Teresa & Mike CHS - Our journal

[Mike CHS]

What about the rest of us? How did you get the recipes?

I rarely pull lambs anymore. Most of our girls produce just fine. As you say, the exception is usually a ginormous lamb in a first freshener. I hate singles because that is usually when they have trouble. I am going to start holding back grain around the time they are due next kidding to see if it makes a difference in ease of lambing.

The amount of feed given to the ewes made a lot of difference in the lambing weight of the lambs. We overfed our first year and our smallest lambs were twins in the 9 pound range with a bunch in the 11-14 pound range.

After that season we only gave hay up until small amounts of feed determined mostly by their body scores.

Here is the blog where I got the recipes and they aren't just for the Panda Express.

Copycat Recipes Archives

With over 100 copycats on the site you'll find authentic recipes from all your favorite restaurants here. Skip the takeout make them for less!

dinnerthendessert.com

 

[Baymule]

That's a lot of yummy recipes! Thanks for the link!

 

[farmerjan]

We have only had to pull one lamb in 4 years but it was almost 15 pounds. We did lose one this year while she was lambing but all except 3 of our 30 ewes lambed during daylight hours when we were around.

A picture from yesterday after I asked Lance if he wanted to work.
View attachment 72997

YES, HOW SOON?????????? Let's go right now!!!!!

 

[Mike CHS]

YES, HOW SOON?????????? Let's go right now!!!!!

He doesn't get a lot of time with the sheep since they go wherever I go. I have been letting him work the ram and ram lambs and that has been interesting. Our main ram (Max) keeps trying to challenge him with head butts and has got him once. Lance looks like a sweet little boy but he can give more than he gets with the rams so Max no longer tries that.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

My English Shepherd, Gracie, is fearless. She is a long way from a trained herding dog but she definitely has the want to and a natural ability. Occasionally I let the bucks in an area adjacent to the yard to browse and one of the boys will jump the fence to get into the yard. The yard is Gracies domain and she's "allowed" to escort the buck out of the yard. He will occasionally rear up and challenge her and that brings out the beast in her. My question for you is this: what do you do when your dog uses teeth? Is it allowed under trying circumstances or not allowed at all. Without doubt Gracie knows more about moving animals than I do. But, being the novice that I am I'm not sure how to respond to the situation when she becomes "insistent." Any words of wisdom?

 

[Mike CHS]

My English Shepherd, Gracie, is fearless. She is a long way from a trained herding dog but she definitely has the want to and a natural ability. Occasionally I let the bucks in an area adjacent to the yard to browse and one of the boys will jump the fence to get into the yard. The yard is Gracies domain and she's "allowed" to escort the buck out of the yard. He will occasionally rear up and challenge her and that brings out the beast in her. My question for you is this: what do you do when your dog uses teeth? Is it allowed under trying circumstances or not allowed at all. Without doubt Gracie knows more about moving animals than I do. But, being the novice that I am I'm not sure how to respond to the situation when she becomes "insistent." Any words of wisdom?

They tend to not do more bite than needed so I let them go. Lance is docile in most cases but becomes intense when he is moving the sheep. He doesn't use teeth in most cases but I don't try to stop him if he feels the need to protect himself. If you control too much you mess with his confidence and he will be confused. You have so much experience in other things that are similar so use your instinct. I don't intervene unless the dogs are completely out of line and in most cases, they aren't. These dogs make us look so smart and they are good at doing that.

I haven't worked English Shepherds but I have seen them work and their handlers do the same work with them as Border Collie handlers.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thanks! The only time she gets fierce is when he just doesn't listen and becomes aggressive with her. She definitely has the right to defend herself so I've tended to just stay out of her way. She's so intuitive and the little things I work with her on she's very receptive.

 

[CntryBoy777]

I would really like to have been there watching and learning.....especially having had petting and talking to him and Sassy...I think back to that visit often.....I would've like to see Gabbie with animals around.....heck, she herds us and the cat, Callie....

 

[Mike CHS]

Thanks! The only time she gets fierce is when he just doesn't listen and becomes aggressive with her. She definitely has the right to defend herself so I've tended to just stay out of her way. She's so intuitive and the little things I work with her on she's very receptive.

We always use a long lead while training and it takes a long time but if you think she has a handle on it, it might be worth a trial.. The long lead prevents a lot of retraining. I'll be happy to help with more info if you want.

 

[Ridgetop]

The amount of feed given to the ewes made a lot of difference in the lambing weight of the lambs. We overfed our first year and our smallest lambs were twins in the 9 pound range with a bunch in the 11-14 pound range.

After that season we only gave hay up until small amounts of feed determined mostly by their body scores.

I am going to try that. I am still in the woolly breed sheep and dairy goat mindset I guess. You have to feed them well for milk and growth. Dorpers not so much. In fact, I was just reading a couple of articles that said if you try to finish a Dorper lamb over 100 lbs. he/she puts it all into fat on the carcass. This time I am going to cut them back on hay a month before lambing and stop all grain. All our lambs were at least 9 lbs., with some singles around 11-12 lbs. The only lamb under 9 lbs. was a small twin who weighed 7.7 lbs. His brother was 9.9 lbs. That little guy looked like a midget, but finished out the same weight as the other wethers. The smaller lambs were just as lively if not more than the huge ones. And it is much easier on the ewes. Thanks, I will try that.