# NEW SHEEP-YARDS....



## The Old Ram-Australia (Apr 15, 2020)

G'day folks,I thought i would start a new thread for this topic.

So after nearly 50 years of having livestock we "invested" in a proper stet of yards for drafting,drenching and loading of livestock.Jenny,daughter(Nicole) and myself over the last two days have modified the original design and erected them.The result is a handling system that gives the farmer 5 options when the sheep enter the drafting race.The final design means that you can draft into 4 different yards or load onto truck or trailer. The yards should be able to  comfortably handle 200 head.Drafting into any of the 4 yards is controlled from one central point .The 4 yards are all interconnected and can be selected independently of the race....Needless to say you will see them in action on their first use, of course the dogs will now have to undergo training as how this new system works but i am sure they will take to it because it is "so " easy for them to get the right result for me.

BTW,the red dye will wash off the first shower of rain.

Today i am too exhausted to do anything much, ( jenny is baking and i am resting and writing.).


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## animalmom (Apr 16, 2020)

Wow!  Love the set-up!


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## frustratedearthmother (Apr 16, 2020)

Impressive!


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## Baymule (Apr 16, 2020)

After all this time! LOL You certainly deserve this. That is a real nice set up. I like the pictures, especially the last one of you!


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## The Old Ram-Australia (Apr 16, 2020)

Well here is the thing ,the new yards have extended my "farming life" by about 10 years i think. BTW, the beard is something to amuse myself while we have the virus thing going on.Never attempted one before...T.O.R.


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## Baymule (Apr 17, 2020)

My husband has a beard, have never seen his face. One time he trimmed it waaaay too close and I told him not to do that again! 

You will enjoy the help this equipment gives you. Farming is hard work!


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## The Old Ram-Australia (Apr 19, 2020)

G'day today Max had his first opportunity to introduce some of the flock to the new yards.As you can see he is very patient with the sheep "standing off" of them if they are doing what i want.My photography will improve over time i am sure....In the first photo note how he is positioned well off the wing as the gate is to the right of the loading ramp.....I am sure you will notice the new profile shot for me...This young Aswassi ram is an important addition to the breeding program as the milk gene will be important going forward and the "woolliness" will be bred out over time..T.O.R


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## Ridgetop (Apr 22, 2020)

Love your new set up.  This year we invested in some portable panels for a chute, a sorting gate, electronic box scale, gate panels for the jugs, and tilt table.  The amount of work and back ache it saves is amazing.  I was considering I was reaching shelf life on this sheep bit, but the right equipment sure put a spring back in my step again!  We are small time, not nearly the amount of sheep you do, or the necessity at this time of making a profit.  I hope to change that when we move to Texas and permanent pasture.

I love the circular set up.  It looks like one man (or woman) and a good dog could do everything alone.  I really want a good trained sheep dog eventually to work the sheep.  With our steep gullies and hillside we could use one now but not often enough to have to deal with another dog with the LGDs.  Our sheep come into the fold at night easily, we put them in jugs to lamb, and catching them in the catch pen is not too hard, but we only have about 20 sheep. 

Keep posting about using this setup and about your adventure with this new ram.  Improving milk yield is at the top of my list in any breed of sheep.  More milk, faster lamb growth.  How do you like that strange breed of sheep you bought?  The had very long legs and necks.  They were African right?  I had never seen any like that and had to look them up on line!  You said they were flighty - how are they settling in?


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## The Old Ram-Australia (Apr 23, 2020)

G'day Ridgetop,When you move to the new farm you will find a herding dog like a Kelpie/B.C will be of "great benifiet"in the day to day running of the flock....For me i would not buy a "trained dog",because studs have a way of not allowing the natural instincts of the dog to blossom.If you think about a seeing eye dog for the blind just how long it takes to get one to a person.This is th reason that i do not start my pups until they are about 18 months old because then there natural instincts will come to the fore (Meg is a good example of this )...My advice in buying a pup would be to ask the breeder to allow the dog to undertake a task with just the the starting command,now i suspect that many breeders would not do this as they have trained the dog to just work to command over the whole task.Max is now at a stage where he will once instructed he will work a wing in closed situations and all i need to do is a caution word,or two ,so he does not get ahead of the "shoulder of the group".

