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My Human Pet Sheep

By Georgie Fairless

My pet sheep is named Brownie as she is a moorit coloured Corriedale/Merino cross. She thinks differently to her three Romney sheep companions, does not like having her photo taken.

Photo of camera-shy Brownice
Camera-shy Brownie

Brownie is now five years old and I obtained her from Rosebank Farm, Ashburton, as a three week old bottle=fed lamb along with her friend, a white/brown spotty coloured Romney ewe we named Spotty! Brownie is a small animal, the leader of my four ewes and thinks like a human. Very crafty and intelligent, she has a personality of her own.

I recently had to check her front feet as she was favouring both feet at different times, or on her knees to eat if I was around, (seeking sympathy maybe?) At drenching time, which is monthly using a seaweed based tonic, I explained to her that I would check her front feet and pare the hooves back if needed.

Lifting her right foot was no problem but the left foot was a bit more tricky. Mentally she can only turn in right hand circles which meant her left foot was always against the yard fence. The race is too narrow for both of us. After a lot of time and patience on my part and circling on her part, (I do not stand in front of moving sheep, she weighs more than I do) two of the other sheep baled her up against the corner of the yard. I was able to ease myself between her and the fence, pare the offending hoof and finally let them out into their paddock.

I was walking across the paddock to the gate when Brownie came running over to me, sniffed my overalls, my hands and face and enjoyed a pat on the head before slowly walked away to join her mates. I could have sworn that she was saying ‘Thank you and sorry for being so stubborn’.

Pet animals are so caring and lots of fun.

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