Death of Favorite Sheep, Sadly Missed

Everyday thousands of sheep are slaughtered, destined for the meal table, or to become pet food. Nobody notices their lives. These sheep are born specifically to be killed. A few lucky ones will be used for breeding but they too are usually killed, shipped to slaughter later in life, very few sheep get to live their natural lifespan. Favorite sheep was a beloved pet, but her life was somewhat complicated by a problem, as such when she died, it was also premature, but at least it was not at a horrific slaughter house.

You may have read aboutFavorite sheep before. 

When we moved to the farm in 2005 we needed some sheep to keep the pasture grass down. It was May and the grass was already knee high. We decided to purchase four ewe lambs. We picked out the four we wanted from a larger flock of about 20. The seller delivered them to us (with two llamas) later that day. We agreed we would not name the sheep.

Fate had other plans; the lamb my daughter had picked out, became very friendly, she had a unique brown spot on her back which was why my daughter had chosen her from the flock. She was a Suffolk Dorset cross (as were all the lambs we bought that day), and because of her friendly nature she became my daughter's favorite sheep and was soon referred to as “Favorite”, which soon became her name; Favorite Sheep. The other lambs got names too, Diamond, Speckle, and Teardrop, all names relating to their appearance.

Favorite Sheep at a year old, before her stroke

Favorite sheep had a pretty good life, grazing on 10 acres, she had lambs. But one summer, she had a stroke. I had noticed one of her ears was floppy, and something was not quite right. I later realized she had suffered a stroke, her tongue hung out and she got a fat cheek as she would have problems eating and her food would build up inside her cheek. When sleeping she would have great globs fall out of her mouth. She had a constant smell bad; a result of food in her cheek and drooling.

That year we did not think she was pregnant, but she surprised us with lambs, lucky lambs in fact. It was January (in Canada) she had given birth and wandered off. My daughter and I happened to be going out to take pictures of other lambs and found them, still wet, one still in the sack, with temperatures below freezing they would have died if not for the timing. We realized it was Favorite sheep who had given birth, she had blood on her rump, but was not producing milk, so we had to bottle feed the lambs. We did put Favorite and her lambs in a stall together for bonding, and she did look after them as a mother, with the exception of being able to feed them. When we let them outside she kept them close to her.  We kept one of these lucky lambs, and named her Blackie.

Over the next couple of years we had make sure Favorite sheep had enough to eat especially in the winter, and had to watch her carefully at lambing. 

Most “farmers” would have culled (slaughtered) her long ago, but our sheep are more pets than livestock. Although she was a burden in some ways her sweet friendly personality was also treasured. As much as she was not the brightest sheep in the barn she still seemed to be the leader.

She had two more years of having lambs, twins each time, each time having one lamb with a spot on its back.

Favorite sheep with her 2011 lambs (after her stroke).

Last Sunday I went out to feed dandelions to the sheep, they grow tall next to the house where the sheep cannot get them. I noticed Favorite sheep was missing. This is not unusual sometimes she is off by herself sleeping. But upon walking around the pasture I knew something was wrong, and I would probably find a body. There were piles of wool strewn across the pasture, often a sign that predators have been dragging a body. Sure enough I found her partially eaten remains.

I am guessing that she died rather than been killed, a predator would have been more likely to kill a smaller lamb, but of course I have no way of knowing.

Her this year lambs (born in March) are old enough to be without her but it was sad, I saw them standing in one of the piles of her wool calling for her.

I write this to share her memory. Many sheep go through life with one destiny, to be slaughtered for lamb meat. Favorite was lucky to be female, and lucky to have ended up on a hobby farm of soft - hearted fools, who could not slaughter their own animals. She may not have known it, but she was loved.

Favorites New Twins

Favorite sheep is an interesting gal.  She got her name because out of the four ewes we originally bought, she was the friendliest, so even though we agreed not to name them, my daughter soon referred to her as her "Favorite".  She had a small marking, a spot on her back, and was always friendly even when some of the other ewes were scared.

A few years ago she had a stroke, as a result she does not eat well and tends to drool.  We have to feed her a bit extra, but since she was called "Favorite" we could not really sell her (or... you know...), as most real farmers would have done.

Anyhow... this morning when I went out to the barn there she was just inside the barn door with two new lambs, twin girls, both white, with black around their eyes.  One even has a little spot on her back too!

As Favorite is a wool sheep, and the father is a hair sheep it is interesting to note that one lamb has tight curly wool (laying down in the picture), and the other has what looks more like hair (standing and still a bit wet in the picture).  Favorite has broke the trend this year, so far every ewe has had at least one black (or black and white) lamb.  Favorite was the first who did not.

I put her in the smaller stall with her lambs, while the other ewes and lambs went out for the day.  Temperatures are just above freezing in the day, and just below at night.  Things are melting - Yeah!

So that leaves just two more ewes left to have their lambs...

As a note - one of Girlie's lambs still needs a bottle, but only twice a day.  Diamonds triplets born a few days ago,  had fetlocks that really curled under.  I have been straightening their legs out and they look just fine now.

In this picture we see Girlie with her triplets, the black one is hard to see, and the smaller white one is the one that gets the bottle.  Behind her is the ram (you cannot see his head).  To the right is Patsy and her twins - not a good picture I realize, and of course Crystal the llama watching all.

Favorite Sheeps Twins, Fingers Crossed

On the morning of January 17, 2011, I walked into the barn to see Favorite Sheep with two new lambs.  She picked the worst corner of the barn to have them, right under a drafty spot.  With temperatures still well below normal (today was -21c) the lambs had bits of ice on their wool from where Favorite licked them to dry them off (ironic I know). 

Due to the fact that Favorite had a stroke a few years back she cannot control her saliva in the same way, and it often runs out of her mouth, sometimes it is rather smelly containing parts of semi-digested food.  This was all over her lambs.  I got a towel and did the best to dry them off, before bottle feeding one of the tiplets born the week earlier. 

(her face is particularly swollen here due to just eating)

Favorite had a girl and boy (a ewe lamb, and a ram lamb).  The ram lamb has the same marking on  his back as his mom, a black dot.  You cannot see it on her because her long wool has bleached white. 

After I got everyone fed and watered, I went into the house for my own breakfast, returning to check on them (and bottle feed again) after lunch.  Well.. by the time I went back to check I soon saw one lamb, but the other was missing.   I spotted him curled up and shivering against a wall. 

He was a house lamb for an hour at that point, I brought him in to warm him up, and even gave him a bit extra to drink to give him engery.  I did not get pictures as I was rather worried about him at the time.  The house cats quite enjoyed the novelty animal in the house!

He is back with is mom now, in the warmest stall of the barn, she had been looking for him the whole time he was in the house (I could hear her from the barn when I went outside).  I have my fingers crossed that he will do well and get strong, I will be checking again later today of course.