It's been a week of cantankerous critters. On Monday Butch brandished his horns at me as I tugged the hay sled through the barn door. The Leicesters were sparring at dinner time. For the life of me I couldn't separate Deluth and Maia who were more intent on bashing the c*#! out of each other than eating. Several other ewes weighed in; others kept their distance.
In the carriage barn, Cilantro took a cheap shot at Teaberry. Those two have been at each other off and on for days.Occasionally Parsley and Savory jump into the fray. It's hard to say who's on whose side – or if it's every ram for himself. Sheep politics are tricky.
Even the hoggets are feisty. I was minding my business, filling buckets yesterday, when little Miss Pumpkin smashed me in the arm. Really, these sheep need to mind their manners. They should never butt the hand that feeds them.
Lovey, in a mellow moment.
Maia
Today the flock feels more settled. For whatever reason, the cloud of restless energy has dissipated. Morning feeding was peaceful. The girls shared the feeders without shoving. Cilantro and Teaberry seem to have declared truce.
I can't help but think that having so many unbred ewes this season is contributing to the bouts of fractious behavior. The bred ewes are the only group at ease. I'm sure the boys keenly aware – there's a barn full of cycling ewes on the other side of the road. And the girls sure know where the boys are!
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