Most people who don't know sheep think they're, well, dumb. At best, not terribly intelligent, if they think about them at all. They believe all the stereotypes, that sheep behave blindly in herd mentalities. Which yes, sometimes they do.
But here at Struan Farm I've learned about sheep and have seen another side to them, mostly through the teachings of my pet lambs. I've learned they can indeed be quite intelligent. Like people, they have personalities. Yes, they can get easily flustered, especially when in a group and frightened, but they're far more complex than that.
Our four pet lambs this year are a good case in point. Ella, Livvy, Daniel and I discussed this over breakfast recently at Piopio's Fat Pigeon Cafe.
Cookie definitely behaves like the eldest. She drinks her bottle fast to finish first, she's competitive and wants to please. She is gentle, loves her cuddles and makes sure she gets them. She is the one to "baa" in the mornings to wake me up. She knows her name. She has a beautiful face, with an ear that is tipped brown. At the moment she's a bit angry with me for cutting her bottles back to 3x per day, and I'm hearing all about it.
Buster is a character. He's not so sure about being petted, at least when you might want to pet him. It's all about when he wants that, but he does as soon as you walk away. He's a fierce but slow drinker--has pulled the teat off the bottle at least three times now and splashed milk all over his face, much to his surprise! He likes to chew zippers on jackets, gumboot edges, and dangling hair. He has a beautiful face.
Curly is perhaps the most complex of our pet lambs, or maybe just still a work-in-process. He has become much more socialised since the girls' recent visit, is starting to respond (sometimes) to his name. John and I wonder if it's because he may not feel 100%, but he seems to be improving and growing. He cut himself under his eye on something a few days ago (no idea how that happened, what did you do to yourself Curly?!), and later was found in the pouring rain walking by himself in the dark on the farm track. Cookie and Buster tend to run off, abandoning him when he doesn't keep up. It worries me that he might get lost around the farm, and since he doesn't "baa" all that much I will have a problem finding him. It will be interesting to see what Curly looks like and how he behaves as he gets a bit older. Right now he's somewhat shy, and his looks are those only a mum (and perhaps Livvy) can love!
Of last year's pet lambs Rosie, Ruby, Pip and Pepper are still here at Struan Farm, Spanky went off farm. While Rosie interacts with us the most, Ruby still comes up for pats and apples, quietly, gently, in her own way. She's starting to develop more of a taste for apples. Pip and Pepper will come close but don't interact all that often. Rosie is quite direct about wanting apples and pats (in that order), every day. She will barrel up the paddock when we call her, otherwise loiters around the house paddock munching grass in plain view, just in case we notice and have an apple on hand. I can see that Rosie is going to get annoyed eventually that I've taught Ruby to enjoy apples too.
Last but not least, our newest pet lamb, Tootsie, is definitely still a personality-in-process. She has started to get up and come for her bottles, and to acknowledge me calling her. But it's early days for this wee girl, too soon really to know what she'll be like.
Personalities and smart lambs-- yes, we've got a few!
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