The thing is with the new ram he is "horned" and woolly and although much younger than our other rams like s to use his horns when close to cycling ewes.We also have some Israeli Assafs,but only ewes and i will look to putting a poll ram over them for a "poll" x-bred ram .....Oh , the Damaras,we purchased these from a property about 5 hours drive away in the drought and i fear that they will never settle down,but they are great mothers and their frame is certainly impressive in the USA they were x-ed with the W.H.Dorper (i think ) to produce the Katahdin. The Meat-masters from S.Africa are the most impressive breed i have ever seen.

It is worth noting that in our design that the drafting sheep will be able to se a sheep beyond the gate at the foot of the loading ramp.It has been our experience that if the sheep can see one ahead of them they move much more smoothly down the race.....T.O.R.


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## Ridgetop (Apr 23, 2020)

I would not mind training a herding dog, but have no idea how to do it.  I had our Australian Shepherd with a trainer (we both went to the lessons) but no way to practice since we had so few sheep.   

Horned sheep and goats are a problem, in my experience.  Bad for fences and equipment too.  

We often can coax a reluctant animal through the scale by opening the gate at the end so they think they have an exit.  You are so right, handling a lot of sheep through the chutes (race) has been easier than trying to persuade one to go through.  LOL

Looking forward to hearing more abut your cross breeding program.  What will you be mixing the Damaras with?  Or are they going tobe kept pure for breeding stock sales for other x breeding programs?


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## The Old Ram-Australia (Apr 23, 2020)

Hi Ridge, thank you for the note...Are Australian Shepard's know for working stock? If so, i am unaware of them.

At this time all of my Kelpies have a "cut" of B.C in them. As i have commented before my dogs would "run through the gates of Hell  "for me such is their dedication,in fact when the 4 of them are "off together" it is a continual contest for attention from me as they all seek to be "favorite in my eyes".

I hope you will try the tip of one locked up at the end so the others can see as they enter the race,you can imagine drafting a mob of 100 if there is any reluctance for them to enter.

With regard to the Damara's ,this years lamb drop will be a matter of which ram was quickest ,but next year they will go to one of the South African "Van Rooys" to not only reduce the leg length ,but to quieten the next generation as well.Anyway that's the plan.....T.O.R


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## Baymule (Apr 25, 2020)

I looked up the South African Meatmaster. Impressive.


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## Mike CHS (Apr 25, 2020)

We have an Aussie that is trained to work sheep and we know of a lot of people that have them as working dogs.  That being said, if we had our Border Collie first we we would not have gotten the Aussie.  She has made a super pet thought.


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## The Old Ram-Australia (Apr 25, 2020)

G'day folks,i was intrigued by this breed (Australian Shepard) so i had a search around ,no wonder i had not heard of them.The breed is actually American ,developed from the Spanish Shepard's brought from Spain by shepherds who came to  look after the then large flocks in the USA....From what i have read if you were after a shepherding one the search could be quite a long one to get the desired type, temperament and working ability (it is much the same with Kelpies in Aussie). The show or bench type of Kelpie i suspect has rarely if ever seen a "sheep" and the natural instincts that i "prize" has all but completely bred out of them,but like your Aussie's make excellent pets.....T.O.R.


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## Baymule (Apr 26, 2020)

I love Australian Shepherds and have had quite a few of them over the years. They do make great pets. I had one that was a fanatic about playing fetch, so much so that she would retrieve cans I shot off a post, in target practice. She got all excited at the word gun, so I would spell it, then she learned to spell. Dog was nuts for fetching. I had friends that would take her duck hunting, she was better than a Labrador. She was my buddy and friend. 

This is Polly, the last one I had. When my mom had a stroke and came to live with us, Polly decided that Mom needed special attention. Mom never liked dogs, but at Polly's gentle nudge, asking for attention, Mom loved Polly. Polly was awesome with the grand daughters, standing for them to lace tiny fingers in her fur and learn to pull up and stand up. She was outstanding in her big heart and loved by all who knew her.


