Baymule’s Journal

[Baymule]

I got one of those long tub type feeders on metal skids. Sheep were terrified of it. Not any more. Chris texted that one of the ewes jumped in it, fell down, wallowed around until she got her feet under her and jumped out. He said, silly sheep. LOL

It may work ok, it may not. Was looking for a way to spread their feed out and me NOT have to walk in their night pen with feed. TARGET! Mom has FEED! TAKE HER DOWN! I can pour it in from the other side of the fence! We’ll see how it goes.

 

[farmerjan]

The sheep ought to be able to wiggle around enough to get their feet under them and get out if they wind up in them... we've lost 2 feeder cattle in the 500 lb range when they have gotten shoved over and get with their backs down and cannot get flipped up enough to get out. Didn't find them soon enough. This often happens when there are a couple that go back looking for missed feed and one gets shoving another and they are at the height that it like knocks their legs out from under them ( like you backing up and hitting a board at just the wrong height behing your knees/calves).

Also had a cow get knocked over into it once when they were pushing and shoving, and I was able to get it tipped so she could flip out onto the ground... used the truck to shove from the back side and luckily it was the uphill side so had her weight working in my favor too... but it was not a good thing.

Since you have a gate from the night pen to the pasture, I would suggest doing as I do most of the places and shutting the gate so they can't get in there, then doing the feeding and then opening up the gate when you are ready for them to come in. You can go on one of the "strengthening exercise" walks mid afternoon, and go shut the gate . If they are out grazing you ought to be able to go out there and get it before they see you? I know that my cows get into a "routine" of where they are in the field grazing and I can drive out to the barn and get gates shut etc before they even get near the catch pens... If you DON'T feed or treat them everytime... so they get used to just seeing you... and then feed or treat WHEN you call them... they will learn to look up and see you but not run to see what you have everytime they see you... if you don't call them, then that means "hey, I'm just out here walking around looking"....
There will always be some that come to be nosy and try to talk you out of a treat... but they won't expect something everytime you go out there.

 

[Baymule]

I’ve thought of that, but their water is inside the pen, the hose reaches it. I could put water inside another gate, they would have access to it. I’ll work on that.

 

[SageHill]

I got one of those long tub type feeders on metal skids. Sheep were terrified of it. Not any more. Chris texted that one of the ewes jumped in it, fell down, wallowed around until she got her feet under her and jumped out. He said, silly sheep. LOL

It may work ok, it may not. Was looking for a way to spread their feed out and me NOT have to walk in their night pen with feed. TARGET! Mom has FEED! TAKE HER DOWN! I can pour it in from the other side of the fence! We’ll see how it goes.

It'll work, it should. I have a friend with about 150+ head and once she went to those feeders life go alot easy and there was hardly any wasted hay.

 

[Blue Sky]

I have a feed over the fence set up. I did it when my knee was really bad and have left it. Can water and wash bunks too. Some days you just don’t want to be in the middle of it. Here’s hoping your recuperation is quick and uncomplicated. Thanks for sharing your Medicare situation too. Helpful for any of us who could find ourselves in the same boat.

 

[Baymule]

Thanks for sharing your Medicare situation too. Helpful for any of us who could find ourselves in the same boat.

I was blindsided by outpatient surgery. Hopefully anyone reading this will be better prepared for the after surgery care than I was. Nothing was said until just days before surgery.

I am doing good, leg is swelled, that’s to be expected. I’m walking better than before surgery, taking into consideration a swollen sawed on leg. LOL It hurts, but it’s a better hurt.

 

[Blue Sky]

Sadly we just don’t know what to expect when we need medical care these days.

 

[Bruce]

Well...... just in case you were biting your nails waiting to hear... Kid #4 did NOT pass.



He didn't see a speed limit sign... so went up to 32 in a 25... speeding is an immediate fail.

We get to try again in 2 ish weeks.

I failed my first time too. Ran a stop sign not far from the DMV parking lot. Nicely hidden by a small tree such that by the time you might see it you are looking left for cross traffic. The tester said I should have noticed the stop sign on the diagonal corner for vehicles coming the opposite direction. A friend said "I should have told you about that stop sign". Yeah, a bit TOO LATE ISN'T IT???

 

[Bruce]

Glad things are going well Bay!!

 

[Baymule]

Coyotes were bad last night, got up twice with a flashlight. That scared the Brahma heifers and they ran from the flashlight monster.