# SCORE! Sheep Handling Equipment



## Baymule (Jun 24, 2019)

WHOO-HOO!!!! 

I'm just a little excited. I found a Craigs List ad for sheep handling equipment. Two guillotine gates, a stop gate and a 2-way sorting gate for $650 from Premier1. I immediately looked up the pieces, new they totaled $955. This couple had used hog panels to link the gates together on one side, a solid wall on the other side. So we went to go look (read that as BUY because I wasn't leaving without it). BJ and I discussed offering $500 and a strategy. So we told the couple that it wasn't exactly what we were looking for and we needed to "talk about it" and we walked off. snicker, snicker, giggle..... 

We mumbled and took our sweet time, then walked back over to them. BJ pulled the money out of his pocket and asked if they would take $500. Then he mentioned again that it wasn't what we were looking for, but that I told him that I could make it work. If they'd take $500, we'd load it up now. Then it was their turn to "talk about it". They came back and accepted our offer.  BJ handed them the money, the men loaded it up and I have sheep handling equipment! 

We'll probably get it set up tomorrow. 

Pictures are from Premier1 web site



Stop gate






Guillotine gate






2-way sorting gate


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## mystang89 (Jun 24, 2019)

Awesome! Nice find.


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## Baymule (Jun 24, 2019)

Y'all want to know the funny part? We raised 40 Cornish Cross meat chickens, I had an order for 20. So we slaughtered 20 of them, (BJ is a chicken-picken' champion) and I cut them up, boneless skinless breast, sectioned all the meat, vacuum sealed it, froze it and we delivered it for $5 a pound. Total was almost what we just paid for the sheep handling equipment. Thank you stinky, poop-machine-masters, dirty birdie chickens!


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## Mike CHS (Jun 24, 2019)

The handling equipment just makes it sooooooo much easier.


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## promiseacres (Jun 24, 2019)

awesome!


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## B&B Happy goats (Jun 24, 2019)

Great deal !  Congradulations  on making your sheep keeping easier


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## frustratedearthmother (Jun 24, 2019)

That is awesome!


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## Mini Horses (Jun 25, 2019)

Baymule said:


> Total was almost what we just paid for the sheep handling equipment. Thank you stinky, poop-machine-masters, dirty birdie chickens!



Somehow makes it "worth" all the time & trouble!   

You will love the assist from this equipment.   Time & trouble will be far, far less with it.    Hunnert yrs ago we had all the "handling" equipment for some cattle.   Worth every penny!!!   Or, poopy butts for you


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## Mini Horses (Jun 25, 2019)

Baymule said:


> Total was almost what we just paid for the sheep handling equipment. Thank you stinky, poop-machine-masters, dirty birdie chickens!



Somehow makes it "worth" all the time & trouble!   

You will love the assist from this equipment.   Time & trouble will be far, far less with it.    Hunnert yrs ago we had all the "handling" equipment for some cattle.   Worth every penny!!!   Or, poopy butts for you


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## Mini Horses (Jun 25, 2019)

Baymule said:


> Total was almost what we just paid for the sheep handling equipment. Thank you stinky, poop-machine-masters, dirty birdie chickens!



Somehow makes it "worth" all the time & trouble!   

You will love the assist from this equipment.   Time & trouble will be far, far less with it.    Hunnert yrs ago we had all the "handling" equipment for some cattle.   Worth every penny!!!   Or, poopy butts for you


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## OneFineAcre (Jun 25, 2019)

Good deal.


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## farmerjan (Jun 25, 2019)

Any time you can get equipment like that to help you do the "physical" work is great,  if it works.  We did it the hard way for years and when we bought our first head catch for the cattle, it was like a miracle.  Of course now we have the farm rented from the widow of our friend, and there is a catch pen, and alley that runs down to the head catch.  Has a home made guillotine and that is a life saver when you have a pushy cow that wants to run up over you when you are trying to do something to the one in the chute.  There is also a smaller gate that we swing shut behind the cow that is in the head catch.  It allows me to go in behind the cow, and breed her A I or such.  There is enough room for one cow to stand behind that gate and the guillotine that drops down and keeps any other cows back.  We also have 2 places down the alley that we can slide a simple board in and contain the cows in the alleyway.  The alley holds 5-7 cows total.  So we can get a group in the small catch pen, run some up the alley, and contain them and go back and get some more in the catch pen.  They make some really elaborate pens, with tub sweeps that move the cattle into alleys that lead to the catch.  If you have a place that needs it, they are nice, but expensive.  They are portable though. 
The nice thing about a guillotine, or even our swing gate between the cow and the next one, is that you can open the head catch, let the one out and not have someone else pushing to try to run out over top of you.  Sure sheep are smaller than cows, but they still can push you over if they are wanting out.   And if they back up, they hit the guillotine or our swing gate, and can't go any further back, so they figure going forward is better. 
Good buy if it makes your handling the sheep easier on you and your help.


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## Sheepshape (Jun 25, 2019)

Always worth having handling equipment for sheep and cattle.

We had our sheep shed built to replace a leaky old barn some years back. It was largely engineered by a self-taught (and very skilful) Polish guy. He custom made a race and the metalwork in our sheep shed.....very flexible and has been an absolute boon. We can attach sheep hurled in many places to change the configuration and can turn the gates round etc.(The water on the floor is where I've just washed the shed out having had them down for vitamin drenching)




.


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## Baymule (Jun 25, 2019)

Thanks for the picture of the run and gates @Sheepshape it helps me wrap my head around how I'm going to set ours up.

@Mike CHS could you post some pics of your set up? I would appreciate it. How far from the guillotine gate to the let-em-out gate? LOL How much room (length) does the sheep that you are working on need.

Looks like we'll get it set up Thursday morning. We had to go get feed this morning, other errands, it's hot now and I have lost enthusiasm for melting down like the wicked witch of the west.

Tomorrow morning we are back on chicken slaughter detail, i'll be so glad when we are done with them. Thursday is marked for equipment set up and hopefully chicken slaughter on Friday and that should wrap that up.


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## Baymule (Jun 25, 2019)

Do I set it up with small pen, guillotine gate, long run, guillotine gate, short run, stop gate, 1 sheep size run, then end in sorting gate? I got nowhere to sort them to for now, but I know I'll be moving it and playing with it. Eventually we want it in a covered area with a run where we can back the trailer up to it to load lambs.


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## Mike CHS (Jun 25, 2019)

Our layout now is similar to what we had when you were here but we added an 8' gate to the porch and attached a Cattle Panel inside the loading chute to use to "squeeze" the animals onto a trailer.  We added the gate permanently to allow us to use it to hold animals in the loading area or we can send them in there until we are done and then open the gate and let them go back to the shelter area by moving the inside panel at the entrance to the chute.

Two of our solid panels allow us to drop the height by 8" so we can easily step over and get in the chute with the sheep. You can see them in the 3rd and 4th pictures.  The only issue with those is I have had a wild ewe jump out of the chute when the height is reduced. Three adult sheep easily fit in one section and I can get in to hold them steady while they get a shot or drench from the person outside the chute.  By working in with them it lets me use my position to keep them from backing out or lets me use my lower body to push them forward in the rare case they get stubborn.  At first I had to use a panel to force them into the chute but anymore I just open the sliding gate at the entry end and they walk right in.


