SageHill Ranch Journal

[Mike CHS]

I use the plain Animal Crackers that still look like they did when I was a kid. They won't all go for them right away since like anything else, it's something different. I break them up at first for those that won't try and eventually add whole pieces to the trough. I always have some that will try anything I have in my hand so it doesn't take long for the rest to be willing to try it.

 

[Baymule]

And that’s how it’s done!

 

[SageHill]

I use the plain Animal Crackers that still look like they did when I was a kid. They won't all go for them right away since like anything else, it's something different. I break them up at first for those that won't try and eventually add whole pieces to the trough. I always have some that will try anything I have in my hand so it doesn't take long for the rest to be willing to try it.

Oh gawd, I'll be walking around with that cute little box on the string like I did when I was little. and it will be,
one for you, two for me. I better buy a case!!

 

[SageHill]

Yesterday's LookSeeDo day was so good I decided to give it a shot today coupled a bit with the ever present
Roud-Tuit list. Sheep are doing well. I could probably put The Littles in with the oldies at night - a 12x24 stall deep in shavings. The Littles is a 12x12 stall deep in shavings. There's just this niggling thought to keep them separate at night. They do well in the pasture and work nicely together with the dogs so it ~should be fine. But, BUTT.
Back to today's doings - on the LSD day I took the utv and two dogs (Obi and Ree) did a drive around checking roads, fences etc. I ~knew there was a red ant (?fire ants?) mound on the road, actually found three I hit them all with borax. I'll check back later in the week to see if ~anything changed. If I make it into town I'll check with the ag store and see if they have anything that works on them. I should probably take a pic of them <eek>. Lots of oranges on the few orange trees - but we haven't had much rain, I hope it's not their last hurrah. There's no way to get water down to them short of trucking it in with the utv. Found some areas in the old fence (God only knows how old those fences are) where the coyotes have gone under. I'm going to use some of the left over pasture fencing (5ft 2x4 woven wire) to reinforce those areas. But, of course I had to order hog rings and a pliers for them. Should be at the amazon locker tomorrow - ah a trip down the hill . BUT I guess I can add getting my little box, or 10, of animal crackers .
Worked on some irrigation, need more pieces of course. Got done what I could. Planted more beans - the others actually sprouted and are growing at the barn. Also planted some beets, cucumbers and flowers - nasturtium (tasty).
Me, Obi and Ree on the drive about.

 

[SageHill]

The roasty toasty string of days continues. Not as bad as last time, but enough that detection and quite possibly herding lessons are cancelled for the week. Tuesday is the regular clean stalls day. Not wanting to wait until the afternoon I got 'er done first thing - well after "seeding" the pasture with here a flake there a flake everywhere a flake flake, and then sending the sheepies out. Typically I clean stalls and listen to the Mike Rowe podcast "The Way I Heard It" -- you know, the Dirty Jobs guy. He's common sense - so refreshing. Today (a new one comes out yes, every Tuesday) it was truly appropriate as the title of today's podcast is/was "Holy Crap It's Thomas Crapper's Birthday" a fun and hilarious listen. Did a few barn garden things and headed back to the house to do a few more typical Tuesday tedious chores. Headed out to get some irrigation supplies and <cough> Animal Crackers (thank you @Mike CHS ). I had visions of skipping through the pasture with my little box of Animal Crackers with the sheepies following me (oh what a visual - I should put my graphics brain and Photoshop knowledge to work on that one ). But WallyMart didn't have the box. GASP. Not even any box - but oh they had BAGS --- BIG BIG BAGS. I opted for the cheap ones since my vision was destroyed and will remain only a vision in my brain. I kind of jumped the gun and left the ranch for said trip before I got notice of the hog rings Amazon delivery. Of course the hog rings arrived at the locker when I got home - another trip down the hill (maybe 7-11 has a box of Animal Crackers - it's becoming a challenge now .
I traipsed over to the barn - big bag of crackers in hand and attempted to serve said crackers to the flock. Had two takers -- Ol' Spot, and the Barb. Good gravy I naming them - oh geeze. . So Ol' Spot has been taking horse treats from me the last few days. He ~did take a few crackers today - but the look on his face was "What the heck!"
Of course I had horse treats too and he readily took those - I do believe the hor$e treat$ are favored (nooo nooo - you WILL like animal crackers .01$) . I guess the good news his he tried them and the Barb did too - off of the ground where I tossed one. The others - well they will be a work in progress.
.
The $$ horse treat

The Animal Cracker

.
And "The Investigation"

PS -- I ate few too!

