Choices? Let's talk about Sheep
+550 words about sheep.
Why sheep? Is it because I am surrounded by hundreds of them and they make our lives miserable because of all those stable flies they attract? Flies eating us alive and giving me and my dogs a hard time being outside and enjoying our garden? Or is it because I pity them (the owner, who is smart enough not to live around here doesn't care about them)?
Most sheep are ladies and why they are kept is a mystery to me. It's not because of the meat, not for their skin/wool because over two if not three years the sheepskins are piled up in front of my gate so it must be for a different reason. My guess is it's their poop next to selling one once in a while which is the only reason for the farmer to show up (collecting the money).
The sheep aren't very healthy but it feels as if they give birth the entire year. A part of them is ill and walks on their knees (it's a disease) but no vet comes over to check on them. Dead is dead and dead animals are fed to the dogs or dumped in the bushes. The cadaver service is never called since no money is spent on services like these. For sure some stray dogs (dumped over here it's what the countryside is good for people dumping their pets and bags with garbage) eat from the cadavers or find a bone just like one of my dogs who made a hobby out of collecting them and piling them up at my front door unless he decides to bury it.
source An unrealistic picture If a sheep is on its back it blows up due to the gasses in its stomach one of the negative problems of being a herbivore. If a sheep can't turn around and get back on its feet by itself it dies. Trust me turning around a sheep is heavy and I climbed several fences to rescue one. Farmers rarely are around if something happens to their cattle.
Besides rescuing sheep I also delivered lambs if the sheep was not able to do it herself. With your arm inside a sheep is quite an experience (and warm if it's winter).
During my travel to England, I visited The Seven Sisters Sheep Centre which was a great experience back then plus the sheep looked way healthier than my neighbours over here. Such a pity it closed in 2016.
Sheepskin is great so why it's wasted I don't know. Sheep wool is also warmer and more natural than all the synthetic yarn we use today. It would be good if we go back to using the natural or if you like biological products again.
At least twice a day I can observe the herd pass by. Those who believe sheep are stupid are wrong. Not each one follows number one or lets herself be commanded by a dog. There are always a handful who ignore the rest and do as they like. They escape, go left if the rest go to the right and know where to find the greenest more juicy grass (indeed it's in front of my gate). I noticed if it comes to these sheep they even frustrate the dog and the result is he lets them be. I bet these sheep are laughing and doing it on purpose just like you can see in the film 'Babe'. Those sheep walking out I like most of all because they show character. They aren't afraid to leave the group and discover the world at their own tempo.
Sheep are good for counting if you can't fall asleep they say. If that's true depends on who you are. Mr Bean will most likely not agree.
If it comes to smart sheep, creative ones, Shaun the sheep comes to mind. I am a big fan of this sheep (a plus is it doesn't give me stable flies) and like any child, I love each episode (just like I do with Wallace and Gromit) an extra plus is the creative way the figures are made. Imagine how much work that must be and the fun it brings.
Being called a sheep isn't positive and neither is being one of my sheep neighbours but just like the short film For the Birds I lately talked about, which makes me laugh out loud, there's a short film about a sheep that I really enjoy and is good for the mood! If you feel down and need a quick positive push into the right direction I recommend to watch it.
Header: Canva
Photo header: pixabay.com
Videos: YouTube
11-3-2024
I am a mobile phone user only
contest hosted by @patjewell
#steemexclusive #choices #club5050 #creativewriting #kittywu #holland
Keeping aside all the frustration which this cattle has brought upon you, can we admire how beautiful these sheep are looking in your shared videos and photo😍
I'm this day old to know that sheep attract stable flies, maybe because i have never seen them tied in front of my house or anywhere around.
Oh god, these flies can be a nightmare if one is not smart enough like the shaun sheep.
Or maybe to use it as a natural fertilizer🙎
The purpose of sharing this photo is to show you how we dye sheep by applying henna (paste of dried henna plant) before sacrificing them on Eid.
It brings back childhood memories when i used to see my cousins taking care of sheep like their lovers.
Source
Thanks for sharing such a beautiful photo. If you see paint on the back of sheep overhere (red or blue or both) you know the male jumped on it and she might be pregnant.
I never see the farmer use it to fertilize his fields the heaps out of the stable (it's emptied every 6 months) are thrown next to the road...after some days there's a pool of urine which hurts the eyes and takes the breath away. Once in a while another farmer might buy it.