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## Mike CHS (Jun 25, 2019)

Baymule said:


> Do I set it up with small pen, guillotine gate, long run, guillotine gate, short run, stop gate, 1 sheep size run, then end in sorting gate? I got nowhere to sort them to for now, but I know I'll be moving it and playing with it. Eventually we want it in a covered area with a run where we can back the trailer up to it to load lambs.



My pictures don't show it but we use electric netting connected to the right of the sorting gate that runs up the hill and just past the gate at the top.  That lets them go back to the paddock they started from.  I have just let them out without the netting but they get curious and head straight for the garden so we stopped doing that.  If they are going to be loaded, they go into the holding pen at the right of our chute.


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## Baymule (Jun 25, 2019)

Thanks for all the pictures Mike! it sure helps. So in your "working" area of the run, you fit 3 sheep in there? Is that better than one at a time? Thanks for the answers and the help, we sure appreciate it.


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## Mike CHS (Jun 25, 2019)

You want the chute to be full.  Just the fact that they can't move either way keeps them calm and lets you do whatever you need to do.  We have too many to handle one at a time and being able to work on several at a time makes the sheep accept whatever you are doing to them.  Plus if there is a single in the chute they panic more because they are alone even if they trust you they are stressed.   We can put up to six lambs in a section at a time.


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## Mike CHS (Jun 25, 2019)

I just wanted to add that I have a food bucket out there that I offer just before they exit the chute so it finishes as a pleasant experience so they will walk right in next time.


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## Baymule (Jun 25, 2019)

That makes sense, thanks for the explanation. I was planning on having them a treat, was thinking crimped oats, because you have mentioned that before.


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## Mike CHS (Jun 25, 2019)

I just mentioned that because we both have pretty tame sheep but that changes some when they get into the chutes until they get used to it.  It's pretty simple after the first time.


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## Baymule (Jun 25, 2019)

I read an article that said to run them through the chute without working them, giving them positive reinforcement and a treat at the end before letting them out. Sounded like a good idea.


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## Baymule (Jun 27, 2019)

Whew! It’s hot! We just finished getting it set up. Robert came over and helped. I let the sheep out in the yard, but they kept coming back to see what we were doing. LOL Ringo found the table we’ve been using while slaughtering chickens. He rubbed underneath it, hitting his tickle spot and kicking his hind leg like a dog. We laughed at him until he knocked the table over. Game over. 

Then Robert moved his truck in the shade and Ringo used the back bumper for a scratching post. It’s so funny watching him switch back legs because he hit the other tickle spot. 

Getting started 




 



 



 

I bet I got this backwards, but it’s up now and I’m not changing it. LOL 



 

It’s 2:00 and I’m itching to try this baby out. But I have 7 chickens on ice to cut up and process. I have hours of work ahead of me. Got to get them done because we are slaughtering the rest in the morning, then we’ll be done. 7 more and 2 old roosters, then cut up and process them. 

I’m so proud of this equipment, it’s going to make things so much easier.


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## Roving Jacobs (Jun 27, 2019)

What an awesome set up! You're going to be working sheep like a pro now


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## Baymule (Jun 27, 2019)

Roving Jacobs said:


> What an awesome set up! You're going to be working sheep like a pro now


Thanks! I'm so excited!

I just finished with the chickens I had on ice, got everything cleaned up and cloroxed at 7:40. I heated up leftover pizza and that was supper. BJ went to the neighbor that has an ice machine and filled the ice cooler. 7 more darn chickens to go and our ice machine neighbor will get one!


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## lilipansy (Jul 3, 2019)

That was a great score (so jealous)!  We built our chute and catch pen with pallets because they were free but just realized that we need a flip table to do their hooves, vaccinations, etc...  It's so back breaking without one.  

Your set up is nice but I think I've read somewhere that your chute should be (somewhat) solid so they can't see through it and try bouncing off the sides.  Please let us know how it goes.  It's so exciting to have equipment that'll make your life so much easier.


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## Mike CHS (Jul 3, 2019)

lilipansy said:


> That was a great score (so jealous)!  We built our chute and catch pen with pallets because they were free but just realized that we need a flip table to do their hooves, vaccinations, etc...  It's so back breaking without one.
> 
> Your set up is nice but I think I've read somewhere that your chute should be (somewhat) solid so they can't see through it and try bouncing off the sides.  Please let us know how it goes.  It's so exciting to have equipment that'll make your life so much easier.



You can set them on their butts to do hooves or get a Deck Chair like the one in the link.  We had a turn table and sold it.  The sheep were stressed the whole time they were waiting to be worked. It's much better now but the chair is a two person operation for our bigger sheep.  Sheep that are used to being handled don't balk because of wire enclosures.  We have solid panels on a couple of our sections but we have the top section turned down so it's only 32" high and they can see out easily.

https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/...MIkfD69qCZ4wIVZf_jBx0HDgNBEAQYASABEgKiavD_BwE


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## Hipshot (Jul 3, 2019)

Mike CHS said:


> Our layout now is similar to what we had when you were here but we added an 8' gate to the porch and attached a Cattle Panel inside the loading chute to use to "squeeze" the animals onto a trailer.  We added the gate permanently to allow us to use it to hold animals in the loading area or we can send them in there until we are done and then open the gate and let them go back to the shelter area by moving the inside panel at the entrance to the chute.
> 
> Two of our solid panels allow us to drop the height by 8" so we can easily step over and get in the chute with the sheep. You can see them in the 3rd and 4th pictures.  The only issue with those is I have had a wild ewe jump out of the chute when the height is reduced. Three adult sheep easily fit in one section and I can get in to hold them steady while they get a shot or drench from the person outside the chute.  By working in with them it lets me use my position to keep them from backing out or lets me use my lower body to push them forward in the rare case they get stubborn.  At first I had to use a panel to force them into the chute but anymore I just open the sliding gate at the entry end and they walk right in.
> 
> View attachment 63670 View attachment 63671 View attachment 63672 View attachment 63673 View attachment 63674 View attachment 63675


I I love this set up Mike . I'm just going to add this little bit of information .get rid of the zip ties and try these instead . The tool is a pigtail twister .You can buy at Home Depot $3.50. They only carry the one pictured . Galvanized loop ties  have to be ordered seven or eight inch work better  . Home Depot carries the plain wire ones, and only six inch .Six inch ties will twist one or two times on a T post and a corral panel. . They come in longer lengths. But again you can order the longer ones or buy them at a local concrete material  supplier . Like Ram Tool or Care Supply . I used to buy from them don't know if they are in business anymore . The 1000 count bundles ,may be hard to get in longer lengths . You may only be able to get them in 5000 count roll . I have yellow plastic coated six inch ties. from a 5000 count roll still , from a footing job over ten years ago. I use those to tie my garden baskets together . They are so handy , fix a small cage or wire the door shut on a crazy rooster . Tie milk jugs cut for feeders and waters in small or big cages .


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## Mike CHS (Jul 3, 2019)

I'll have to check those out.


