George was born on March 1, 2002, and was
named after President George W. Bush. George is a crossbred
sheep. His mother (dam) was a purebred Katahdin and his father
(sire) was a 3/4 White Dorper named Tarheel. When George was
born, no ewe would claim him or allow him to nurse, so he was
fed on a bottle for six weeks before being weaned.
George is a wether. He was castrated (neutered)
so he could be sold as a pet or grazer. He hurt his leg at the
time he was to be sold. When he recovered, Susan (the webmaster)
couldn't bear to part with him so he became a permanent resident
of The Baalands.
During the year, George lives with the rams
on the farm, sometimes the ewes. He's a little (actually a lot!)
on the chubby side since all he does is eat. His favorite food
(besides grain) is leaves. George generally speaks when he is
spoken to and responds to his name or anything that sounds like
it. He can be led with a halter or collar, but prefers just
to trot along behind Susan or whoever is carrying the bucket
of feed. You have to watch him, though. If you don't hold the
bucket up high enough, he will get his head in it and cause
you to spill feed.
George is a hair sheep, so he naturally sheds
his coat (a mixture of hair and wool) each year. Because hair
sheep are more resistant to internal parasites (worms) than
conventional wooled sheep, George has not been dewormed since
he was a young lamb. Like the ewes and rams in the flock, George
receives an annual booster for enterotoxemia and tetanus (CD-T).
His hooves are trimmed once per year, a procedure he does not
like having done. The last time his hooves were being trimmed,
he fell asleep in the tilt table.
George has become a little sensitive about
his weight: over 200 pounds! He hopes you enjoy his web site.
