LAMBERT AND BAHRRRBARA JOIN THE FARMYARD

And some observations, information and the nature of electric sheep..........

Just in case our farmyard doesn’t keep us sufficiently entertained and busy, it has expanded once again to include Lambert the Merino hanslammetjie (orphan lamb) rejected by mom in favour of a twin sib, and Bahrrbara, the Dorper ewe, whose mom died suddenly.

They are both about two and a half weeks old and spend their time cuddled up in a nest of blankets in the chicken hok (shed), or hanging about with us in the garden. They drink calves milk from the bottle 6 times a day - a duty shared by myself and the Dutch volunteers Esther and Koen. 

I must admit they are cute – even Johan, who initially raised his eyes heavenward saying his wife is nuts (i.e. me), has been found sterilizing bottles and even suggested we don’t get  Lambert castrated before the two lambs breed `a bit’. Hmmm!

Having never had the pleasure of meeting a sheep close-up, observing these two is quite instructive. First off they look quite different. Lambert, the Merino, is long limbed and has a knobbly woolly coat, while Bahrrrbara, the Dorper, is quite stocky and has a smooth silky coat. (For more info on these breeds, see below)

And if anyone thought that sheep have no individuality – I mean after all sheep are the quintessentially dumb beast – these two babies are very different temperamentally and behaviourally.   Where Lambert the boy has never been sheep mothered, and is definitely ADD, and VERY desperate about guzzling down his milk, Bahrrbara, who spent her first weeks with mom and the flock, is much more chilled. These beginnings also explain, we think, their response to the donkeys. Where Lambert flees in fright from them, she seeks refuge among their feet and hooves, clearly identifying them with the sheep flock she has known. As for gender differences, with horn initials buried on top of on his little head, Lambert simply butts you to get what he wants.  Bahrrbara on the other hand approaches more gently from the side (Well OK I wouldn’t write a paper on the gender aspects based on this).

Cautioned by a few people who have hand reared sheep, we know that they can become very demanding as adults. So we try to divide up their time between hanging out with us, and getting on with it on their own. We are told they start grazing at about 4 – 6 weeks, and we look forward to putting them out to graze with the goats and donkeys, as well as on occasion, leading them to the garden to do some mowing to pay for their keep.

Some information on Sheep

While sheep and goats are distinct species and genus, Sheep (Ovis Aries) have 54 chromosomes, while goats (Capra Hircus) have 60. While they will occasionally mate, fertile sheep-goat hybrids are rare. The life expectancy of sheep is similar to large breeds of dogs, about 10 to 12 years, although Merinos are longer-lived.  Sheep are a prey animal who when faced with danger, will naturally flee rather than fight. After fleeing, they will reform their group and look at the predator. They use their natural herding instinct to band together for safety. Sheep will also never walk on a straight track as a winding trail allows them to observe behind them. They have a keen sense of smell and good wide angle vision so they can perceive forms of danger from 1,200 to 1,500 yards away. Their hearing is good too, and they can direct their ears to the direction of sound.

Interestingly, sheep have both an amazing tolerance for pain, and do not show pain. It is thought that this is because, as a clearly injured animal, they would be more vulnerable to predators.

Unlike goats who are natural browsers, preferring to eat leaves, twigs, vines, and shrubs, and often standing on their hind legs to do so, sheep are grazers, preferring to eat short, tender grasses. They also require less nutritious food which makes them ideal for arid regions.

In terms of behaviours, while goats are naturally curious and independent, sheep tend to be more distant and aloof, with a stronger flocking instinct. As a result it is easier to keep sheep inside a fence than goats. Neither goats nor sheep like to get their feet wet (as they are sensitive to foot rot), and both prefer upland grazing to lowland.

Dorper and Merino sheep breeds

Merino









Dorper



The Dorper  (black heads and our Bahrrbara) is a South African breed of domestic sheep developed in the 1940’s by crossing Dorset Horn and Blackhead Persian sheep, with the aim of creating a meat sheep suitable to the more arid regions of the country. It is now farmed in other areas as well, and is the second most common sheep breed in South Africa. Unlike Merinos, Dopers do not need shearing.



In 1789 the first Merinos were introduced to South Africa and are an excellent dual purpose breed which is highly fertile with good mothering qualities. It’s sought after wool and hardiness make it South Africa’s number one breed. Lambert might one day look like the pic above, in which case, we may have to change his name to Rambo.



Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep? *



Goggling sheep I came across a reference to Electric Sheep, and discovered that there is a collaborative abstract artwork run by thousands of people all over the world, which can be installed on any ordinary PC or Mac. When these computers "sleep", they communicate with each other and morph abstract animations known as "sheep”. The more popular sheep live longer and reproduce according to a genetic algorithm with mutation and cross-over. Hence the flock evolves to please its global audience. If you have time and lots of gigs, (not to mention a touch of insanity), you too can design sheep and submit them to the gene pool. In any event, the result is a collective "android dream", blending man and machine to create an artificial life form. Here are some electric sheep and a lineage of such sheep.

*The title of Philip K Dick’s Science fiction novel