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## Ridgetop (Jul 6, 2019)

HIPSHOT :      I really like those pigtails and the twister.  I have used wire (haven't we all) but you have to cut t, twist it, and the sharp ends have to be bent over - those pigtails have that round loop which will be safer.  Love it.  I think I will try ordering some just to have them on hand,  Zip ties eventually get brittle in the sun and can break so for semi permanent installation these would be much better.

BAYMULE:    I am so jealous of your great find!     I have been wanting to get some gates like that but have to figure out where to out a semi permanent installation.  DS1 is finally on board and talking about building a chute for when we want to separate and vaccinate.  So much easier than catching them in the larger pens one by one.  The proper equipment really makes a difference in being able to handle livestock safely and easily.  At our ages we need to work smarter instead of relying on strength and agility like we did when we were younger.   



Mike CHS said:


> Three adult sheep easily fit in one section and I can get in to hold them steady while they get a shot or drench from the person outside the chute. By working in with them it lets me use my position to keep them from backing out or lets me use my lower body to push them forward in the rare case they get stubborn.





Mike CHS said:


> You want the chute to be full. Just the fact that they can't move either way keeps them calm and lets you do whatever you need to do. We have too many to handle one at a time and being able to work on several at a time makes the sheep accept whatever you are doing to them. Plus if there is a single in the chute they panic more because they are alone even if they trust you they are stressed. We can put up to six lambs in a section at a time.



So right.  When they are crowded tight they cannot get room to run around and that keeps them calmer so you can do what needs to be done. 

BAYMULE      MASTER OF THE DEAL!


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## Skiesblue (Jul 7, 2019)

Congratulations. And enjoy. This afternoon I caught 4 sheep with a crook (leg crook). I’m in my sixties. The last ewe I walked up to on the brilliantly sunny and humid afternoon- I asked her if she would consider accepting medication without a struggle as it was warm and I had mixed it with a liberal amount of molasses. “Naaahhhahh.” Needless to say...


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## Ridgetop (Jul 8, 2019)

Our White Dorpers are sort of tame.  Several ewes including 2 of the rams will walk right up to DS1, DH, and myself.  * EXCEPT* when we are holding a halter or a crook. Then they avoid us and are very clever about not getting within arm or crook distance.  Otherwise they are DH's best buddies!  Now I hold the halter and hide behind the tractor or other large object while he walks up to them and catches them, then I have to run over to halter them quickly.  If they start running around though, we have lost our window of opportunity and have to bring out the big guns - running them into a small holding pen and using the crook.  Not always easy to do is they are on the large pasture.  This is when a herding dog would come in handy.  Especially when the LGDs decide to "help".  

I really wish we had a chute - DS1 says he will build one since we are all tired of trying to catch flying sheep.  I will start saving for the gates.  Maybe we can find another buy like Baymule's while we are in Texas.     Or visiting Marv's cousins in Kansas or Colorado.  Or even northern California.  Actually, there _is_ a sheep breeder who is going out of business and putting their equipment in an online auction in September.  I was hoping to get a scale so maybe I can pick up some chute gates as well.


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## Ridgetop (Jul 9, 2019)

BAYMULE:  HAVE YOU USED IT YET?  I AM BREATHLESSLY WAITING FOR HOW IT WORKS FOR YOU!  I need a play by play description - preferably with pix - so I can continue to eat my heart out with jealousy over your set up!  Or live vicariously through your successes!  LOL

P.S.  I will try to remember to bring yo and Devonviolet some jelly or jam.


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## Baymule (Jul 9, 2019)

We ran the lambs through on Friday and wormed  them. I took a fecal on Scottie and Dit—Dot. Today we ran the ewes through the chute and I took fecals on all of them. We are liking this chute!


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## Baymule (Jul 9, 2019)

I have several ewes that are matted up with unshed wool. They look awful. So today I took a pair of scissors to three of them. They look somewhat like a rabid zebra with broken teeth ate their wool off.  To me they look a LOT better,  but still leave a lot to be desired. @Ridgetop you think maybe you could pack some proper shears and bring them with you for a Teach-Baymule-How-To-Shear-A-Sheep-Party?? I feel like the Hunchback of Notre Dame after being bent over those poor pathetic looking mangled sheep, snip-snipping a few hairs at a time, afraid to really whack on them for fear I would cut skin. The feeling has not come back in my thumb yet, from the pressure bearing down on the scissors handle to cut through those wads of wool. My back is going to strangle me in my sleep for the terrible things I did to it today. I THOUGHT THESE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HAIR SHEEP!!

We wormed sheep and I did my It-Sucks-Scissor-Shearing on my poor girls. I felt something warm on my leg...….it ran down my leg and into my shoe.  Thanks. I didn't really need that. My husband leaned over the chute, holding the wads of wool back out of my way. Both of us got pooped on, dirty, sweaty and filthy. We were supremely  happy with the chute. 

I donned a latex glove and gave each ewe a rear ending experience. Diving for Doo-Doo!  I stripped it off inside out, trapping the brown doo-doo pearls inside. I told BJ the sheep's name and he wrote it on the glove. That really thrilled him. I tried to get a fecal on Ringo. Fail. He clamped his butt hole down and there were no poo-balls to be found. I did not worm him, I wanted a fecal first. I guess I will follow him around with, I dunno, paper towels? a bucket? keep latex gloves in my pocket waiting for opportunity? Any other time he'd be pooping all over the place. 

When we went to Tennessee to get Ringo, Teresa showed me how to run fecal tests. I sent her long texts today! I took notes on the process when I was there, but I need to know a few things and she was more than happy to help. THANK YOU TERESA! My ewes say  "Why did you teach Mom to do these disgusting things to us?" 

I did 4 slides, counting worm eggs. Miranda and Ewenique, my favorite ewes passed with flying colors, very low counts. Scottie, Miranda's7 month old lamb had a low count also. The other lamb, had a high egg count. Teresa told me what to do, then repeat in a week or so. The other gloves are double bagged in the refrigerator. I need some Aleve to make my back stop screaming, then I'll do the rest. 

I love my new sheep equipment!


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## Baymule (Jul 9, 2019)

Miranda is slick all over, but had dreadlocks on her back. That is Eve, her daughter next to her and Moon Pie is behind me.





Eve getting that matt cut off. She was less than thrilled.


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## Baymule (Jul 9, 2019)

Moon Pie. I think we could take that matt, throw it on the porch and wipe our feet on it!





I muddled my way through my first fecal testing, much thanks to Teresa for teaching me and being my back up today. I have always wormed sheep several times a year, giving Garlic Barrier monthly. But the nagging thought of, "Is this the best I can do? stayed on my mind. Now, I KNOW and I can treat the ones that need treatment. Now I'll be better able to care for my flock. I'll be able to cull out the ones that keep a high worm load. Thank you Teresa!


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## Mike CHS (Jul 9, 2019)

I let her know what you said and of course she said to call anytime whether it's for help or just to chat.


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## frustratedearthmother (Jul 9, 2019)

Baymule said:


> I think we could take that matt, throw it on the porch and wipe our feet on it!


Sounds like a great idea!  (or a seat cushion, or a dog toy....)


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## Ridgetop (Jul 9, 2019)

So excited that the gates and chute worked out so well!  I am determined now to make one for myself.  I have to look for the gates - maybe I will get some at the upcoming sheep equipment auction in September.  I also want a walk on scale.  Premier (I think) has a floor mat walk on type that you can put down in the chute between the gates.  Great for weighing larger lambs and ewe lambs prior to breeding.

