High Desert Cowboy- How far is it up north?

[High Desert Cowboy]

So Ive been moving Alfalfa the spoiled goat all over the property to let him graze what there is when he’s not demanding his namesake feed. He’s the pickiest eater on the place! Turns up his nose at three way hay so he gets what Bro gets. So as I’m staking him out on the far north side of the property to do a little weed control I think you know, this grounds a little soft maybe I should put it deep.... Nah he’ll be alright. I then go to the south side (with my house in the middle, not my preference but the guy who started the place was interested in being away from people, not in raising livestock) and proceed to feed the other critters. Suddenly my son yells “Dad look!”. There goes Alfalfa running by. My sons concerned as to how we’ll ever catch this runaway goat. “What do we do?” So I just looked over and yelled “Falfa get over here!” And here comes Alfalfa, good as any trained dog and stands for his scratches. His stake went a lot deeper in the ground after that.
Here’s the spoiled stinker enjoying his favorite treat from DD2

 

[High Desert Cowboy]

I’ve also taught Bella a horrible new trick. The other day we were out doing chores and she was a little over excited about being out and about. I called for her and rather than run up and sit like she knows she should (she’s 7 months now and still a puppy) she launches herself up at my chest. I’m 6’4, so it was a pretty good leap. Now I’m a well trained dad with little girls who love to jump to daddy off of various furniture in the house, so I just naturally caught her in my arms. I realized I’m holding this dog like a one of my girls, laughed gave her a scratch and put her down and told her to sit. She sits, she’s a good girl and we keep working. Then because I thought it was funny I tell my wife to watch this. So I call for Bella and hold my arms out and she jumps up into my arms. I know I shouldn’t but it’s kind of fun. So now when I call her she’ll run up and if my arms are out and open she jumps and if not she skids to a sit. This pup does not have a low gear she likes to go go go. And her working style is completely different from Kya, which is interesting. Kya is 1/4 border, 1/4 Heeler, and half Aussie but she works more like a border with attempts at using the eye, sometimes barking, and rarely will she ever use bite which is good for sheep. Bella on the other hand being 3/4 border collie and 1/4 Aussie will give little eye, never barks and will over use her bite. Her aims gotten better, and she calls off better than she did a few months ago with the udder incident (Bellwether is quick to bunch up with the group now, no more lone sheep for that girl). But she’s a little too fast to bite for the head and heels, which has worked well for some ornery mama cows who don’t want to leave scrub oak but it’s not the best for sheep herding. Once they’re together and stay together she’s fine, she just can’t stand to see a herd separated. When I have a minute, which is hard to come by these days with work, new baby, and several neighbors who need a handyman I plan on building a small round corral where the sheep can be inside it but still move off of her when she’s on the outside. An old sheepdog trainer recommended it for teaching a close working dog to move their sheep without overcrowding them. She’s a great cow dog, but I’m sure she’ll make a great sheep dog too.

 

[greybeard]

View attachment 53255
Kya and Alfalfa weren’t feeling very photogenic. You can just see Kya’s back end going around Shaun, she was not having this take a moment a smile business. Bella’s all about the pose

Which one rode the bicycle to the sheep pen?

 

[High Desert Cowboy]

That would be my son who was out of the picture watering the horses. That kid rides his bike everywhere he’d ride it in the house if he thought he could get away with it

 

[Bruce]

You can take Bella on the fair circuit - dog tricks.

 

[High Desert Cowboy]

Silly story time. Yesterday my 3 year old daughter Mae decided she wanted to help me feed the horses and sheep. I loaded up her grain bucket and started out to the horses, and she starts trailing behind. I’ve fed the sheep and am getting to the horses when she finally arrives with the grain for Bro and says “sorry dad, this grass is really hungry.” That’s an odd thing to say. I look in her bucket and it’s about empty. This dear sweet little munchkin for whatever reason decided that the grain was for “feeding the grass”, probably because she’s seen me trying to get some grass seed started. And there was this little trail of grain all the way out to the horses.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Ahhhhh - how sweet!

 

[Latestarter]

That is so cute! What a sweetheart and outstanding helper! Makes you just want to giver her a great big

 

[Rammy]

Awwwwwww!! Kids do the darndest things.

 

[Bruce]

If you want the horses to be able to find the source of their grain, you are all set, just let them out.