Ridgetop
Herd Master
Great idea!
Feelin' a bit sheepish...
- Thread starter
- #662
Beekissed
Herd Master
Big Red has been in with the girls since June 1st and we are starting to see breeding activity. Probably more going on at night when it's cooler, as we are having some pretty hot, muggy weather right now. I'm really liking this ram's docile nature towards us....not too familiar or getting into our space at all, but very polite, not flighty, just a nice guy.
Can't wait to see how many red lambs we get this fall....I hope it's a lot!
The lambs are weaned and in their own flock now, eating like crazy and growing well.
Got a new dog awhile back....a retired Anatolian named Eli, 10 yrs old and FREE. He's for watching over the coop and the lamb group while its up here by the house. He's kind of stiff in his joints and a good bit overweight(168 lbs!!!!!), but we've got him on a diet and on pain meds and he seems to be moving better. He's quiet and aloof, but friendly and not a bit aggressive towards any animal or human. Blue liked him right away and Pinky just ignored him.
The big field is getting away from us a bit, what with all this rain and hot weather, as we don't have a big enough flock to keep up with it....but it's a good problem to have! Too much graze? Never had THAT before.
We are dividing it up into 4 sections, with the sheep on each section for 10-15 days per section. What they leave behind we'll mow on high, just to keep up with grass that has went to seed and any weeds that may be forming.
Can't wait to see how many red lambs we get this fall....I hope it's a lot!
The lambs are weaned and in their own flock now, eating like crazy and growing well.
Got a new dog awhile back....a retired Anatolian named Eli, 10 yrs old and FREE. He's for watching over the coop and the lamb group while its up here by the house. He's kind of stiff in his joints and a good bit overweight(168 lbs!!!!!), but we've got him on a diet and on pain meds and he seems to be moving better. He's quiet and aloof, but friendly and not a bit aggressive towards any animal or human. Blue liked him right away and Pinky just ignored him.
The big field is getting away from us a bit, what with all this rain and hot weather, as we don't have a big enough flock to keep up with it....but it's a good problem to have! Too much graze? Never had THAT before.
We are dividing it up into 4 sections, with the sheep on each section for 10-15 days per section. What they leave behind we'll mow on high, just to keep up with grass that has went to seed and any weeds that may be forming.
Baymule
Herd Master
Too much grass? I can only DREAM! How wonderful for you and your sheep. We need more pictures of the pastures, Big Red, the girls, the lambs and Eli!
- Thread starter
- #664
Beekissed
Herd Master
Will do! Here's a pic of the new dog...hiding in the shed with me during a thunderstorm. Could be why he's had 5-6 owners in his life. Probably used to run off the property during storms but now he's too old and crippled up to do that.
Mini Horses
Herd Master
But he's a good looking dog and might limp but can still bark! He deserves some easy times....and hugs.
Baymule
Herd Master
Eli can still contribute and have a good rest of his life. Life expectancy for Great Pyrenees is 10-12 years. Paris is 13. The Cornish Cross chicken tractor is in “her” pasture and so are the weaned ewe lamb replacements. She is still working and is happy.
Old dogs are still worth it.
Old dogs are still worth it.
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Old LGDs don't retire, we have to retire them to easier guarding duties. Maybe less pasture to protect, a job closer to the house, etc. If they are in a situation with not enough backup and heavy predator load they often get killed or badly injured by predators because they don't back down and don't realize they are not as fast as they used to be.
That is why I add a young pup when the older one gets close to slowing down. The old dog is still active enough to train the next one, and by the time the elder dog needs back up it is in place, fully trained and able to protect against predators. The mistake many people make is not realizing when their LGD starts to slow down. Older LGDs don't show age like house dogs, but need backup much sooner than house dogs due to what they are protecting against. You will not notice the need for an additional dog until the older dog is injured or you lose stock.
Old LGDs like Eli and Paris still have the drive to work. Giving them easier tasks like guarding poultry or the lambing barn closer to the house where you can back them up if needed is essential for them. They won't realize they can't take on a coyote pack or cougar and will try to their last breath to defend you and yours.
That is why I add a young pup when the older one gets close to slowing down. The old dog is still active enough to train the next one, and by the time the elder dog needs back up it is in place, fully trained and able to protect against predators. The mistake many people make is not realizing when their LGD starts to slow down. Older LGDs don't show age like house dogs, but need backup much sooner than house dogs due to what they are protecting against. You will not notice the need for an additional dog until the older dog is injured or you lose stock.
Old LGDs like Eli and Paris still have the drive to work. Giving them easier tasks like guarding poultry or the lambing barn closer to the house where you can back them up if needed is essential for them. They won't realize they can't take on a coyote pack or cougar and will try to their last breath to defend you and yours.
- Thread starter
- #668
Beekissed
Herd Master
He doesn't limp, just moves like his hips are stiff and sore....I'm giving him enteric coated aspirin each day for that and since he's been getting that, he's actually loping and trotting at times, plus getting up and down easier than before.