Isn't this BYH site great!  Where else could you tell hundreds of people that you enjoy donning rubber gloves and sticking a finger up a sheep's anus!      And they would be excited for you!   Not to mention examining poop for parasites!  How lucky are we to have friends like these?!!!  

I need to have DS1 show me again how to attach the blades on the sheep head of his electric clippers (attaching the blades properly and adjusting the tension is the hardest part) and I will bring them back to Texas with me with several pairs of blades (the blades get dull quickly when shearing unwashed sheep) and the Kool Lube.  DS1 and DS2 can gauge the tension by the sound, but I can't anymore so will have him do it for me before we leave.  Then we can shear off those matts easily.  I also have several sets of hand shears but am not exactly sure where I packed them when we stopped fitting sheep for show.  If I can find them before we leave on July 20-21, I will bring them as well.  Don't bother trying with a scissors it is too hard on the hands as you found.  If you have a large set of electric horse clippers, you can probably buy a sheep head.  When I get back there I will show you what we have and you can decide if you want to invest in any.  If yoi plan to breed hair sheep and eventiully show Katahdins, you might want to buy a set.  However, check

It is even easier if you have a milking stanchion with a headlock to put the sheep up on.  I use mine for trimming hooves too.  If you don't want to use the large shearing blades you have to shampoo the sheep wool to remove the lanolin and dirt.  Then you can shear to the skin while the sheep is still wet with a smaller size pair of blades.  We used a smaller set of blades to slick shear the lambs for show, and for that you have to shampoo them with liquid dish detergent first because it will cut through the grease (lanolin).  Also shearing a clean fleece does not dull the blades as fast.  However, when shearing large ewes annually and keeping the fleece for sale or spinning you have to shear in the grease and pack the fleeces in paper wool sacks.  I would bring my stanchion but DH would howl bloody murder!  f you have a Premier milking or fitting stanchion or any type of metal stanchion with a square element to hold the square tubing head support, I will bring my sheep head piece to fit in it.  Actually if you have a milking stanchion we can put the sheep in there and they will probably stand as long as they have a little feed in front of them.  Otherwise, put them in halters and we can box them in the runway and do it.  It is just the top wool along the spine after all, we don't have to flip them to do the underneath parts, neck, head, legs, etc.  Let me know.

I am also going to bring back 2 tupping harnesses for you and Devonviolet to try.  I haven't had success with this brand and have replaced them, but they are like new and you two can try them out.  I will bring you each a crayon too.  You can try them and you will find that it makes lambing and kidding a breeze by being able to exactly calculate lambing and kidding dates based on the dates the ram or buck marks the female.


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## Baymule (Jul 10, 2019)

I don't have a stanchion, can you take a picture of yours and give dimensions? I don't have a welder or a metal scrap pile (yet) to knock one together, but maybe I could make a wooden one. The good thing about wood projects is that the rejects go on the burn pile. LOL

I have no clippers, my fingers have raw spots on them from the scissors. The salt water solution I used in the fecal tests really "rubbed salt in the wounds" ouch.  I want a scale. Future plans include building a roof off the other side of the portable building for parking the tractor, flat bed trailer, and a place to set up the working chute with a loading chute to make life easier when taking lambs to slaughter. When we build that, I want a concrete floor and one of those flat scales will work out real nice.

Tupping harness! Way cool!


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## Baymule (Jul 10, 2019)

@Ridgetop @AmberLops just showed me these, what do you think? Good for a starter set? Haha, LOOK OUT SHEEPIES! Momma's on a roll!

https://www.amazon.com/Missyee-Clip...farm+animals&qid=1562762961&s=gateway&sr=8-26


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## lilipansy (Jul 10, 2019)

Baymule said:


> I don't have a stanchion, can you take a picture of yours and give dimensions? I don't have a welder or a metal scrap pile (yet) to knock one together, but maybe I could make a wooden one. The good thing about wood projects is that the rejects go on the burn pile. LOL
> 
> I have no clippers, my fingers have raw spots on them from the scissors. The salt water solution I used in the fecal tests really "rubbed salt in the wounds" ouch.  I want a scale. Future plans include building a roof off the other side of the portable building for parking the tractor, flat bed trailer, and a place to set up the working chute with a loading chute to make life easier when taking lambs to slaughter. When we build that, I want a concrete floor and one of those flat scales will work out real nice.
> 
> Tupping harness! Way cool!



Do you make your own salt solution? I make a sugar solution for the fecals because it's the only recipe I found on line but it can be a little sticky at times.  Can I have your salt solution recipe please?


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## lilipansy (Jul 10, 2019)

Mike CHS said:


> You can set them on their butts to do hooves or get a Deck Chair like the one in the link.  We had a turn table and sold it.  The sheep were stressed the whole time they were waiting to be worked. It's much better now but the chair is a two person operation for our bigger sheep.  Sheep that are used to being handled don't balk because of wire enclosures.  We have solid panels on a couple of our sections but we have the top section turned down so it's only 32" high and they can see out easily.
> 
> https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/...MIkfD69qCZ4wIVZf_jBx0HDgNBEAQYASABEgKiavD_BwE



We round our sheep into a catch pen and push them into the chute.  Then one by one we grab them, pull them out and flip them to do hooves, drenches, vacs, etc...  The problem is that we are getting too old to manually handle the sheep.  With the chair we would still have to catch them and flip them.  My husband said no more sheep until we figure out a way to be more efficient (i.e. his back does not have to do any of the work).  The flip table is perfect, almost hand off and I could do most of it by myself.  The sheep are really my thing.  You just push them through and the equipment does the rest.  They'll get used to being handled as such and will settle down.  My sheep are, for the most part, tame and will come to me for food, hugs and kisses except when they KNOW something is up.  Who said that sheep are dumb?


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## Baymule (Jul 10, 2019)

The salt solution is 3/4 cup of pickling salt and 1 pint (16 ounces) of water. I used a bottle of water. Pre measured! LOL


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## Ridgetop (Jul 11, 2019)

I can't comment about the clippers.  I never heard of the Missyee brand and most of the reviews were people wanting to use them to clip their dog.  I didn't like what the reviews said - most people complained about the extremely loud noise they made and one person said the instructions told you to wear ear protection.  Most electric clippers are somewhat loud, but not like these sounded.  Sometimes the loud sound is because the tension is not properly adjusted.  However, the price is very good. 

The main thing to remember is that shearing blades dull very quickly because they are cutting through lanolin covered wool and dirt is imbedded in the wool.  You also need to buy a brand for which you can get replacement blades easily.  You want standard brand blades so you can have them sharpened.  Sharpening sets of shearing blades can run from $10/set to $20/set depending in the type of blades.  The standard shearing blades consist of a long tongued blade and a shorter tongued piece that is called a comb.  You should have several sets of each size blade set so you can switch to a sharp set when the first set gets dull.  In your case you only want the standard shearing set, not the close cut or surgical set which are used for different show trims.  Once you start showing your registered Katahdins, you can add other blade sets for a slick shear for show.  Dorpers need to have enough wool left so the judge can tell how much is hair and how much is wool according to the Standard.  MikeCHS will be able to tell you how short to shear for shows.  Then after shearing season you send all the used blades off to be sharpened ready for the next season or show.

