# What Else Can I Do?



## Baymule (Jun 12, 2016)

We are picking up a ram tomorrow. We have been making preparations for his arrival. We planned on putting him in the pasture that has the shelter in it, and a night pen. We moved the horses to the smaller sheep pasture this afternoon and planned on moving the ewes to the horse pasture, which is behind the house. The lambs are in the back yard in a small pen under Paris's watchful eye. Her training is about to begin. Grandiose plans were to let the ewes eat brush and briars in the horse pasture and after a few months, reunite the ewe lambs with the flock and take the wethers to slaughter. We planned on letting the ewes stay in the horse pasture until fall, so they could clean it up.

Notice that I said "plan" a lot?

Paris has been barking in the direction of the horse pasture a lot. Our neighbor, Robert, whose property backs up to ours, mentioned that his dog goes nuts, barking at out place like there is SOMETHING back there. I use the term "pasture" loosely, our place is mostly woods, brush, briars and more briars. Good luck trying to look out there and see anything but trees.

I was ready to move the ewes to the horse pasture, it's about 2 1/2 acres, and put Trip on a leash so we could take a "patrol the new pasture" walk together. I also wanted to check for any holes or places that kept horses in, but might let sheep or dogs out. We walked down one side and across the back. All looked good. I heard a bleat, Trip lunged against the leash and a spotted fawn ran deeper into the woods. Trip tried to run after it, but I held him back. We trailed after it, but it disappeared in the thicket. If I hadn't had Trip on the leash, he would have tackled the fawn. I believe he would have killed it or hurt it as an intruder in his pasture.

The doe is jumping the fence. It is 2"x4" non climb horse wire, 4' tall. The fawn can't jump out. What a safe place for the doe to have her fawn! The horses didn't mind, sometimes they snorted and went on alert, but didn't go into panic mode, so I wasn't worried about what might be out there. But since the fawn can't jump out, it is trapped in there and Trip would attack it.

My husband and I both agree that we can't put the ewes and Trip in there with the fawn. We are down to the wire with bringing the ram home. We are working on more fencing, but that might not be finished until fall. It is so hot, that we work in the mornings, and not every morning at that, then we have to go in. We only have 3 fenced areas. We know Trip would hurt and probably kill and eat the fawn. We really don't want to teach him to kill fawns and it would be teaching him.

So we have decided to put the ram in the horse pasture. It knocks all our plans awry, but that is the best for now. I am going to try to run it out by opening the gate going to the pipeline, we don't have that property line fenced yet and it could escape. I going to take Polly, our Australian Shepherd and see if she can run it out. She is the only dog we have that wouldn't eat it. Wish us luck.


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## Southern by choice (Jun 12, 2016)

Deer are carriers for the Meningeal worm so maybe not having sheep in that pasture is best for awhile. 

Don't you love plans!


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## frustratedearthmother (Jun 12, 2016)

Oh man... the best laid plans!


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## Baymule (Jun 12, 2016)

Yeah, but we decided to put the ram in there. I didn't think about the meningeal worms. I guess I should put the horses back in there. Then what to do with the ram??

We have 2 sheep pastures on either side of the driveway. Would the ram be a problem being across from the ewes where he could see them?

Or should I go ahead and put the ewes in the horse pasture?

I took our two yard/house dogs and we zig-zagged the pasture, making lots of noise. We opened the pipeline gate, hoping the little fawn would get scared and run out. We left it open, maybe it will leave tonight.


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## Baymule (Jun 13, 2016)

Today I took my loud barkers back through the pasture and zig-zagged back and forth. Didn't see the fawn, but saw fresh doe tracks. Pretty sure the doe came and moved her fawn last night. I went on with my plans and put Trip and the ewes in there. Trip didn't run through there like crazy and didn't come back with a dead fawn, so I think we're good.


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## frustratedearthmother (Jun 13, 2016)

Relieved that it appears the little bugger got out with mom!


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## Latestarter (Jun 15, 2016)

One of my concerns when I finally get my farm and animals... I DON'T want the LGD(s) chasing off the deer... I want them around, especially come  fall for freezer stocking purposes. I actually wouldn't mind if the dogs let them in the pasture with the domestic animals. I'd even be willing to feed them to have them around!  Out here in the west, a lot of farmers have to build huge fenced in cages for their winter hay supplies because the elk and deer will eat the hay they need for their cows.


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## Southern by choice (Jun 15, 2016)

Latestarter said:


> I actually wouldn't mind if the dogs let them in the pasture with the domestic animals



You will want to rethink that one. Deer are great but hay, feed, and disease will all be issues. We still have deer all around, the dogs get use to them but they aren't allowed NEAR the fencing.


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## TAH (Jun 15, 2016)

Southern by choice said:


> You will want to rethink that one. Deer are great but hay, feed, and disease will all be issues. We still have deer all around, the dogs get use to them but they aren't allowed NEAR the fencing.


x2 With southern about diseases. We had friends that have goats and they let the deer all over there pasture with the goats and all there goats got CAE from the deer. We have deer but they stay in the woods most of the time, except yesterday morning there was 2.


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## Baymule (Jun 15, 2016)

And they bring in ticks. I hate ticks.


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