Question reg moving LGDs to different pastures

[Baymule]

My sheep will follow me and a red Folgers coffee can anywhere. I shriek SHEEP! SHEEP! SHEEP! and they come running like a stampede. I have pastures that open up into the general yard area and driveway of the house. I just open the gate of the pasture I want to move them to, shaking that bodacious red coffee can. I pour a little feed for them and then go open the gate to the pasture they are in. They get to the other pasture before I do, I just close the gate.

We took our male GP to Tractor Supply when he was a pup. He loads up just fine. Our female was almost a year old and somewhat weird, but she overcame and she also will load up in the back seat.

Something about that treat aisle at TSC.......

 

[OneFineAcre]

I've never had an issue moving my dogs to another field

 

[Schatzl]

Thank you, Southern by Choice for reading my posts and giving real advice.

My GPs are very easy going and they trust us. I can't imagine not being able to transport them if they are in such a state that I'd have to rush them to the vets - it might not be pretty but it would happen! We did work with them on leashes when they were young but over time, well, yeah, well, maybe I'll regret it one day and if I do, I will confess it right here on BYH.

in cases like this we see parasitic blooms that go un-noticed.

Interesting about the parasite bloom - would that hold true if the land hasn't had any sort of livestock on it for 15 years? or is that due to stress? Either way, I'll keep my eye out.

Hopefully you will have some kind of lean to, shed roof something for sudden severe weather. Not sure- some sheep want shelter some could care less...

Severe weather does happen here in Oklahoma for sure! The 10 new acres I will be fencing in first will be connected to the new barn we are building so that's no issue. When they go to the other 50 I will be moving several smaller shelters over there since the barn (when it's finished) will be available to them in the original pasture ... which will be long before we get that other 50 fenced! We have a full-time ranch hand that lives up there as well so if it looks like bad weather he will either bring them back over or just keep them near the barn.

 

[Schatzl]

Until I am blue in the face I will say it over and over again: fence your property first, not last.
Don't even try to run your dogs over there yet. And what's this road that cuts the property in half?
I assume it has vehicles on it? Traffic? I assume you'll be perimeter fencing so the dogs can't just wander
onto that road, right????

Socialize and handle your dogs adequately enough so that you can catch them when needed. They don't
'self train' - you have to be part of this, too.

Wow, BrendaMNgri. I really don't know what to say. You have reacted very strongly. I've really debated on whether or not I should reply because simply put, your response has me rather upset. But I have decided to discuss what you have written just so that there are no misunderstandings between us.

1. I never said nor intended to take my dogs or livestock to the acreage before it is fenced. My original post only asked for input on what to expect once I am ready to do it. I just was unsure of how my dogs would take it being moved around.

2. The road that runs through it is an Oklahoma red dirt road that we share with three of our neighbors. It is small with very little traffic. I own 20 acres on the E side and am purchasing an additional 10 acres adjacent to that 20. Across the road on the W side is another 50 we are buying. When I fence that 50 I will put gates across from each other on both the E and W sides. We will then use movable corral panels to create a corridor for the sheep to move across the road.

3. My dogs are completely socialized and are loving, well-mannered boys who allow us to handle and vet them with absolutely no problems. The only thing I said was something like, "they are not the walk on the leash kind of dogs"

4. As far as them not "self training" themselves, yes, I am aware of that. We taught them manners, we taught them to go quietly to their stall when I'm herding with my border collies, we've taught them to allow us to handle their ears, mouths and feet and to lay down. But these dogs don't need to be trained to protect the sheep, they do that by instinct and they have done a perfect job of it with no complaints on my part.

So, I hope that alleviates some of your concerns.

 

[Southern by choice]

Aww, your welcome.

My GPs are very easy going and they trust us. I can't imagine not being able to transport them if they are in such a state that I'd have to rush them to the vets - it might not be pretty but it would happen! We did work with them on leashes when they were young but over time, well, yeah, well, maybe I'll regret it one day and if I do, I will confess it right here on BYH.

It really sounds like you have done a good job with your dogs. You are right, when young often dogs get taught but over time they do their jbs and so there isn't much need, especially when the vets come out.
All our dogs have been on leads, some have been involved with therapy work, some we take out for examples of stable LGD's so people understand they aren't vicious dogs- IOW some of our dogs do get out and about- others don't, so similar to you there hasn't been much need for anything else with some. We had an emergency with one of our boys, he was about 2-2 1/2... he doesn't like leaving his goats for anything. We put a lead on him, walked up into the 15 passenger van, he was hesitant for a second then jumped in. He did fine on the drive, but between his injuries,pain, and never having been in a moving vehicle he seemed a little unsteady on his feet. He should have just lay down. Went straight into the vets, surgery room at that, total stranger and yet he let her shave him, clean him up, deal with the punctures etc... I honestly thought he may need to be sedated... he did great. As you can see, on this group there are a lot of very dedicated people and they love their dogs that is why they all have success!