You also need to have clipper oil which is a very thin oil to oil the bushings and clipper parts.  This is different from the Kool Lube which you spray on the blades themselves to keep them cool while shearing.  Several of the reviews complained that the shears got hot almost immediately.  The blades get hot from the shearing friction and need to be sprayed with Kool Lube to keep them from burning the animal, and the body of the clipper will eventually get hot if you shear many animals for several hours.  We kept several sets of clippers so we could switch off clippers when shearing for show, or especially when shaving goats before a fair.  We also had several sizes of clippers as well as blades to use.  There is also a blade wash that you pour into a bowl and use to disinfect and wash the blades between sheep. You run the clipper with the blades in the shallow bowl of blade wash and it helps to remove the lanolin and wool from the blades.  The lanolin can eventually gum up the blades and cause them to run harder.  It is hard on the clipper.

I will go to the workshop tomorrow and get out our 2 sets of electric shears and look at them.  One is an Andis.  I want to say that the other one is an Oster but am not sure.  One of the best brands is Lister.  It is very lightweight but it is also one of the most expensive.  If you just want to take off the remaining wool along the spine each that clipper might be ok.  But you will need to price replacement blades for it.  if you can't get replacement blades for that Missyee clipper I wouldn't buy it.  I would wait until the end of summer and see if you can find a 4-H family that is selling their equipment.  If you go to the youth Fair during the County Fair and talk to the different 4-H families they might now someone who is graduating and wants to sell their equipment.  A lot of kids will sell their equipment to help finance college.  Of course they often have already promised it to a younger member of their club.

I will take photos tomorrow of our clippers and blades.  I will also go out to the Connex and look for the box of lamb show equipment and find my hand shears.

As to the stanchion you can absolutely build one from wood.  DH built 2 double stanchions so we could milk 4 dairy goats at once.  They were permanent and we had 2 portable ones that we took to shows.  I will try to get into the barn loft tomorrow and get a photo of our portable milking stanchion but you can find pictures in any livestock catalog - look for portable stanchions.  The Premier one is built so you can use either a stanchion dairy goat head, or a sheep stanchion fitting head.  It doesn't have to be portable though and you can easily build a nice solid one from wood.  So much handier for trimming hooves, giving shots, etc.  Heaven forbid you have to doctor a goat or sheep with mastitis!  Those treatments require the insertion of a medicine tube into the teat orifice and pushing the content of the antibiotic tube into the udder.  Very unpleasant and the animals definitely don't like it!  I will look for any pix I have of our old wooden stanchions that I can scan and post.

You can show me how to do a fecal count while we are back there.  it's gonna be so much fun!  I hardly ever get to play anymore with anyone who understands how much fun this is!


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## Baymule (Jul 11, 2019)

Thanks for the clipper/shears review @Ridgetop. I need some, but know nothing about them. @Devonviolet wants to learn how to do fecals too. We can have a poop party while the guys cook on the grill. Only BYH'ers would want to closely examine sheep poop under a microscope, then eat lunch. LOL LOL 

@lilipansy do you have a turntable? Can you post a picture of it and how you use it?


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## Baymule (Jul 11, 2019)

I finished all the fecals I took of the ewes. I am dumbfounded. Two of them have counts so high that I don't know why they aren't dead. And get this--their eye membranes are pink, not bright pink, but pink. Pink enough that I would never have thought that they are so wormy. 

I followed the genetic trail. One ewe is responsible for the worst of the lot. One of my original ewes, Lady Baa Baa is the mother or grandmother of the worst sheep I have. I was going to keep yet another of her ewe lambs, but NOT NOW! She had a high worm count, was wormed, and later will go to slaughter. I will be keeping one and only one, of the ewe lambs this year. That is Scottie, daughter of Miranda.

Miranda is the best ewe, along with Ewenique, the other two original ewes. Both of them had a count of 100, meaning that I only found two barber pole worm eggs in the fecal sample. I only have 1 daughter of Ewenique's because she usually has ram lambs, she also had a count of 100. I have 3 daughters of Miranda, they also had low counts. 

So it looks like I will have quite the cull list. Since Ringo has been with the ewes, I will wait for them to lamb, wean, then cull and take the lambs to slaughter. I won't be keeping any more from the Lady Baa Baa ewe. One of Lady Baa Baa's daughters, Lily, had a low count--BUT her wether lamb had bottle jaw last week, so he got wormed and the bottle jaw is down to normal. I have not tested him, it was already obvious. We ran the lambs through the chute today and he got a dose of two different wormers. 

This has been a real eye opener. I have checked eye membranes and thought I had healthy sheep.  What has really been interesting is tracing it back to one ewe. There will definitely be some changes around here. 

I said it already, but I will say it again, Thank you Teresa for showing me what to do and putting this valuable tool in my hands. Thank you. I in turn will teach @Devonviolet and @Ridgetop has asked to learn how to run fecals too, when they come to Texas. So you are going to have a positive  impact on others besides me.


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## Ridgetop (Jul 12, 2019)

That is incredible that there were no signs of the worm problem when they had high counts!  It will be really worthwhile to learn how to do the counts.  You are smart to start culling based on parasite resistance.  By doing that you will eventually have a flock of all animals with high resistance.   Great ,management tool.

Can't wait to play in poop!  LOL


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## Ridgetop (Jul 12, 2019)

For some reason my computer is acting weird.  The top left picture is of the first double wooden stanchions DH made.  The next on on the top right is of the portable stanchion with a sheep head, while the lower left picture above is of the portable with the dairy stanchion head and hoop for the grain bucket. I posted a lot more on my Ridgetop post.


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## Mike CHS (Jul 12, 2019)

We were really surprised and disappointed when we started doing fecals.  We had so many that indicated worming due to what seemed to be low FAMACHA scores that didn't need it and several that appeared to have high scores that did need it.  We don't even bother doing FAMACHA anymore and see quite a few sheep producers that are seeing the same.


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## Baymule (Jul 12, 2019)

Amazing. Utterly amazing. This is a fantastic tool for animal husbandry. I am beyond thrilled to know how to do this. It has, in one fecal test, totally changed how I view my flock and how to best manage it.


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## Baymule (Jul 13, 2019)

Look what I got today!!! @Ridgetop, if you have packed one, you can unload it. Fill that space with something else vitally important.

Another Craigslist bargain. They were asking $250, BJ offered $200 and they took it. I am good at finding the bargains, BJ is good at getting the price down.  This will keep me from being all bent over and having an aching back! So now we rig up the sorting gate and make a cowpanel chute to the stanchion, cause I sure got a terrible eye problem with my sheep happily walking up that ramp--I don't see that happening!






Bring on the shears @Ridgetop! We got a stanchion!


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## Mike CHS (Jul 13, 2019)

I'm looking forward to videos of you getting that done.


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## Baymule (Jul 13, 2019)

If it is anywhere near as much fun as running them through the chute, it ought to make the $100,000 winner on America's Funniest Videos!


