Baymule
Herd Master
Not all my pastures are connected, no problem, because they come when I call, just like the Bible verse. Paraphrasing, “My sheep know my voice and they come when I call.”
Feelin' a bit sheepish...
- Thread starter
- #192
Beekissed
Herd Master
If they hear my voice at all, they know feed is coming of some kind, so I don't really need to call them unless they are out of casual speaking range~they start yelling and running when they hear me first speak to the cat or dogs. If at a distance, I just sing out sheep, sheep, sheep~like you!~and then comes the thundering herd.
I can move them all with a single biscuit in my hand, but I have to move kind of fast or they will trample me and take it from my lifeless body. Much like the chickens.
Sheepshape
Herd Master
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I dispense with the 'incentives' once the group have learnt the call/clap to come. I feel pretty guilty when I'm calling them for worming/vaccinating etc.....but I always give them some goodies after they have had their treatment.
With my flock swelled by over a hundred lambs, they are spread over several fields by age of lambs/breed etc, but all respond to being called.
My 'Misfits' field of about 20 is the best place to go....they are the most affectionate bunch. They just come over for head/back/belly rubs. The Misfits consist of very elderly ewes (oldest 14), ewes who lost lambs (only 3 this year), lambs who were too small/young to be put to the tup, and a few real 'gems' like Becky (probably brain damaged at birth, limited vision, but fat happy and affectionate and never bred).
With my flock swelled by over a hundred lambs, they are spread over several fields by age of lambs/breed etc, but all respond to being called.
My 'Misfits' field of about 20 is the best place to go....they are the most affectionate bunch. They just come over for head/back/belly rubs. The Misfits consist of very elderly ewes (oldest 14), ewes who lost lambs (only 3 this year), lambs who were too small/young to be put to the tup, and a few real 'gems' like Becky (probably brain damaged at birth, limited vision, but fat happy and affectionate and never bred).
Our Guinea Hens come when you call "guineas, guineas, guineas" or "Kitty, Kitty, Kitty", lol. I think all their squawking makes them hard of hearing. lol.
The 2 remaining Guinea's like to approach me when I get home from work and remind me that they need to be fed like everyone else. And, since they were there first, they should get fed first. Yesterday they followed me into the milkhouse!
The 2 remaining Guinea's like to approach me when I get home from work and remind me that they need to be fed like everyone else. And, since they were there first, they should get fed first. Yesterday they followed me into the milkhouse!
- Thread starter
- #195
Beekissed
Herd Master
The only problem with the sheep responding to our voices here is that we can't holler back and forth to communicate a need. Right now we are building fence, so my son will shout, "Hey! Can you bringBAABAABAABAABAA?" and I'll respond, "I didn't heBAABAABAABAABAAou!!! and we'll keep shouting back and forth until we realize that neither of us can hear a thing over the baaing each time we yell.
Can't wait until we get these sheep on rotation to the back of the land so we can actually shout some instructions here.
Rose almost mugged the FedEx man today...he's lucky to escape with his life. Not sure if she thought that thingy they carry for you to sign was a biscuit or what but they usually don't approach strangers like that.
Can't wait until we get these sheep on rotation to the back of the land so we can actually shout some instructions here.
Rose almost mugged the FedEx man today...he's lucky to escape with his life. Not sure if she thought that thingy they carry for you to sign was a biscuit or what but they usually don't approach strangers like that.
thistlebloom
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You need walkie talkies! Or semaphore flags!
- Thread starter
- #197
Beekissed
Herd Master
Sold the donkey today and she'll be out of here by Thursday. Had another incident today where she was chasing lambs that had gotten into her section of the paddock, then the mothers went through electric fencing to save their babies, then the donkey bit and tried to stomp on Rose. It was quite the rodeo and Eli wanted to shoot the thing, but I went directly into the house and put her on CL...within minutes we had a bite on that line.
I'm so glad that episode is over! Live and learn.
Built more fence today....
I'm so glad that episode is over! Live and learn.
Built more fence today....
Baymule
Herd Master
I was laughing at your attempts to communicate over yelling Sheep. Same thing here. Sometimes we just call each other on the phone.
- Thread starter
- #199
Beekissed
Herd Master
Moved the sheep today in our second true pasture rotation....2 days on the first section was all our grass could stand right now...not much grass in that particular area. Mom scalped the lawn during last season's drought last year and it's had a hard time recovering from that....just now seeing some grass that is going to seed in places, so it's tall enough to graze here in the middle of the meadow.
I'm so tickled to actually be starting what we've worked so hard for this past year! Still have a long, long way to go to get all the paddocks done and functioning in a MIG situation, but it's a start. B paddock got overgrazed while we were trying to work around Eli's work schedule and the rains, but it should get a nice, long rest and should recover well. Can't wait to see what happens there after all this trampling, pooping and peeing went on in that paddock. The apple trees should really benefit from it.
Very lovely to see the sheep browsing on the briers, autumn olive and honeysuckle and then grazing, all in the same paddock. When I moved the polybraid today, they RAN to the newly opened up section and started mowing down the grass, baaing all the while. I think they'll get the hang of this moving to new graze every 2-5 days pretty fast.
The lambs are all healthy, fat and sassy and bouncing all over the place. Still waiting for one ewe to lamb....Eli thinks she's not preggers but I think she is. If she goes past the end of May I'll be proved wrong, but we had the ram in with them clear up to New Year's day, so she could lamb any time this month. If she doesn't lamb, we'll have to decide if we'll keep her and try her in the next breeding or butcher her fat little self....she is one solid chunk of meat.
I'm so tickled to actually be starting what we've worked so hard for this past year! Still have a long, long way to go to get all the paddocks done and functioning in a MIG situation, but it's a start. B paddock got overgrazed while we were trying to work around Eli's work schedule and the rains, but it should get a nice, long rest and should recover well. Can't wait to see what happens there after all this trampling, pooping and peeing went on in that paddock. The apple trees should really benefit from it.
Very lovely to see the sheep browsing on the briers, autumn olive and honeysuckle and then grazing, all in the same paddock. When I moved the polybraid today, they RAN to the newly opened up section and started mowing down the grass, baaing all the while. I think they'll get the hang of this moving to new graze every 2-5 days pretty fast.
The lambs are all healthy, fat and sassy and bouncing all over the place. Still waiting for one ewe to lamb....Eli thinks she's not preggers but I think she is. If she goes past the end of May I'll be proved wrong, but we had the ram in with them clear up to New Year's day, so she could lamb any time this month. If she doesn't lamb, we'll have to decide if we'll keep her and try her in the next breeding or butcher her fat little self....she is one solid chunk of meat.
Baymule
Herd Master
You are on your way! It is such a good feeling to see your sheep run to fresh pasture. You are working hard to achieve that goal. I am happy for you.