I once counted the sheep my guess is about 300.
You never took care of a sheep yourself?
Thanks for reading & commenting.
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They are so cruel to do this, it is a very common sight in villages in every country. Governments should intervene and take actions against who mess around. I see this very unfortunate scene of animal manure exploitation in my village as well⚠
Never. I admire animals from a distance:)
I guess what happens in the countryside doesn't matter it counts for everything. Bad roads, no signs, light, bad internet, bad public transport, no ambulance or fireworkers...
and no electricity، our transformer had gone out of order since last night and there is no sign to get it fixed🥺
That is bad! You still have water? If my electricity is gone I have no water either. :(
Can anyone repair it or does it need to be replaced? It's hard without electricity and to be on Steemit. Are you alright?
I hope you can keep in touch.
They repaired it after 18 hours, it was Sunday, a funday (i mean holiday) so it took so long for them to repair it, it would be the same if it was not Sunday, just us things:)
P.S I did internet package on mobile to post on steemit because no electricity no Wifi.
Thank you for your concern❤
Here no one shows up either and we have blackout frequently. It damages the electronic machines/items. I have always bottles and a bucket filled with water, powerbanks and a jumpstarter (with light and bigger powerbank) plus a mobile router (my son takes it with him now so he isn't too bored at school and can call me.. unless the wifi signals are gone again.
My biggest worry is no water. I can always write offline and travel 30-40 minutes to visit a library to post. I did that for many years.
I am happy to hear the problem is solved.
A happy day to you.
We support quality posts and good comments posted anywhere and with any tag.
Curated by : @ripon0630
Okay... my son was five and attending pre-school. They went on an outing to the agriculture college, where they learned all about sheep. Now my kids grew up in English, but the pre-school was Afrikaans.
When I fetched him from school and asked him about his day, he started to cry, telling me that they cut the sheep's "balletjies." Well, it was like a red cloth in front of this Taurus.
I called the school and started shouting at the principal. How dare they show the kids something like this.
Not long after that, we had to discover that it wasn't "balletjies" but "wolletjies."
Fluit fluit, my storie is uit!
🤣🤣🤣🤣 sorrie maar wel leuk...
It sounds the same. Can be the sheep felt naked and cold but they can keep bouncing...plus they avoid them being eaten by worms (larvae) which is a pain, it's why the tails are removed too. :(
The original sheep must have been a different species from what we breed today.
I loved your story, you made my day.
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Good luck!
@patjewell
Thank you, I'll thank the sheep too!
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💕 :-)
Sheeps and rams are two brothers that I don't really know who I know. I think it's the ram cos of Eid. But how about if the people too just sold big sheeps as rams. Well we see more of rams here and yes I am familia with that smell, I know it so well as our former president was a tribe called the Fulani which made the rearers increase and constantly move around with their best friends rams and cows. I am not a fan
A ram is the male they are rarely kept just one or two are enough. I assume they are eaten just like most male animals if not by humans they end up as dog/animal food.
Most male animals are eaten before they are afult, no hormons meaning the taste is better at the same time it's very exlensive (lam) not young roosters or the oneday old chicks.
Even here rams are slaughtered for Eid celebrations, we don't really have sheeps here. So males are more delicious, I used to wonder why people try to avoid female goats here,some said female takes longer time to cook cos their skins are tougher from child birth. So they said
If you ask me it's the opposite but can be if the sheep is old(er) and only for sale after given birth several years.
There must be sheep..without females no males.
Hello @wakeupkitty!
I would like to have the opportunity to meet or more than that, to see some sheep up close. In my country there are few places where you can find them and they are very far from where I live. It was very good to read your post :)
Sheep are great animals just like goats although goats are easier to keep plus you have milk. Sheep here have all kind of diseases which is a pain perhaps due the weather circumstances?
In the east part there are still herds, the island Texel was always famous for its sheep + sheep products (love the island) and there are farmers that can be visited. I believe there's even a day or week farmers open their doors...
I hope you can be close with sheep and find a way. Thank you for reading & commenting.
All the best to you.
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I also hope the same! Although I would like to see them beyond the fences of a zoo, which is possibly the way I can do it :) Thank you for the kindness of replying. Big hugs!
Sheep kept in a Zoo?
Let me know if you saw them!