Teresa & Mike CHS - Our journal

[Ferguson K]

I had a BC B.C. and a healer years back when we had sheep as well. Both were used. The heeler (Trixie) was great at pushing and direction but she had to be muzzled and was a terrorist (with her teeth) to everything from pigs to cattle, sheep and goats. We had this race track we built for the market animals (sheep and goats) That was 8 ft tall at the turns. When we ran them she could push them to the top. Talk about heavily muscled sheep and goats!

Catfish (the BC, also a red) had the best hold of any dog I ever owned. He had such a high need for work I found him a home with someone who needed a started dog to finish out. He had over 300 sheep for Catfish to work. I had 2. Trixie helped me work my market animals for 8 years before we both retired. I moved to pedigrees and she moved to the couch.

Catfish worked until the day he died.

Trixie took retirement in style and was a couch potato her last 5 years with me.

 

[Mike CHS]

We had enough rain today to keep us out of the field so we just went into town and picked up 4 gates, another 50 T-posts and enough wooden posts to finish up the current run. We estimate it to be a total of a little over 1500'. We are trying to make sure we have enough space to rotate the stock we have but still have the layout so we can expand and still leave enough open pasture to cut enough hay for next winter and to share with the neighbor who cuts it. We only need 10 round bales for the number of sheep we will be taking through the winter.

My estimate of the size of this paddock was way off. I had guessed right at 4 acres but after we laid everything out and had all the distances it wound up being 2.8 acres so that will be the main holding pen in the future and will hold the catch and working pen as well as the main dog training pen.

If the rain will hold off for a couple of days we should get it done by the end of the week.

 

[Baymule]

Making progress. Sometimes it seems so darn slow, but even if you pound just a few T-posts, that's still progress.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Each step most certainly "Encourages" the Next step, and that means "Progress and Growth". If ya didn't plan, labor, sweat, bleed, and Realize....ya never really Enjoy it...

 

[Mike CHS]

Another "just because" picture. Hoss was born on the 21st of December and has been the most pet like of all of the lambs. He may change as he gets older but he will remain with us as a wether and companion for the ram we will be getting so he isn't going into anyone's freezer. I knew we messed up giving him a name even if it was a silly one like Hoss. We did name the lamb we pulled - Hope.

It's also probably a good thing we don't think we need to cull any of the ewe lambs either.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Well, I like the "Because" pic Mike.
I think ya made the right decision, mainly because it makes ya feel really good to keep and utilize those that ya Raise, especially from the very first group that is produced. It is y'alls "Roots" that are being put down and it's gotta feel really Good.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Great Pic!! If that's Hoss - he's looking great!

 

[CntryBoy777]

Looks like the rain is just about to ya there...haven't gotten anything here....seem to be skirting us to the north. Be on the lookout and be careful there.

 

[Bruce]

We had enough rain today to keep us out of the field so we just went into town and picked up 4 gates, another 50 T-posts and enough wooden posts to finish up the current run. We estimate it to be a total of a little over 1500'. We are trying to make sure we have enough space to rotate the stock we have but still have the layout so we can expand and still leave enough open pasture to cut enough hay for next winter and to share with the neighbor who cuts it. We only need 10 round bales for the number of sheep we will be taking through the winter.

My estimate of the size of this paddock was way off. I had guessed right at 4 acres but after we laid everything out and had all the distances it wound up being 2.8 acres so that will be the main holding pen in the future and will hold the catch and working pen as well as the main dog training pen.

If the rain will hold off for a couple of days we should get it done by the end of the week.

Lots of fence there Mike. My 1 acre seemed like plenty of work and 100'+ of that is barn wall! Total fence is about 880' which seems like a lot to a guy who used to live on a 44' x 100' lot.

 

[Mike CHS]

Ours wasn't much bigger than that Bruce. I think it was 90 x 130 and I can't remember now why we were satisfied with it at the time.

@CntryBoy777 - The rain got here about the time of your post. I had just spent the better part of an hour busting a slab of rock at the last corner post . I wasn't surprised since it is at the hill our shop is on and they had to rent a jack hammer to set the main posts. That's ok, we still need another 40 T-posts so we will get them and have them ready for whenever the rain stops.