Interesting about the parasite bloom - would that hold true if the land hasn't had any sort of livestock on it for 15 years? or is that due to stress?

It isn't the land, it is the parasites already living in your sheep. All sheep and goats have some parasites, it is the stress of the move that can cause this. Most people would expect a bloom if they brought in livestock, or they shipped some out... the thing is even on your farm when they have been in one area that they know and have never moved this can happen. Shoot, it happened to us this year. We had a whole herd of bucks that left so we took a whole other group from another field and moved them. We were ready for it, but still, ugh we did have to deworm.

It sounds very exciting with your expansion!
I wish I had that much land... then our dairy goats would probably start crying if they couldn't see the house.

 

[Schatzl]

My sheep will follow me and a red Folgers coffee can anywhere.

Yes, my girls are VERY food driven! And I probably have the same red Folgers can in my feed tub! Anyways, I'm sure once they know where they are supposed to go across the dirt road to the new field I probably won't need to put up a corridor of fence panels, but until they do, I'll feel safer. I have this horrible image of them taking off down the road to the great unknown!

We have a new TSC just 10 miles down the road ... very handy to have it so close!! But I'm still not going to be taking my GPs for any joy rides Okay, maybe I could stand it now in the winter when they are clean, but during the summer they LOVE to wallow in the mud .... and with our red dirt they are distinctly PINK from the withers down April to October!! And, of course, they smell to high heaven!

I've never had an issue moving my dogs to another field

That's good to know. I figured with people rotating pastures and all it must be possible.

 

[babsbag]

I have 4 LGDs and my oldest is the fence tester and she leads all her "friends" right on out the hole. The only time that I have had problems with her is when I opened a new pasture. The goats made me lead them, they were afraid, but not my girl. She was off and running and within 10 minutes found a space under the fence that was no doubt a coyote path and she decided that she needed to see where they were going. I had to fix that and run a row of hotwire about 6" off of the ground.

Fast forward 3 years and we bought some adjoining land. Fenced it like Fort Knox, but not Fort Knox for dogs. Again, she found a space under the fence and showed up on my porch. This time it took me watching and waiting for her to escape to find her path. The weeds were tall and I couldn't see the gap but she found it in about 5 minutes of being on the new land. So I spent the next 4 days inspecting every inch of the fence and filling in gaps, our land is not level at all, and again, added the hot wire to the bottom. Now that she has been on the property for about 8 months she doesn't test the boundary, the hot wire isn't even working at the moment (don't tell her )

I'm not sure what it is about new property that makes her want to escape but that seems to be the case.

 

[Schatzl]

THAT is going to be Smith (he's my jumper). We have to put all the fence up so, while it will take time before it's done, at least I'll know it's done right, and hopefully escape proof! But even when he did get over, he stayed close. He doesn't run away but there are an awful lot of pit bulls in our "neck of the woods" and THAT does make me nervous :/

 

[BrendaMNgri]

@Schatzl I've been doing this a long, long time…I get frustrated (and yes often it shows) with people when they present situations as one way, then come back in and fill in the details later and oh, gee…..wait, now you're saying this…um...okay…that changes the whole thing….uh…..might have not said what I did if you'd been more forthcoming….

And not just singling you out for this so don't take it personally. "Oh…NOW you tell us…." is a common "happening" on this forum. A poster comes in, puts out a scenario, then it changes faster than you can keep up with. I KNOW I'm not alone when I often mumble over some threads, "Well, why didn't they say that to begin with?" I probably would not have bothered to even post.

I come out of a commercial cattle ranching history, and I'm 62 (do the math) and lived through the final "glory days" of big cow outfits in N. Nevada and the Great Basin. It was a hard, tough life that ate up people who didn't learn quick enough and you got tough or died, basically. There was no kid glove treatment. You owned up to the responsibilities involved with livestock, dogs, ranch, cowboying, fencing, what ever…you learned from your elders and didn't flinch when they boxed your ears, either, because they were the ones passing on the old ways down to the newbies. You paid dues and didn't mind it. The viejos were often short of temper, rude, cranky and mean but they meant and taught well, if a guy could grow some thick skin and take some ribbing - it was always worth it because a valuable lesson was at hand. Sugar coated with a cushy delivery and hand holding? No. But valuable advice.

To quote one old timer, years my senior: "$200 a month and $250 for riding the rough string. Nobody talked to the kid in the outfit. Back then you better be tough or get to irrigating…"

I read your details that you added later, and you seem to be aware of what you need to do. So….good luck to you.

 

[BrendaMNgri]

@Baymule PS my sheep come when called too. I also bell them. So I know where they are. I make a trilling noise, and they know mom's got some grain or feed. Here they come...