He's very quiet, rarely barks at all....usually just one woof. He seriously doesn't like to be hugged, petted or otherwise handled, but I'm working on that. He doesn't like me but will let Eli and Mom pet him, which is an odd feeling.....usually I get a lot of bucket love from the animals, at least, as I'm the one who feeds. I guess he doesn't trust me because I'm the one who helped put him in a cage and take him away from his home, sprayed him down with lemongrass spray to repel the ticks and fleas, and tied him to a zip line for the first week.
- Thread starter
- #669
Beekissed
Herd Master
Amen! These folks were moving to Idaho and wouldn't have stock or land any longer, which was why they were trying to find Eli a farm home. He's been no trouble at all and doesn't eat much....they had been feeding him all kinds of raw meats, most with bones, and his old, worn down teeth could no longer eat such things....I think he's horribly constipated. I got to see one of his BMs and it was seriously not normal. Treated him for that at the beginning of the week and again today and we've seen a noticeable difference in his countenance and how much more he's moving around....being plugged up makes a creature miserable.
We also put him on a diet and he's losing wt, which will also help his mobility and pain issues. We put his water up the hill by the chicken coop and he likes to "guard aka sleep" down by the house, so he's forced to walk up the hill to hydrate, which is about the only exercise he's getting. A little is better than none at all, I say!
- Thread starter
- #670
Beekissed
Herd Master
Well...we've come to a turning point in our sheep farming that we didn't quite prepare for as we are just winging it, making things up as we go along, for the most part and working with a shoestring budget....not even a whole shoestring. More like a frayed piece of a string.
With all the lovely rain and hot temps, the grass is growing very quickly down in the big field and our flock is still too small to put a real dent in it. When we leased that field, we told the neighbors we would keep it mowed via grazing but until we get a sizeable flock, it's an unrealistic goal.
We entertained the thought of mowing behind the grazing with our old Cub Cadet riding mower but it would mow it closer than we like and we may also hit something in that field, not knowing the terrain as well as we would like. We've been looking for old horse drawn hay sickles that we could pull behind the 4Ws but not finding any that aren't clear across the country.
So, today we found a solution that Eli has decided to invest his own money into....just $1K....which is cheaper than most used riding mowers we've seen on Marketplace. We are going to look at and possibly purchase a 1948 Massey Harris Cub "Pony" tractor that has a belly mower! Now....I've always wanted to have a cub tractor, as I think they are the perfect size for a lady, but never dreamed to actually own one. This one has all new tires, plugs, wires, battery and runs great if the ad is to be believed. We shall see.
Here's a pic of it.....
Restored they look like this....but this one will never look like that if we are the owners, unfortunately....
The belly mower supposedly lifts higher than what it shows in the pics, which would allow us to mow this field on a high setting so as not to lose the good smaller, lower growing forage, while cutting down the mature grasses and cutting down weeds before they seed. It would also save us wear and tear on the old lawn mowers we have, as these old tractors are built for brush hogging a field and a lawn tractor is just not.
After doing some research I found out these little tractors are powerful little work horses that we can use in many ways here as we clean up this logging debris, so they are not just toys.
I hope and pray that it's as advertised and I also pray for God's guidance on this purchase. Mom's tickled as she feels it's the perfect tool and size tractor for our little farm enterprise and will pay for itself soon enough. I'm a tad excited because I've always wanted to drive a tractor but Dad would never let us drive his while I was growing up and this one is small enough to not be too intimidating. Eli's a bit excited because it will be his and he's been wanting a tractor too.
With all the lovely rain and hot temps, the grass is growing very quickly down in the big field and our flock is still too small to put a real dent in it. When we leased that field, we told the neighbors we would keep it mowed via grazing but until we get a sizeable flock, it's an unrealistic goal.
We entertained the thought of mowing behind the grazing with our old Cub Cadet riding mower but it would mow it closer than we like and we may also hit something in that field, not knowing the terrain as well as we would like. We've been looking for old horse drawn hay sickles that we could pull behind the 4Ws but not finding any that aren't clear across the country.
So, today we found a solution that Eli has decided to invest his own money into....just $1K....which is cheaper than most used riding mowers we've seen on Marketplace. We are going to look at and possibly purchase a 1948 Massey Harris Cub "Pony" tractor that has a belly mower! Now....I've always wanted to have a cub tractor, as I think they are the perfect size for a lady, but never dreamed to actually own one. This one has all new tires, plugs, wires, battery and runs great if the ad is to be believed. We shall see.
Here's a pic of it.....
Restored they look like this....but this one will never look like that if we are the owners, unfortunately....
The belly mower supposedly lifts higher than what it shows in the pics, which would allow us to mow this field on a high setting so as not to lose the good smaller, lower growing forage, while cutting down the mature grasses and cutting down weeds before they seed. It would also save us wear and tear on the old lawn mowers we have, as these old tractors are built for brush hogging a field and a lawn tractor is just not.
After doing some research I found out these little tractors are powerful little work horses that we can use in many ways here as we clean up this logging debris, so they are not just toys.
I hope and pray that it's as advertised and I also pray for God's guidance on this purchase. Mom's tickled as she feels it's the perfect tool and size tractor for our little farm enterprise and will pay for itself soon enough. I'm a tad excited because I've always wanted to drive a tractor but Dad would never let us drive his while I was growing up and this one is small enough to not be too intimidating. Eli's a bit excited because it will be his and he's been wanting a tractor too.
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