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## B&B Happy goats (Apr 26, 2020)

You look like your mom, .....very sweet picture


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## Baymule (Apr 26, 2020)

B&B Happy goats said:


> You look like your mom, .....very sweet picture


My Mom was a small, petite woman with a strong will and determination  to be reckoned with. Wonder where I get it from? LOL My daughter is her spitting image. Uncanny, lots of the same personality traits too. Polly helped make Mom's later years happier ones and Mom loved Polly dearly.


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## B&B Happy goats (Apr 26, 2020)

Baymule said:


> My Mom was a small, petite woman with a strong will and determination  to be reckoned with. Wonder where I get it from? LOL My daughter is her spitting image. Uncanny, lots of the same personality traits too. Polly helped make Mom's later years happier ones and Mom loved Polly dearly.


No wonder there at all lol, .....you are your mothers daughter !  
Sounds like Polly did a wonderful  job winning your moms love, ...that picture is priceless


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## Baymule (Apr 26, 2020)

Polly was my shadow. She loved everybody, but I belonged to her. 

Mom fell and fractured her back and had kypho surgery. I probably spelled that wrong, but they injected a glue to hold the bone fragments together, which was a great success. She had to go to rehab for therapy and the first thing she asked for was Polly. I went straight home and got Polly. Polly always knew what made Mom feel better.





Sorry for high jacking your thread TOR!! But you know how it is when you get to talking about the fine dogs you have had in your life. I sure hope dogs go to heaven.


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## Ridgetop (Apr 26, 2020)

You can find Aussies from have working bloodlines, you have to find someone who does herding.  We got one because a friend that trained Border Collies said we would have trouble with a BC.  We didn't have enough work to keep it busy and happy. She said they are known for sneaking off and working the sheep on their own!   LOL  According to her we  would have to keep it confined in a kennel except when working.  On the other hand all her dogs herding dogs were field trailers and she as a field trial judge.  I imagine if I looked around I could find a dog that was less intense.  She suggested Aussies since they are wonderful family dogs too, and don't have that drive to herd like most BCs.  We got Shadow half trained then the herding trainer moved away.  We really didn't need her herding skills, but just like Polly, Shadow let the babies pull themselves upright on her.  She stayed at the foot of their cribs during naps  and if I didn't hear them wake she would come out and get me!  Great dog.  If I were to get a herding dog thought I would probably look for a Border Collie.  Kelpies are not as common here, and some of the Australian cattle dogs are supposed to be too rough when working ewes with young lambs.  I will have to research it before getting one.


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## Ridgetop (Apr 26, 2020)

What are the various sheep working breeds?  Kelpies, Heelers, Border Collies, what others are common?


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## High Desert Cowboy (Apr 26, 2020)

Aussies will work depending on their pedigree.  I’ve got a friend who breeds ASCA registered Aussies.  The ASCA differs greatly from AKC registered as its not about looks, ASCA wants dogs that will work.  There’s a breed specific to California called the McNab.  A lot like a border but a little tougher for cattle work but I think they still work well on sheep.  Kelpies have impressed me and I would like to have one someday.  I’ve only read about this breed and I don’t know how easy they’d be to find in the US but they’re called Koolies, they’re from Australia.  Smooth and rough collies will work depending on their lines.  The New Zealanders have a dog called the Huntaway, but again that’s just a breed I’ve read about.  I don’t know how an Idaho Shag would do on sheep but they’re good cattle dogs, same goes for hanging trees.  
Bella is 3/4 border and 1/4 Aussie, she stalks like a border and does well getting around but she’s got some bite to back up the eye. Helps with obstinate ewes who think they don’t need to do as they’re instructed.


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## Ridgetop (Apr 26, 2020)

I am glad to know you and Mike know about these dog.  TOR also trains his own dogs.  I think I would have to get a started dog though.  Eventually.


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## Baymule (Apr 27, 2020)

Texas state dog is the Texas Blue Lacy. It is a cattle dog bred in the 1800’s by Lacy ranch.


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