Sometimes this life we’ve chosen gets a bit of a wobble on and you start heading into morning chores each day with a knot in your stomach. What will you discover today. For the first time ever we have had fighting amongst the sheep that resulted in two deaths from broken necks – both wethered ram lambs who the ladies felt needed taking down a peg or two. Lessons have definitely been learnt, strategies now exist and, just as suddenly as chaos erupted, all is once again calm.
I think Daz the ram’s arrival on the Homestead has a lot to do with it.
Although very unassuming, he has the power as far as the flock is concerned. He is the undebated head honcho even if he is but a wee lad who I sometimes have difficulty locating among the throng.
But then he turns around and all is clear.
Union Homestead 
That’s a shocking turn of events. Do you think that fighting might occur again?
I’m pretty sure it was a hierarchy issue: we unsettled the flock by removing the matriarch (full disclosure: home kill) which we have done many times before but never without a ram on the property. Never again!
Oh, my! Yes, a shocking turn of events.
Its nice to be on the other side of it now. And as usual, hindsight is 20/20. We learn from our mistakes.
That is a very hard way to have to learn a lesson. I hope that you will be able to navigate the choppy waters of livestock care all the better for it though. The furthest that we ever went down that road was keeping a few chickens and that was more than enough for me.
The ram looks to be well supplied with the necessary equipment for his job.
Sometimes life can be a bit harsh but I’ll try to remember it all next time. Every day’s a school day and all that
Yes, I am sorry to read life decided you needed to learn a harsh lesson about stock management – just when you think you more or less have it under your belt. Fly strike followed by fatal infighting – sigh!
I obviously needed a reality check. Thankfully Belle, the fly struck lamb, has bounced back. We obviously noticed it before it was too far advanced
The animal world can be pretty ruthless. Look at humans . Fortunately the anima world can be amazing too. Look at humans.
No truer words….