SHEEP!

As I said before, Michael, Shelby, and I went to my parent's house in Tennessee this past weekend. It's lambing season for them and sheep and lambs were everywhere! Well, not "everywhere"...I mean they have them well contained.

Sheep, like any other animal have very different demeanors from sheep to sheep. Some are sweet: And some are not:

This ewe was a touch looney. I liked messing with her. She REALLY liked getting her picture taken, so I made sure I did that often. It's a wonder she didn't stomp her hooves off.

Oh and if you are wondering how to shut sheep up (they love to hear themselves talk), there is only one way:

Feed them. It's harder to talk with their mouths full. Sheep are polite like that!

It even works for the lambs. A nifty little tidbit about sheep: Lambs and calves both nibble at grass/hay/solid feed from a young age mimicing their mothers. However, lambs are actually able to digest and use that solid food at a much younger age then cattle. Their rumens (the stomach compartment that breaks down grass and hay) develop much more quickly in sheep then in cattle. Rumens are essentially nonfunctional at birth. I think rumen development is fascinating. I would say it rates up there with fescue toxicosis as one of my favorite ruminant nutrition topics. Anyway....back to fun pictures of sheep. I will leave you with some cute lamb pictures.

Peaceful lambs:

Contemplative lambs:

Looney lambs (equals future looney sheep? I don't know, more research is necessary)