sheep rescue in your area? Kudos to you for letting her stay so long and feeding her!

[findeight]

Vets in more rural areas often have contacts with those who will take in abandoned farm animals, donation appreciated of course.

I bet the thing is hard to handle, they don’t do well outside a flock and are not as quick to bond with other species, not like goats. Youd be amazed how little compassion some have for their own domestic animals. Seen goats with collars grown into their necks and starving cattle just left on abandoned property. Then there’s the poor donkeys. Few trust people after that, if they ever did.

If you could find somebody with other sheep, it would do better. If not, I don’t see anything wrong with the wild animal rescue, that would be natures way of avoiding waste and humane. I’m sure they would appreciate it on behalf of their animals who fell on hard times and needed rescue.

[vxf111]

I also vote trying to find someone who will take her in and mix her into a herd of sheep. If she can follow along with other more tame sheep, she may be less of a problem.

Do you think she can be tranquilized to travel? There are many many “farm animal” sanctuaries if you google. My sister regularly visits one in upstate NY. They take all sorts of farm animals. I don’t know how they’d handle a feral-- but again maybe she’d smooth out in a herd.

Good on you to take care of her for so long, but with her being that unhandle-able and unpredictable I can understand why you don’t feel equipped to keep her.

[Foxglove]

I heard from the Blackbelly Sheep association. This is what they sent me:

"You have an American Blackbelly ewe, not a Barbados Blackbelly. Your husband is correct; she is dangerous if she is that wild.

Their meat is mild and wonderful. Probably the kindest thing you can do is to shoot her and eat her. If she is that wild, there is no point in trying to keep her. You are clearly a good animal steward. Enjoy the meat.

The kids were correct in naming her, except that the meat will be more like veal, not mutton."

Guess I would have preferred that they sent me a magic wand to make Mutton more tractable instead of suggesting we eat her. I always thought of myself as a farm-girl --maybe not so much. We did crops, not critters. I think it makes a difference.

Foxglove

[vxf111]

That is a shocking response!

[Mosey_2003]

[QUOTE=vxf111;8239006]
That is a shocking response![/QUOTE]
Shocking that they are so reasonable?

It probably is the kindest route.

[vxf111]

[QUOTE=Mosey_2003;8239058]
Shocking that they are so reasonable?

It probably is the kindest route.[/QUOTE]

I’m not shocked that they suggest putting her down/shooting her is the best solution. It’s that they went on about how tasty she’ll be that shocks me. These people don’t know the OP from Adam and she told them her kids NAMED the sheep. They have no way of knowing to what degree the OP is attached to the sheep. In light of that, the comments about flavor are a little insensitive.

[LauraKY]

Sheep are raised for food unlike companion animals like horses, dogs and cats. Nothing shocking about it at all.

[supaflyskye]

I am not shocked by the response. The sheep is a meat breed.

[EKLay]

I took the info about the flavor as helpful information. I would want to know what the meat would taste like before deciding if I wanted to use for human or animal meat.

[Bicoastal]

[QUOTE=vxf111;8239064]
I’m not shocked that they suggest putting her down/shooting her is the best solution. It’s that they went on about how tasty she’ll be that shocks me.[/QUOTE]

“These people” breed and raise sheep to sell …for food. Other people raise wool breeds for yarn, and still must sell some to slaughter. Did you read the part where the rams with good racks are stocked on game ranches to be shot by trophy hunters? That’s something to :eek: about!

@LauraKY;8239170

Sheep are raised for food unlike companion animals like horses, dogs and cats. Nothing shocking about it at all.

@supaflyskye;8239303

I am not shocked by the response. The sheep is a meat breed.

Yep :yes:. I guess if you weren’t aware that sheep were similar to cows and pigs in that they are raised for food, the association’s response would be revolting.

OP, I think reaching out to the experts was a great course of action. Good on ya! Now you know finding someone willing to try intergrating her into their flock is unlikely. You’re in a tough spot because of someone else’s irresponsibility. Sorry :sadsmile:.

[vxf111]

I realize people raise sheep for meat. It’s just that given the context of the OP’s problem, it’s quite clear SHE doesn’t and that her family may be somewhat attached. She asked for help with rehoming the sheep. If the response is “shooting is the best solution” that’s fine, but I am not sure she needed/wanted to know how this specific creature would taste. She didn’t really ask for that.

People eat bunnies too, but if I found one I needed to rehome and reached out to a breed group for help–I wouldn’t expect for them to send me a recipe for welsh rarebit .

[Graymaresrule]

[QUOTE=vxf111;8239384]
I realize people raise sheep for meat. It’s just that given the context of the OP’s problem, it’s quite clear SHE doesn’t and that her family may be somewhat attached. She asked for help with rehoming the sheep. If the response is “shooting is the best solution” that’s fine, but I am not sure she needed/wanted to know how this specific creature would taste. She didn’t really ask for that.

People eat bunnies too, but if I found one I needed to rehome and reached out to a breed group for help–I wouldn’t expect for them to send me a recipe for welsh rarebit .[/QUOTE]
Welsh Rarebit is a cheese dish, no meat.

I knew a family who would keep a steer or two for meat. The kids called them Chuck and Sir Loin.

[PlanB]

[QUOTE=carolprudm;8239412]
Welsh Rarebit is a cheese dish, no meat.

I knew a family who would keep a steer or two for meat. The kids called them Chuck and Sir Loin.[/QUOTE]

Yup, lots of little farms have meat animals that get named by the children. My friend’s kid named the calf “pork chop” and it was no problem to feed it, pet it, call it by name, then eat it.

Sounds like a totally reasonable response by the association. They would probably be pretty put off by the idea of wasting the meat by pumping it full of drugs and then burying it where it could potentially contaminate ground water, etc.

[PlanB]

[QUOTE=carolprudm;8239412]
Welsh Rarebit is a cheese dish, no meat.

I knew a family who would keep a steer or two for meat. The kids called them Chuck and Sir Loin.[/QUOTE]

Yup, lots of little farms have meat animals that get named by the children. My friend’s kid named the calf “pork chop” and it was no problem to feed it, pet it, call it by name, then eat it.

Sounds like a totally reasonable response by the association. They would probably be pretty put off by the idea of wasting the meat by pumping it full of drugs and then burying it where it could potentially contaminate ground water, etc.