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## Mike CHS (Jul 13, 2019)

I had to go back and see how you have your entry into the chute set up.  Are you just herding them along your fence into the chute or do you have a crowd pen?  The reason I'm asking is there is a lot you can do in a crowd pen without running them all through the chute.  We have two of our 30 adults that need to be wormed so we will move the lambs into the next paddock and call the 30 back into the entry stall with feed. I'll run them all (or most of them) into the crows pen and they are so tight that I can walk through the girls and give the drench to the two that need it.  At that point they are done and I just open the gate to let them out.


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## Baymule (Jul 13, 2019)

We have a small square pen before the chute. I guess that's the crowd pen, but I ain't got enough sheep to crowd. 

Today we ran them through so we could worm the 4 ewes with the high count again. We are getting better at this and the sheep are getting more familiar with the chute. BJ thought we were done, I told him in 10 days we run them all through again, take fecals and see where we are. He looked at me and said WHY? Me-Because that's what we do. BJ-


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## Mike CHS (Jul 13, 2019)

If I only have a few to work I have a piece of T-111 (?) that is about 4 feet long and only a couple of feet wide that is light enough that I can hold it parallel to the ground and use that as my sweep. I do have a 2x2 inch piece on one side to use as a handle. A funnel shape works better than a square since they have no corners to put their heads down in and anything you can use as a sweep works better. A buggy whip with some plastic trash bags works as good as a sweep.  I guess you are seeing that once they have been through a time or two without being devoured by the wild ogres they don't mind too much.


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## Baymule (Jul 13, 2019)

You could put a couple of these on your sweep board. I always keep a few of these around, I find all kinds of places to use them.


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## Mike CHS (Jul 13, 2019)

I used a router to machine some hand holds and they are free.


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## lilipansy (Jul 14, 2019)

Baymule said:


> Thanks for the clipper/shears review @Ridgetop. I need some, but know nothing about them. @Devonviolet wants to learn how to do fecals too. We can have a poop party while the guys cook on the grill. Only BYH'ers would want to closely examine sheep poop under a microscope, then eat lunch. LOL LOL
> 
> @lilipansy do you have a turntable? Can you post a picture of it and how you use it?



We are about to order the flip table once we figure out where to store it.  Here's a review of it:


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## Ridgetop (Jul 15, 2019)

Baymule said:


> Look what I got today!!! @Ridgetop, if you have packed one, you can unload it. Fill that space with something else vitally important.
> 
> Another Craigslist bargain. They were asking $250, BJ offered $200 and they took it. I am good at finding the bargains, BJ is good at getting the price down.  This will keep me from being all bent over and having an aching back! So now we rig up the sorting gate and make a cowpanel chute to the stanchion, cause I sure got a terrible eye problem with my sheep happily walking up that ramp--I don't see that happening!



ANOTHER SCORE BY BAYMULE!        All Hail The Bargain Champion!!!          
That stanchion looks identical to mine.  Mine is a Sydell by the way, not Premier.  Great price since they are up around $600 new without the said rails and ramp.  Those side rails are good since sheep like to try to garrotte themselves by falling or  leaping off the stanchion and hanging by the neck or head while you hysterically try to free them!    Yours have an improvement in the second lower horizontal bar.  The bars I had did not have the lower bar and shorter goats and sheep would just fall out from underneath the top rail.  The ramp is great since they won't jump onto the stanchion like milk goats.  Dairy goats loved the stanchions since they equated it with yummy grain - the only place they ever got any.  The sheep would allow themselves to be lifted and shoved onto it, sort of.  But that ramp is great since (once you put a couple panels on either side) they will walk straight up to the bucket of grain you will cunningly hang from the head stand.  Then you can wisk away the bucked and lock them into the head stand - deal done!  I had a ramp, but without a chute, I fell over it more than it was worth to me since I used to shear most of the brood ewes while DH was at work and the kids were all at school.  Mostly we shaved goats for shows every couple weeks, and they were trained.

When we get back there we need to do some Craigslist shopping!  Sadly, no sheep handling stuff available here since hardly any livestock anymore.    I have gotten terrific Craigslist bargains - an entire Red River arena when the kids were still doing playdays!   We still use the 10' 8 bar panels for sheep pens.  We also gave DS3 half of them for his arena when he moved. 
Let's find more buys! 

After we shear your sheep and you see the clipper for yourself, you will know what to look for when one is offered.  By the way, always ask any sheep equipment sellers if they have anything else to sell.  often they will have odds and ends that they didn't bother to list because they were not big dollar items and you can pick them up for a couple $$.  Extra halters, grain feeders, salt or mineral holders, etc.  Lots of time people just toss them into the barn and only list the larger equipment for sale.  Occasionally they will give them to you if you buy the advertised stuff and they are not keeping sheep any more.

MORE JEALOUS THAN EVER!!!  You are getting a great set up and not spending much $$$!  MY HERO!


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## Baymule (Jul 15, 2019)

lilipansy said:


> We are about to order the flip table once we figure out where to store it.  Here's a review of it:


That ought to make it so much easier for you!!


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## Ridgetop (Jul 15, 2019)

lilipansy said:


> We are about to order the flip table once we figure out where to store it. Here's a review of it:



I have seen these tables in use for cattle only.  They were trimming hooves on a dairy herd.  It is actually a squeeze where the 2 sides moved in and that squashed the cow in place while the table rotates to the side.  There is a brake on it to lock it in place until the animal is locked in.  It looked like it took some strength to roll the cow over but we are talking about a 1500 lb. cow so maybe not so bad with a 200 lb. sheep.  The tables come in different sizes.  At the time, while the farrier made quick of the hooves, I wanted one badly.  Sure beats bending over to trim a lot of animals.  But it was large, like LILIPANSY we had no place to store it, and it was too expensive for our small flock. 

Let us know how it works!


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## ohiogoatgirl (Aug 2, 2019)

re: worm load- a high amount of worms in the fecal says nothing about how well the sheep can withstand having worms.  Some sheep struggle with say 50 worms, some sheep are doing great and have 5000 worms.
Different aspects of it. I think there is some terms for these in NSIP now?


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## Baymule (Aug 12, 2019)

@Ridgetop and her husband came over, they are camped in Weatherford, TX about 2 1/2 hours from here. We had quite the party. Our husbands sat comfortably ensconced in their outdoor chairs, watching their wives having fun. I got to use my stanchion! 

We ran the sheep in the chute and 1 at a time, halters and dragged them up on the stanchion. Needless to say, they were less than thrilled. They laid down, attempted to jump over, under, sideways, upside down, collapsed and were downright uncooperative. Fancy that! 

Ridgetop showed me how to shear and guided my tentative efforts. I was afraid I would cut them. We got those “BAD TOUPEES” sheared off! @Bruce. LOL 




 

I had so much fun learning how to shear and not wind up with a carcass hanging up for butchering. My Sheep survived! I did not cut off a finger either! 



 

The shade from the huge cedar tree was most welcome in the heat. A breeze blew most of the time. 

Since we had them up there. I trimmed feet. Moon Pie thought that was a terrible idea and kept jerking her feet, resulting in me stabbing myself at the base of my thumbnail. After that, washing up, a bandaid and gloves seemed like a pretty good idea. 



