Our Resident Pacifist

I've posted previously about how Struan Farm's pet lamb Rosie (now a hogget, technically) has come to love fresh apple pieces as treats. She will gallop across paddocks when her name is called out and apples waved in encouragement. Pet lamb Ruby (now also a hogget, technically) has also became a fan.

Each evening Rosie has been coming up to the house paddock around bottle time for this year's pet lambs so I will see her grazing. This is my cue to go get her apple after I finish bottle duty. It's our little time to reconnect.

A few days ago when I went to feed Rosie her apple Ruby came barrelling up, pushed her aside, and demanded most if not all of the apples. Ruby is considerably larger than Rosie, but they're, well, practically sisters. So I thought they'd share, particularly when I encouraged that. But much to my surprise, Rosie walked away and left the apples to Ruby. In fact, after this incident she disappeared entirely for a few days.

I started to get worried. Our big little lamb had run away, thinking she wasn't special any more. So Daniel, Ella, Livvy, John and I took apples and went looking for her around the farm, calling out her name as we walked the hills.

John came across Ruby in the Cottage Paddock, who saw the apple and came running right over:

I finally saw Rosie running with the mob through the house paddock and called out. She was hesitant to leave the mob but did come to me. I gave her an apple and a pat, and we're back on track.

But now pet lambs Curly and Buster are also nibbling pieces of apple. And if Ruby is within earshot feeding any to Rosie is impossible. There are more participants now in the Apple Wars. And Rosie always turns the other cheek and walks away to graze rather than get into a pushing match.

So if there are too many other contenders milling around the paddock, if I can't feed her at the fence or retaining wall without a scrum, I now toss her pieces where she is grazing. The others don't notice, she eats them and seems to appreciate that in her quiet, dignified way.