Training Babydolls to be friendly

There are as many ways to train sheep as there are trainers. We asked some of our breeders for their tips for getting Babydolls to be super friendly.

First a few principles about what makes a sheep tick:

• Sheep are a prey animal. Their main option for defence is to run away. There are a few exceptions. Ewes with new lambs may stand their ground. Rams can be aggressive and may charge and headbutt, especially if they don’t routinely have contact with other rams that apply peer pressure or have been made to feel part of the human family.
• Each sheep has a flight zone. If you are inside their flight zone they will mostly try to move away. The flight zone can be reduced through training.
• Food is a significant motivator.
• A sheep can recognise many different people and will remember who treated them well.
  
• Patting is best saved for wethers and ewes (not rams).
• Consistency and kindness can work wonders.

Lupins

Sue Darby says:
I hand feed them lupins. I also halter train them using lupins mostly. Some are very friendly anyway and just want affection. This technique is good for all ages.

I feed out lupins in basins. I take a bowl of lupins and a camp chair and sit with them. They already know the bowl has a treat in it. The friendly ones come to the bowl and the nervous ones want too. I hand feed the friendly ones and the more nervous ones come up and eat out of the bowl that I am holding. The worse thing is getting steamrolled/ swamped in sheep. Eventually even the most nervous check out what I have in my hands.

Be patient with the scaredy cats. Sitting with them in the yards or paddock is important as well. You can take your laptop/tablet/ phone, may play a book or music. The dolls love to listen. They love to come up to you in a shady comfy place and lie down for a nap. They feel safe.

Eventually they come up to you for cuddles whether you havé treats or not.

When you hand out the beans(lupins) you lend to spill and so everyone gets some from off the ground

Guy Trezise says:
I also use cracked lupins which I feed out to all the breeders and rams. I also mix in bioworma with the lupins when using it.

As for getting the lambs and the adults, I will sit in the paddock with them while feeding. Having a bucket with you even when empty is a magnet for them to come milling around for a scratch.

A number of lambs come into the yard each day, led by a poddy and graze and follow us around while we work. They are very curious and will camp in the shade with the dogs.

Patience

Shenelle Macdermid says:
Food and time!
I have x2 bottle fed and x1 not bottle fed and they are all like dogs.

Good role models

Sharon Sparrow says:
Keep them locked up for a week with one quiet one. They learn very quickly to come when called for pellets /hay.

The wild and jumpy ones

Jennie Curtis says::

• Don’t work with one sheep in isolation – always have other sheep within view.
• Don’t try to catch sheep by chasing them - it only teaches them to run away. If the sheep are running away, you need a smaller space or more sheep.
• Food is your secret weapon - set up a pen or small fenced area in the corner of the paddock and feed the sheep in there each day so they get used to going in. Eventually you can shut the gate behind them.
  
• Containment is your second secret weapon - once you have sheep in a pen you can work on getting them to feel safe near you. Hang around in the pen with the sheep doing nothing much, sit and read a book, close the pen up tighter so you can touch the sheep without having to chase/grab (be careful of your safety if sheep are jumping around), give them a gentle jaw massage, scratch under the chin (patting on top of head they don’t like much), offer some food from your hand.
• Halter training can be helpful.