 

Ridgetop and I got pooped and peed on, at one point pee was dripping down her arm and my husband, ever the gentleman, kindly wiped it off. I got kicked in the ribs. I was filthy, poopy, blood on my shirt, I woke up with a myriad of interesting bruises. Gosh we had FUN!

We only sheared 5 Sheep, the lambs going to slaughter can keep their BAD TOUPEES.


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## AmberLops (Aug 12, 2019)

Looks like you guys had tons of fun!!


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## Baymule (Aug 12, 2019)

We did have fun! @Ridgetop and her husband will come back again before heading back home. @Devonviolet and her husband will come over and we will have lunch, visit and do fecal exams. I tell ya' I know how to throw a party! What could be more fun than digging in doo-doo? DV will bring fecal samples from her goats and we'll look for worm eggs. Great topic for lunch, huh?


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## Mike CHS (Aug 12, 2019)

I can't say I've ever had a Poop Party.


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## Baymule (Aug 12, 2019)

Mike CHS said:


> I can't say I've ever had a Poop Party.


@Ridgetop brought some wine, plus we went to Miranda Lambert's parents store in Lindale, where she bought 2 more bottles. I think we are going to have a Loopy Poopy Party!


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## AmberLops (Aug 12, 2019)

Baymule said:


> @Ridgetop brought some wine, plus we went to Miranda Lambert's parents store in Lindale, where she bought 2 more bottles. I think we are going to have a Loopy Poopy Party!


HA HA!


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## Baymule (Dec 7, 2019)

I ran the sheep through the chute today. I did it by myself because of BJ having cataract surgery and he can't lift, bend over or be in a dusty environment. That pretty much rules out everything around here, it's driving him nuts. I needed to give Domino a CDT shot, which I was able to do, thanks to this beautiful, lovely, equipment. I took fecal samples, by myself, it took a little longer because it is real handy to have BJ on the outside handing me stuff, but I got it done.


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## Mike CHS (Dec 7, 2019)

I can't imagine doing without a chute system.


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## Baymule (Dec 8, 2019)

The flying tackle system doesn’t work near as well as the chute. LOL Ringo is so hard to get a sample from, but I got him figured out. I put him in the short chute by himself with a pan of Feed. He jumps from side to side, gets annoyed and angry but greed for Feed overrides his dislike of me digging for doodoo. Hahaha! I win!


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## Baymule (Jan 8, 2020)

I made a modification on the stanchion today. I’ve been rolling it around in my head, like a BB rolling around in a clothes dryer.  We cut a hog panel in half, I used hay twine to tie it to the stanchion. My reasoning is to make sides to better guide the sheep up the little ramp. I still wound up putting a halter on the ewes and dragging them up the ramp. 

I bought a new head piece for goats with a tray for Feed. I had the sheep head piece for sheep, no Feed tray! I’m trying to make it a better experience for them (food) and me (trimming hooves). 

I have to say, having that Feed tray made a world of difference. They didn’t fight and kick hardly at all. Having the hog panel on the side made it a little harder to get to their feet, but this was a first run, it will get better. When I was through, I removed the head piece and they jumped down. 

First up was Scottie, she stretched out for Feed in my hand, but I finally had to get the halter.






She was fairly calm and busy eating. 





Then it was Ringo’s turn. Haha, he charged up the ramp and put his big head around the head piece and stuck his head in the tray! 





I pushed his head back and through the head piece. If was fine with him, as long as he had Feed! 





Gosh I love that boy! 

I worked the sheep, lured with feed, dragged with halter and rope, trimmed hooves, took fecal samples and got a good workout. I’m tired. 

Hopefully I will be able to train them to walk up the ramp and the sides will guide them. I guided Aria and Latigo up the ramp and gave them feed. 

Lily went up the ramp, dashed for the gap between the head piece and end of the hog panel on the side, jumped through it and ran. I’ll run them through again soon and I’ll have to think of something else for her. 

BJ wanted to help today, but his knee was swollen and painful from all the work we’ve been doing lately.


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## Mike CHS (Jan 8, 2020)

That boy is one of a kind.

You think a short panel ran across and under the feeder might work?  They (or most) won't try to go over something even at that height.  It could even be a piece of plywood for the solid visual affect.


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## Xerocles (Jan 8, 2020)

You and I both know I don't know squat about sheep. But a potential low tech way to get them to the head piece. Food container (attached to a line) sitting on the floor. Gate closes behind, food in sight ahead. Then, from the headpiece, pull the line til they reach the installed food pan. Easier to pull a food pan than to pull a halter wearing sheep? (I know how you like "illustrations", but I'm NOT a teacher, farm or otherwise.)


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## Baymule (Jan 8, 2020)

I was thinking along that same line. A couple of them are squirrely, Lily and her mom, Lady Baa Baa. I've been thinking about a hog or cow panel section to form a sort of a squeeze chute to immobilize them. Lady Baa Baa used to come to me for petting and attention-----until I started doing fecals. She hates it and will not forgive me.  I have to chase her around in the short chute to get a fecal sample, getting stomped and banging my knees around. I think she might have sprained my wrist today, it hurts. Oh well.  

Ringo is such a sweetheart. He had two ladies with him, but I took one out, she is due this month. He gets to keep the other one until end of February, then he will be by himself. But he will be next to the ewes in the barn, so he won't be totally alone. Then in May he gets his ladies back. I love that boy!


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## Baymule (Jan 8, 2020)

Xerocles said:


> You and I both know I don't know squat about sheep. But a potential low tech way to get them to the head piece. Food container (attached to a line) sitting on the floor. Gate closes behind, food in sight ahead. Then, from the headpiece, pull the line til they reach the installed food pan. Easier to pull a food pan than to pull a halter wearing sheep? (I know how you like "illustrations", but I'm NOT a teacher, farm or otherwise.)


I used the feed bucket for a lure, for a sheep, that's pretty high tech. LOL They would go so far, then back down. Now that a pan of feed awaits, hopefully it will be a better experience and they will look forward to the feed pan. We are keeping 3 ewe lambs from this lambing, they got training today.


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## Xerocles (Jan 8, 2020)

Baymule said:


> Lady Baa Baa used to come to me for petting and attention-----until I started doing fecals. She hates it and will not forgive me.


You explained that before. I DON'T BLAME HER!
How about a belly band (like from a saddle).  One end attached to the top of the side frame, lying on the floor until in the headpiece. Then raise it til she's on "tippy toes" (well, I guess goats are always on tippy toes, but you understand) and secure it to the other side rail just like you'd cinch in a saddle ring. Not "suspended" to cause discomfort, but discourages big body shifts...or even kicks, while you are back there getting your "kicks".


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## Xerocles (Jan 8, 2020)

BTW. How do you get in the chute with them, once you get them in the headpiece?


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## Baymule (Jan 8, 2020)

Suspended on their tippy toes would probably send them over the edge. I'll figure out a way to get her to hold still. 


Xerocles said:


> Not "suspended" to cause discomfort, but discourages big body shifts...or even kicks, while you are back there getting your "kicks".


I'm not getting my "kicks" this is an essential part of animal husbandry for the betterment of their health. They will die from parasite infestation, so will goats. I make jokes about it because I have a streak of dark humor. I'm a lot of fun in a funeral home picking out caskets too.  I'd druther laugh than be grumpy.