 

[farmerjan]

The roasty toasty string of days continues. Not as bad as last time, but enough that detection and quite possibly herding lessons are cancelled for the week. Tuesday is the regular clean stalls day. Not wanting to wait until the afternoon I got 'er done first thing - well after "seeding" the pasture with here a flake there a flake everywhere a flake flake, and then sending the sheepies out. Typically I clean stalls and listen to the Mike Rowe podcast "The Way I Heard It" -- you know, the Dirty Jobs guy. He's common sense - so refreshing. Today (a new one comes out yes, every Tuesday) it was truly appropriate as the title of today's podcast is/was "Holy Crap It's Thomas Crapper's Birthday" a fun and hilarious listen. Did a few barn garden things and headed back to the house to do a few more typical Tuesday tedious chores. Headed out to get some irrigation supplies and <cough> Animal Crackers (thank you @Mike CHS ). I had visions of skipping through the pasture with my little box of Animal Crackers with the sheepies following me (oh what a visual - I should put my graphics brain and Photoshop knowledge to work on that one ). But WallyMart didn't have the box. GASP. Not even any box - but oh they had BAGS --- BIG BIG BAGS. I opted for the cheap ones since my vision was destroyed and will remain only a vision in my brain. I kind of jumped the gun and left the ranch for said trip before I got notice of the hog rings Amazon delivery. Of course the hog rings arrived at the locker when I got home - another trip down the hill (maybe 7-11 has a box of Animal Crackers - it's becoming a challenge now .
I traipsed over to the barn - big bag of crackers in hand and attempted to serve said crackers to the flock. Had two takers -- Ol' Spot, and the Barb. Good gravy I naming them - oh geeze. . So Ol' Spot has been taking horse treats from me the last few days. He ~did take a few crackers today - but the look on his face was "What the heck!"
Of course I had horse treats too and he readily took those - I do believe the hor$e treat$ are favored (nooo nooo - you WILL like animal crackers .01$) . I guess the good news his he tried them and the Barb did too - off of the ground where I tossed one. The others - well they will be a work in progress.
.
The $$ horse treat
View attachment 93702

The Animal Cracker
View attachment 93703
.
And "The Investigation"
View attachment 93704
PS -- I ate few too!

Animal crackers or horse treats???

 

[Baymule]

I bet horses like animal crackers too! LOL

 

[SageHill]

A warm one today again. 92 at 11am. Didn't cool off last night - only down to 71. ugh.
The Critter Cracker Caper Continues - three of The Littles will take them out of the hay trough - the pretty silver ewe really likes them. The Oldies are coming around - Ol' Spot loves them - I swear if I wanted to I could teach the old guy some tricks (no no no Trix are for Kids no no -- don't want goaties). The old black one likes them as does the Barb - but they have to get to them before Ol' Spot. The Barb no long runs from me - a huge improvement. When this one was here last year, we'd be way down in the meadow grazing and for absolutely no reason it would take off with the smooth white one. Over hill and dale while the other sheep would look up seemingly say "idiots" and continue grazing. Because of the topography I couldn't see them, prayed they didn't take off for the cattle ranch a mile away (didn't want the Bo Peep Lost Her Sheep moniker) sent Obi and trusted. They came back with Obi doing a good job of it sooo calm. Well it happened time and time again - I finally sorted them out every morning and took the rest. I was glad to see them go back to a friend's who uses them strictly for herding training. And noooowwww they're baaaack. [that was long winded!] So maybe with the crackers they might just come around.
I got the hog rings - actually DH went to the locker to get them early this morning. After setting the sheep out and doing barn chores I loaded up the utv with extra fencing, cable cutter, and the new hog rings and went out and patched up the old rusted 4x4 fencing where the coyotes were going under. As I was driving to the fencing work I check out the red/fire ant mounds. Borax did nothing. Though they did clean up where it was. Grrr - I did pick up fire ant killer at the nursery yesterday so I need to go out and give that a try.

 

[SageHill]

It's roasty toasty out and I went to check on the sheep. They of course were smart laying around in the shade on the side of the barn. I grabbed the Animal Crackers and ..... this happened! Silver from The Littles is now eating out of my hand - as long as she isn't butted away by Ol' Spot . Yes, sheepies I can hand out two crackers at a time - one in each hand.

Ol' Spot and Silver (Little)

Ol' Stripe and Silver

Silver (Littles)

-----
This is all your guy's fault - you've ~made me create Cookie Monsters.

 

[Baymule]

Animal crackers are inexpensive in the big bags. For mere pennies you are a sheep hero! When you can pet them, scratch neck, shoulder, then scratch their brisket, between their front legs. Just be ready for spoiled brats that will follow you around for scratches!