Tag Archives: showing

North Texas State Fair is around the corner!

And it’s now less than 3 weeks away… Read here for more info about the fair! I hope to see you there! Please help us share the word that the open breeding sheep show is back. What are we doing now? Well, Friday I shaved the heads of Niecey, Pixie, Flopsy and Malia and now they look like Cheviots.   I was taught to shave their heads three weeks before the fair so that their wool grows out nice and pretty. The day before the fair, I then slick-shear their faces, excluding the area from their topknot forward, and from the inside corner of the eye down to the smile.  This enhances the breed character. Some people shave the whole head, ears and all, but I feel that this makes them look like space aliens. The other thing we are […]

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Showtime! What do I bring to a sheep show?

This list applies to open or breeding sheep shows as that is my area of experience. For youth / market lamb shows: Don’t bring or use any supplements or medications without asking your teacher — no matter how innocuous — as there are strict rules and even drug testing. Paperwork Pedigrees (if applicable) Receipts for your entry Business cards for your sheep business if you have them Feed and Water Drench gun Electrolytes (get your lamb accustomed to these well before the show) Feed from home (if we are not staying the night I don’t even bring grain and when I do feed grain it’s sparingly, depending on how high strung the animal is.  Grain can cause an upset stomach during times of stress) Water from home Hay from home For your stall Shavings or straw (check what the rules […]

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Halter Training Show Lambs

Southdowns have a reputation for being stubborn. Well, we have had terriers for 14 years so I do stubborn! Fortunately, I have been able to use my experience and mistakes in dog training to train my lambs to walk and stand pretty for shows. I use “positive reinforcement.” This means that if the lamb does what I want her to do, she gets a treat. If she does not, no treat. There is no punishment – just the lack of a treat.  It might take more time and patience at first but in the long run, but it’s easier for me and for the animal than struggling in the heat, pushing, pulling, slapping, and basically mutton bustin’. How fast you go at first depends on how tame the lamb is to begin with. I will describe how to train one […]

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