Xerocles said:


> BTW. How do you get in the chute with them, once you get them in the headpiece?


I get in the chute, but not on the stanchion.


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## thistlebloom (Jan 8, 2020)

Bay, would it be too time consuming and unwieldy to work with them daily on loading on the stand, and letting them eat, while you just rub their legs and gradually get them habituated to the idea that the stand is a good place? (I think Ringo has already graduated the program!) No way to get around the unpleasantness of the fecals I suppose, but if they respond anything like horses a gradual desensitization would be helpful.


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## Baymule (Jan 8, 2020)

@thistlebloom   It would take a bit of time, I have 10 ewes, Ringo and the lambs. I'm going to shoot for once a week of running them in the chute and stanchion, no shots, no fecals, no hoof trim. Just feed, picking up feet and lots of attention.

Sheep are programmed to panic. They have absolutely no way to protect themselves. They hide being sick because a sick sheep is dinner for a predator. By the time you realize that one is sick, she can be darn near dead. If they feel trapped, they go completely bonkers. Much like your mustang, except she can bite and kick, and she can run faster than a sheep! LOL Before I tamed mine down, they ran into walls and bounced off the fences if I got close to them. Even the ones I raise can be easily frightened, it takes time, patience and a calm demeanor.


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## thistlebloom (Jan 8, 2020)

I figured it would be a huge time commitment, I couldn't remember how many you had.


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## Beekissed (Jan 8, 2020)

Maybe solid sides on the ramp, even if just a tarp to create the illusion of solid sides?   Everything I've read says to provide solid sides to the race if you want them to move forward easily.    Something you could lift at the bottom if you needed to access the feet?   Even putting down a piece of plywood, with cleats on it, on the ramp itself may have them move up there more willingly.  Could be that moving up into a space with all that open air around it feels a bit unstable to a sheep.  

Maybe letting more than one sheep on the ramp would also move them upwards and onwards?  

A trick I used the other day to get a ram to walk a far piece into a sale barn was to tail him, right up close to his rump....worked wonders on getting him to move forward.   Like having a steering handle on the sheep.


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## frustratedearthmother (Jan 8, 2020)

Did you sell  your ram?


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## Baymule (Jan 9, 2020)

It is still a work in progress. One of these days, I'm going to move the whole thing to the other side of the portable building when I get a roof built like we did the sheep barn. The chute is now set up under a huge spreading cedar tree to take advantage of the shade it offers in the summer heat. 

Solid sides are something that I have read about too. I may try draping something over the hog panel sides on the ramp and stanchion to see if that helps. Thanks for the suggestion Bee.


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## Cotton*wood (Nov 29, 2021)

Baymule said:


> I finished all the fecals I took of the ewes. I am dumbfounded. Two of them have counts so high that I don't know why they aren't dead. And get this--their eye membranes are pink, not bright pink, but pink. Pink enough that I would never have thought that they are so wormy.
> 
> I followed the genetic trail. One ewe is responsible for the worst of the lot. One of my original ewes, Lady Baa Baa is the mother or grandmother of the worst sheep I have. I was going to keep yet another of her ewe lambs, but NOT NOW! She had a high worm count, was wormed, and later will go to slaughter. I will be keeping one and only one, of the ewe lambs this year. That is Scottie, daughter of Miranda.
> 
> ...


I really really need to learn how to do this.  I have the MacAllister slide, and a microscope, and I tried a couple months ago, but I need some coaching--someone to make sure I'm focusing right, and tell me what THEY are seeing.  I looked at samples from all four of my original ewes, but alas, could make no actual determinations.  Everyone has pink or bright pink eyelids.  But we did cull the two persistently skinny ewes; the rest are all very well conditioned, so if they do have higher counts, they're handling it well.  And we haven't had much of a load on the pasture--long rotation times with super-hot weather in between.  Already I've decided to save one pasture for lambing month, and not have had any of them on it for six months.


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## Cotton*wood (Nov 29, 2021)

Baymule said:


> We did have fun! @Ridgetop and her husband will come back again before heading back home. @Devonviolet and her husband will come over and we will have lunch, visit and do fecal exams. I tell ya' I know how to throw a party! What could be more fun than digging in doo-doo? DV will bring fecal samples from her goats and we'll look for worm eggs. Great topic for lunch, huh?


I wish you lived near ME--I'd love to have joined the party and learned a bunch.


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## Baymule (Nov 30, 2021)

@Cotton*wood i would be more than happy to teach you. Did I hear you say you always wanted to vacation in east Texas? LOL it was a real eye opener for me. I was amazed that sheep with extremely high barber pole worm egg counts looked so healthy. While maybe they handled it well, they were shedding parasites in their droppings and contaminating the pastures, making it hard on growing lambs. 

Some universities give classes on parasite testing. Maybe check with your county extension agent and see if any classes are coming up. Teresa went to a class so she and Mike could check their sheep. When we went to go get Ringo, she taught me. 

Ringo  is parasite resistant. He was bred by Virginia Tech University as part of their parasite resistance program. He might have one or two worm eggs in his fecal test. He is able to pass this on to his offspring. I have him with several of his daughters now. For any of their offspring that I keep, I’ll have to get another ram. LOL


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## Ridgetop (Dec 5, 2021)

OH NO!!  BUYING ANOTHER RAM!!  Did I ever tell you how I ended up with FOUR rams?!
You wave your bidding paddle at a show just to try to help sell a ram for a top breeder you know and are the only bidder . . . .   Luckily the rams are all good ones but FOUR?  Well, Lewis is getting some age on him but he still gets the girls covered and settled n record time.

Now we have to build another breeding pen because I have ewe lambs a year old that I need breed NOW BUT can't because their sire is in my only breeding pen with ewes.  And although he has covered all those ewes I have other yearling ewes that need to be put in with him now so he can't come out yet.  And I just discovered another yearling maiden ewe sired by him that should have gone in with the previous ram in the breeding pen.   

This is what happens when you get a lot of ewe lambs and keep most of them.  DS1 went out and looked at the fence panels we have available and says he can put up another small pen near the ram pen to make a second breeding pen.  The problem will be the number of jugs I have available.  DS1 is also finishing another weaning pen below the barn to move the older lambs from the creep into.  Oh well, lamb prices are up for the time being so I will cash in on sales as often as I can get everyone bred and lambed.  I am also culling out ewe lambs based on wool and conformation (and temperament).   3 more ewes due the end of December.  And 6 more currently bred, with another 6 youngsters or more needing to be bred asap.  And that doesn't include the mature ewes that have weaned lambs and need to go back for breeding.  This is getting to be work!!!

Luckily the dry climate here does not favor worms or I would have a huge job doing fecals.


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## Baymule (Dec 6, 2021)

What a terrible problem to have! LOL too many ewes that need to visit with their baby daddy!


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## Ridgetop (Dec 8, 2021)

DS1 went out today and moved 4 more yearlings in with Lewis.  5 were supposed to go but one apparently got sold last month.  She was the one with the bad attitude.    Two of the ewes were 12 and 13 months old.  I didn't want another couple months to breed them to another ram, so they are being bred to their father.  If the lambs turn out nice, fine, if I don't like them their lambs can all go to the auction.  One generation of inbreeding won't hurt.


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