Mike CHS
Herd Master
We use our crook's all of the time.
Taming a bull
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Baymule
Herd Master
Then y'all can give me a demonstration!!
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BlueMoonFarms
True BYH Addict
Then y'all can give me a demonstration!!
A sheep crook is an extension of your arm, a shield, as well as a weapon. You use it to guide animals, and if someone is being a jerk- let's say you have a pushy ram- then you use said crook to teach, guide, and keep the ram away from you.
A ram comes up and gives you a love tap, then you turn and give them a nice firm whack in the knees. Over, and over, until the ram willingly retreats a safe distance from you.
Don't go beating the tar out of him or causing bodily harm, just tap hard enough to show that you mean business.
It took me a while to master catching them with the crook so it might be the same for you, just use the hook end and snag a horn if you have rams, or loop it under the sheeps neck and hang on tight. Reel them in, then grab on and subdue them.
As for the crook being a shield, only once have I ever needed to use it like that. We did not keep the ram either, he was to dangerous.
He came up over the hill and challenged me and I swung the crook, slamming it on the ground. He mock charged me and I slammed it again on the ground and yelled at him to knock it off. Once he was close enough I whacked him in the knees and forced him to back up, then slammed the crook again and again on the ground in a show of force, when he charged. I was close enough that the charge wasn't that bad, and in that moment I was able to use the crook to launch myself int the air, and though it was an accident he hit the crook and I landed on him and I was able to wrestle and pin his butt. He became burgers...
You literally use the crook as another arm or an extension. It's your tool and your protection.
Grandma Betty
Exploring the pasture
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Introduce him to freezer camp...
Mike CHS
Herd Master
We have friends that just got into sheep that was having trouble using the crook. We had them over and showed them and I told them it is kind of like fishing for crappie. Once you get them on the hook you can't give them any slack or they will get away. 
Ours have been caught often enough they know nothing bad is going to happen so they don't fight much. A couple will just stand still when they see the crook heading their way.
Ours have been caught often enough they know nothing bad is going to happen so they don't fight much. A couple will just stand still when they see the crook heading their way.
Baymule
Herd Master
My first ram hit me one too many times. I changed his name to Ramburger and he went to freezer camp. I shook a plastic bag at him and chased him, he was scared of that flapping bag.
I once had a longhorn bull that ran at me. I stood in a batter up position with a 4' pipe and whalloped him on his nose right before he ran me down. That stopped him, then I just charged him, beating him with that pipe. Durned thing knew when I didn't have that pipe...
I once had a longhorn bull that ran at me. I stood in a batter up position with a 4' pipe and whalloped him on his nose right before he ran me down. That stopped him, then I just charged him, beating him with that pipe. Durned thing knew when I didn't have that pipe...
ReluctantFarmer
Overrun with beasties
Going back to @farmerjan s comments, I was going to suggest food. Let him know what a feedbucket is, and let him come to you. My Dad would hollar “sooooouuup” and rattle a couple cubes in a plastic bucket and every bovine on the place would come running. After feeding them, just hang around. Don’t get in between them and the food, but just be present and calm. He would sometimes go and place his hand on their rump just so they wouldn’t be quite so jumpy. He had a few bulls over the years, some good some just trouble. He had a 2 foot long piece of 3” PVC pipe that he used to whack them on the nose with if they got too interesting in trying to test him.
I wa gonna suggest ringing him, maybe get some more experienced opinions though.
It will help prevent him getting “bull brain”, that’s what I call when they start getting all worked up. They will start pawing at the ground and then use their nose to rake the ground and throw dirt in the air. Once they start getting worked up like that, they are unpredictable. It also helps if/when they test you. They are “boys” and “boys will be boys”. Eventually he’s gonna look at you and think “I can take him”. He’ll want to come up to you and start pushing on you. Do not take the bait and push back on his head. That’s when a good “I’m the boss thank you very much” whack right across the nose will show him who’s boss. With the ring, he may be less likely to initiate the “pushing game”.
Finally, bulls get bored. We had one that would just push stuff across the field. You know stuff like hay rings, tree stumps, tractors and implements... we couldn’t leave anything we wanted in with him for very long, cause he’d just put his head under it and go to pushing. The ring may help with this tendency also.
I realize you said you have a smaller animal. I don’t know how many of these traits are species versus variety versus individual.
Good luck!
I wa gonna suggest ringing him, maybe get some more experienced opinions though.
It will help prevent him getting “bull brain”, that’s what I call when they start getting all worked up. They will start pawing at the ground and then use their nose to rake the ground and throw dirt in the air. Once they start getting worked up like that, they are unpredictable. It also helps if/when they test you. They are “boys” and “boys will be boys”. Eventually he’s gonna look at you and think “I can take him”. He’ll want to come up to you and start pushing on you. Do not take the bait and push back on his head. That’s when a good “I’m the boss thank you very much” whack right across the nose will show him who’s boss. With the ring, he may be less likely to initiate the “pushing game”.
Finally, bulls get bored. We had one that would just push stuff across the field. You know stuff like hay rings, tree stumps, tractors and implements... we couldn’t leave anything we wanted in with him for very long, cause he’d just put his head under it and go to pushing. The ring may help with this tendency also.
I realize you said you have a smaller animal. I don’t know how many of these traits are species versus variety versus individual.
Good luck!
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BlueMoonFarms
True BYH Addict
Why?
