# My new Damara sheep!! (photo overdose)



## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Here are the girls I got yesterday! I was supposed to get two ... but I picked seven out from the mobs and then couldnt decide on just two, so I took four! WARNING: lots and lots and lots of pics :greengrin:

2 yr old F4 ewe - light brown and white, patches and spots
































































This ewe is probably my pick of the four. She's so tall and upstanding, she's really flashy - a real look at me type of girl. Beautiful long legs, and a long lean body. Beautiful strong head on her with a good roman nose. And brilliant colour to boot! She's still a baby and she's so framey and rangy I think she'll mature into a very big girl.

5 yr old F4 ewe, almost solid white, some small light brown patches on legs and feet





































This white ewe is also one that always catches your eye. She's definitely got a bit more frame than most of the others I didnt buy, she has a little more natural meat carriage than the average damara, but she still retains her femininity, those long legs and long, lean body.

6 yr old F3 ewe - light brown, with patches of strawberry roan, white and cream
































































This ewe is a little differently made than the others. She's slightly smaller in frame, shorter in leg. She's not quite as tall and rangy, she is a little shorter and more boxy. She is definitely a solid built ewe with a fantastic amount of muscle, and a great eye muscle. She's very deep bodied. She's got a lovely range of colours and she's got WADDLES!

8 yr old pure ewe - dark chocolate brown, black points, small spots, patches and flecks of white























































This ewe is showing her age a little, but she has a sound mouth and is sure to produce many more lambs. She is a tall, long and lean built ewe, very feminine and structurally sound. She has a fantastic hair coat, and a good range of colour. She's just a touch smaller in frame score than the two young ewe, and roughly on par with the 6 yr old ewe. Her head is probably her biggest weakness - she could use better hooded eyes, a stronger nose and better ears.

Here are their namesakes - the fat tails. They store their fat in this big wedge shaped tail instead of over the body. In good times they store it, in harder times like when she is suckling lambs, the fat deposits are used up. These ewes have some fat to their tails but they havent been experiencing really high level of nutrition because their tails would be a lot bigger. At the same time they havent been doing it very very hard because in that situation the tail disappears until it is literally pencil thin. Really fat tails can impede breeding, so you want to manage them and keep them at a healthy level. I am very happy with the stage these ewes are at.



















These girls are due to lamb, anytime from today until 6 wks. The 2 yr old is uncertain, the other three the breeder was confident they are pregnant. They have itty bitty udders and their sides are reasonably filled out, although they dont tend to get wide because they usually only have tiny lambs and singles.

Just some group shots


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

Big tails!! :shocked: :shocked: I've always seen sheep with their tails cut off. I guess they don't do it to that breed?

Anyways, Congrats on your new sheep! :thumb:


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

they are real nice looking sheep ...you have there....... :wink: :greengrin: 

Love the pics keren... :greengrin: :greengrin:


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## tremayne (Feb 8, 2008)

Beautiful, and very unusual. I like their looks. I did notice the waddles. Interesting, never thought I'd see them on sheep. 

Names that just popped into my head; Agnes (for the lightest one), May, Nell, Eunice (or Ewenice) Ramona, Layla. (Layla for the darkest one.) 

Very nice. Can't wait to see lambs. :girl: :girl: :girl: :girl: :boy: :boy: :boy: 

Anna


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## bheila (Jan 10, 2009)

Those are some beautiful sheep! I didn't realize you were a member on BYC too. :wave:


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Anna, I would be stoked if I had that many babies! Unfortunately, they only have twins in 10% of the births. Singles are usually the norm. The dark girl seems thin - I doubt she'd have more than one. Same with the 2 yr old girl - she might not even be pregnant. The white and the red girl, well they are quite deep does, so I am hoping, praying and crossing my fingers that there might be twins in there. The red girl is bigger in the belly than the others, and that was one of the reasons I chose her, thinking she might have twins in there. Its something I'd like to work on developing in my own herd, twinning in the majority of births.

bheila, yep! :wave:


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Is having one the norm... with those kind of sheep?


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

toth boer goats said:


> Is having one the norm... with those kind of sheep?


Unfortunately, yes


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## Sweet Gum Minis (Oct 6, 2007)

Congratulations! They're beautiful. I don't know much about sheep but they look like great animals! Congrats!


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## Jenna (Jan 7, 2009)

Really cool looking sheep! :stars: I like there tails, it's interesting how they store fat in them... don't they usually dock sheep tails though?


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Jenna said:


> Really cool looking sheep! :stars: I like there tails, it's interesting how they store fat in them... don't they usually dock sheep tails though?


Jenna, 'normal' sheep have their tails docked because of the wool that grows on the tail and on the breech, the tail encourages the collection of urine and manure there which is so attractive to flies, then of course they get flyblown = not a pleasant experience for the sheep or the farmer. Normal sheep also dont store their fat in their tails, they distribute it evenly over the body.

These sheep, obviously dont have wool on their tails or breeches, so the flystrike isnt an issue. Instead of storing their fat evenly over their body, it is all stored in the tail, and you can actually end up with serious health problems if you dock their tails, they have nowhere to put their fat.


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

They look sort of like goats  They are very pretty, congrats!! :stars:


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Thanks, I keep accidently calling them does instead of ewes, because they look so much like goats. Its hard for me to think of them as sheep!


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## Thanatos (Mar 16, 2009)

I thought that to. Other than the tails I would have a hard time tellin them appart.


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## Jenna (Jan 7, 2009)

Awesome! You are making me want some sheep ( Damara that is) what a impressive breed!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> Thanks, I keep accidently calling them does instead of ewes, because they look so much like goats. Its hard for me to think of them as sheep!


 I know what ya mean..... :doh: :help:


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Jenna said:


> Awesome! You are making me want some sheep ( Damara that is) what a impressive breed!


Good - that's my objective! I have been talking my head off these last few days, on the internet, phone and in person to anyone who is even the slightest bit interested in this breed!

I've come across a reference to Damara sheep in Canada, not sure if they are in the states. There's some contact info at the bottom of this article

http://www.sheepmagazine.com/issues/24/ ... ffith.html


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## Crissa (Oct 7, 2007)

They're cute! I've actually never heard of that breed. :scratch: They're faces kind of remind me of the Katahdins over here though.


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

Your katahdins are heavier muscled than these. I really like the looks of the katahdins but we dont have them here (and cant import from US)  

But I think they are great! Hopefully I can improve on the muscle


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## Jenna (Jan 7, 2009)

Thanks for the link...I hope the breed is promoted in the US too!


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