High Desert Cowboy- How far is it up north?

[Bruce]

Just need the clowns!

 

[Ridgetop]

Wow! Are you sure you are not related to our Ridgetop bunch!? This is exactly the sort of thing we have taken part in many, many times! Cute little Mae! I can hear her calling her escaping lambies to come back! We have similar stories at our place. I especially like the part about the fearless Aussie, Jessie, being chased by the sheep!

I would definitely dispose of Bellweather (possibly in another town under an assumed name LOL) after she lambs. Keep her lambs and see how they do. If they are as wild as their mother, you may decide to dispose of them too. Sometimes this wildness is seen in range sheep with no human contact, sometimes when they have had bad experiences at human hands (not necessarily abuse) and sometimes just because it's in their genes. Those are the worst because they never get over it and it transmits to the offspring. In the meantime, Bellweather will be good for many more stories on BYH.
Keep them coming! It is a relief to hear that others suffer like we do here at Ridgetop! By the way, once the bruises heal, these stories become family legends and are really something to look back on and laugh at! We laugh a lot!

 

[High Desert Cowboy]

You’re right about being something we look back on and laugh about. You’ll notice going back through the journal I omitted this rodeo when the sheep came, mostly because by the time it all played out I was NOT in a laughing mood.
I’m really hoping it’s not a genetic thing but for now at least it’s possible I could get a good replacement out of her and then send her on down the line. I need to get more hands on time with my lambs so they don’t get that way. The little buck has started to head butt a little bit, but I think Bella has almost broke him of that. Her accuracy is greatly improved when it comes to gripping and she acts like her life’s mission is to never be run through. She doesn’t bite and hang on anymore (thankfully) but she will bite if the sheep show any attempt to ignore her “eye”.
Another fun notice. I was talking to my friend I bought the twins mom from, and he had apparently sold their dad to a friend of his brothers. Shortly before I picked her up the ram had jumped in with a load of cows he was selling. This wasn’t a great loss to me as he had been a bottle baby and had begun head butting children. His brother had recently called him to tell him that no good ram (I’m editing here) had rammed him in the back while he had his back turned, and about knocked him down. So it turns out I’m extremely lucky that PITA decided to jump in with that load of cows.

 

[High Desert Cowboy]

So I’m relaxing on the couch when my 9 year old son says “hey dad how come you keep grabbing the sheep and petting on them?” I explained I was trying to get them to relax more around me and so I was showing them I’m not all bad. He mentions I never do that with Shaun the katahdin ram. Well I can’t catch the filthy beggar. “Well dad why don’t you rope him?” I think back to my post on here asking the question and figure sure why not. “Now?” So I get up and he gets me his soft practice rope. Now being Sunday I relax in shorts (this is never done outside my home, I’m very much a jeans and boots person) and feeling a little lazy I decide I’m just going to throw flip flops on. First rule of handling livestock, always wear closed toed shoes. In my laziness I didn’t even think about it. I turn Kya and Bella loose and have them corner up the sheep for me and shake out a loop and explain to my son I’m going to use a head loop that works great for bunched up cattle. I let fly the loop, perfect catch. I reelShaun in and grab hold of his head, dads a hero. And then here comes Bella, who decides I need help holding this rogue sheep. Now he goes berserk, plants a foot onto one of my exposed piggies and leaps for the stars. Now I can’t react I have my boy watching me. So I reel Shaun back in, turn him loose, and walk back to the house with my son still in awe of dad.
Never, ever, wear flip flops with livestock. And never trust a young pups down.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Ya can always show the young one how it is Not to be done.........heck, I'd have done....and have done...some similar things with my daughters and the grandkids too.....

 

[Latestarter]

Sorry there cowboy... just HAD to @ that. I've done the flip flop and shorts thing myself, but never when trying to catch an animal. Only when I was doing cursory stuff where I wouldn't be in with them for any prolonged time. It hurts when they step on your foot wearing sneakers. The front tips of those hooves are very pointy and very sharp! Least they are with goats... I know they are a bit more rounded with sheep but I'm sure it still hurts real well when they press down on the tip. Thinking about a push off with a hoof on a bare foot... well... ouch!

ETA, you should have used it as a teaching opp for the son You know... dad's aren't always right/perfect/make mistakes and doing things the right way can save a lot of pain and possibly worse...

 

[Bruce]

Nah, Cowboy wants his son to think flip flops are reasonable footwear when working with farm animals.

 

[High Desert Cowboy]

Oh no I told him he better never wear flip flops in there, I just couldn’t show pain. It was one of those do as I say not as I do teaching moments.

 

[Baymule]

That's funny. I never wear flip flops in with my sheep, they all mob me for a treat. They step all over me. This evening when I gave them their coffee can of feed, the ram ran between my legs to stick his nose in the tub. He is real laid back, seldom approaches and has never ever even thought about ramming me. unlike his daddy who is in the freezer......or what's left of him. We had leg of lamb last night and shepherds pie with the leftovers tonight.....BWA-HA-HA-HA!!!

 

[High Desert Cowboy]

I generally don’t go in there in flip flops, this was one of those rare moments where I decide I’m too lazy to pull my boots on. I guess I figured they’re sheep, they’re a lot smaller than a horse I’ll be fine. After several years of working as a farrier I’ve had my toes stomped on enough times to know I would never wear flip flops around the horses. But apart from Heart they don’t really care to be close to me, that’s why if I ever need to handle them I have to have the dogs. Between myself, Kya and Bella they’ve figured I’m the lesser of evils.