# How to catch a clever sheep without a dog?



## BlueMoonFarms (Jan 25, 2014)

My head ewe is smart...to smart...she knows when we are going to catch them somehow and I have yet to figure out how to trick her.
Usually I just round up the herd into a corner and check them one by one, but Rosie has learned how to avoid the corners while leading the herd around...
So cornering is out.
She has discovered that when she leads the herd into the chicken coop that I will close the door and trap them...
Tricking is out...
She somehow knows I am trying to catch them when lure the sheep with treats into the small pen, and will bolt away at the last second leaving only her out in the field most of the time. Even though I feed them treats there randomly to get them to go in willingly...
Bribing is out...
She also keeps her distance so fake walking past her and then grabbing is out to...
She laughs at the sheep hook...
It takes three+ people to catch her, and usually around a half and hour to tire her out before she gets slow enough for us to nab her.
She was not this hard to catch last year, so before she lambs I want to come up with a nice gentle means of catching her that wont cause me to end up with massive calves from chasing her none stop.
The only other thing that I can think of is stretching out some of the fencing we have and stretch it so we cut her off from most of the field for easy catching. *she will probably jump it knowing her...*
Any ideas? Any?


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## BrownSheep (Jan 25, 2014)

We just progessively herd everyone into smaller and smaller pens.

And hey! At least after she lambs you won't have to catch her, just her lambs.


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## Sheepshape (Jan 26, 2014)

If she is smart,then you need to carry out something regularly which leads to treats (plus the treatment which you want to give). Mine are ABSOLUTELY biscuit trained. They will suffer the drenches/injections/foot trimming etc for the treats.

I bring them to the shed about once a week,whether they need to have anything or not. When I am bringing them in nightly when lambing,they are fed by the shed and then just go in afterwards.

Routine seems to be the best answer for me..


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## Four Winds Ranch (Jan 26, 2014)

I am not sure, lol!!!  I have isle ways that they have no choice but to go down, to where there is a chute, crowding pen, or dead end!!!


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## BlueMoonFarms (Jan 26, 2014)

Alright. Well what I am going to do based off of all of your advice is feed them treats twice a week down in the chicken coop so they and Rosie will hopefully go in automatically. 
If she figures that out to, then i'll just have to buy some thick fencing that we can move about the yard and slowly entrap her and the herd. 
Thanks guys!


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## boothcreek (Jan 26, 2014)

I have a ewe that figured out all the tricks too, and she can jump an 8 ft fence with ease so any non-covered catching pens/barns are out of the question. She is super herd bound but if I feed in the barn she will stay waaaay out in the pasture, basically give me a "1-finger salut" and wait for the rest of the group to come back to her...... its been 3 years since I had my hands on her.
And Yes she loves her grain and treats and I have spend 2 weeks feeding them in the barn only with open door so she sees them all eat and nope, food is not worth being caught over.


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## BlueMoonFarms (Jan 26, 2014)

boothcreek said:


> I have a ewe that figured out all the tricks too, and she can jump an 8 ft fence with ease so any non-covered catching pens/barns are out of the question. She is super herd bound but if I feed in the barn she will stay waaaay out in the pasture, basically give me a "1-finger salut" and wait for the rest of the group to come back to her...... its been 3 years since I had my hands on her.
> And Yes she loves her grain and treats and I have spend 2 weeks feeding them in the barn only with open door so she sees them all eat and nope, food is not worth being caught over.



Oh ok then, you win. Your ewe is much more stubborn!!


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## Beekissed (Jan 26, 2014)

How about a large dog harness the next time you do catch her and hang a short, thick stick down in front of her front legs at about knee level, horizontally.  It's an old trick they used to use with LGDs to keep them/train them from chasing sheep because the stick knocks against and tangles in their legs when they run and slows them or trips them.


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## Bryan99705 (Jan 26, 2014)

It sounds a little rough but as a last ditch effort try a bolo but use heavy rubber balls as the weights instead of stone or metal.  It's common for emu farmers and I have had to use one on a very skittish injured animal before.  Try do time your throw when they are stationary so they do not get injured.


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## BlueMoonFarms (Jan 26, 2014)

Hmm...Well, if shes a brat and begins avoiding being caught like Boothcreek's ewe then I will have to try either the stick method or the weight method.
I would much rather her just be good and go into the pen instead of being a pill! Ugh...


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## purplequeenvt (Jan 26, 2014)

What breed is this ewe? The primitive breeds can be such a pain because they are not easily bribed. We don't like to keep any animal that doesn't allow us to catch them. Our Shetlands much harder to round up since they are smart and don't stick with the group, but we have worked with them enough to be able to get them where they need to be. We don't have a herding dog anymore (just a BC that thinks she can herd - she's only helpful if you walk behind the sheep with her) so getting the sheep moved is on the humans. Getting them trained to a grain bucket is a must.


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## BlueMoonFarms (Jan 26, 2014)

She is a Shetland...A very distrusting Shetland.


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## BlueMoonFarms (Jan 26, 2014)

Any tips on to train her to a grain bucket? Or should we just start feeding them in the coop run so they will go in automatically?


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## hardcore (May 29, 2014)

hello there, i am having the same problem with some of mine, well all of them really. i don't live on the property and they figured it out, so  they wait me out on bribes. and as long as they got a eye ball on me they stay away.  ive did the close the gate behind them....they figured that out too. 
     i been looking at dart tranquilizer guns, cheapest is 600 and i am not sure if i can buy the tranquilizer without a vet. i  need to do  hoof trimming bad


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## bcnewe2 (May 29, 2014)

I say get a dog!  All my sheep give up with a sigh when they know I'm coming with the dog. But they know if they just get it over with all will be back to normal.  I do love a clever sheep, but only the ones that I'm a bit more clever than!
Cattle panel with a few people working her towards an enclosed area would be my second try.  Although watch your knees. They seem to know it's our weak spot!


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## bonbean01 (May 29, 2014)

Our oldest ewe Dolly, who is also herd queen is like this.  But, she can't resist treats...feeding treats in a catch pen where they all go in...and once she is in, someone else to close the gate...and one by one get them all out except her.  And you'll need that catch pen to be very high.  Good luck!


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## bonbean01 (May 29, 2014)

oops...double post


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