SageHill Ranch Journal

SageHill

Herd Master
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First - I wish I'd found this group years ago - I'm loving reading everyone's journals and learning a lot as I do. You all rock and thank you for sharing!
It's HOT here in So Cal - and I've been staying cool inside reading, and decided - what the heck jump into the journal pool under the AC vent with coffee in hand.
I did an intro when I first found you all.
I'm not sure how I'll journal-up --- perhaps current and a bit of back track.
We bought our land in 2017 -- 12 2/3 acres of old avocado grove that was left to die by it's previous owners. As things stand now we've got about 60 avo trees that remain. They are definitely survivors as they get no water other than our rain (which is little at best). Not a lot a avos on them but I know where each is! LOL
We built a house here 2018-2020 and a barn 2021. Absolutely needed the barn to keep sheep safe at night - coyotes.
We have chickens for eggs, they are in a Fort Knox of chicken runs - hardware cloth sides and top - safe from hawks and coyotes. We have 5 sheep (lost one last week - such is life she was old - 13??). Old sheep 10-12 yrs+?? Hopefully getting 4 this weekend - if the owner can get them in a trailer 🤞.
I have dogs that I work herding the sheep. I do teach herding lessons to a few folks who like to take their dogs to herding trials (AKC and AHBA style - not border collie stuff). I've been doing the dog/sheep thing since 1981.
I enjoy working with livestock. Yeah - crazy me. So much so that my favorite times of the day are when I take the sheep out to graze with one of our dogs. The best of them is Obi Wan, who was in the June/July Farm and Ranch Living magazine as the top winner of "Farmer's Best Friend Contest". Obi Wan keeps them on our 'ranch road' and turns into a 'fence' when we get to where I want to graze. Now that we're in the "brown season" 😉) we don't do that. Our barn went in November last year, got the sheep that I'd shared with a fellow herding trainer, and started the graze routine in November. At that time we had no fences. ROTFL - I'm sure our neighbors though "OH GAWD - new folks with sheep and no fences" But I am Little Bo Peep who has NOT lost her sheep. By May this year we got fencing done, two training arenas in, and gates! Amazon thinks they can just 'drive through'. Not any more! HA - and Amazon sends our packages USPS which means I have to drive to the PO to get them. Such is ranch life.
With the fencing I can now work the other dogs (we have 6, though two are "retired"). I need more sheep. I ~thought~ I would just do training, but the way things evolve I seem to have switched over to the I want to raise sheep to both train the dogs and have some for the freezer. AND very much so to graze down the ranch - esp here in So Cal where brown=food for fires.
I like to cook, bake and garden - oh and take photos! At one point I was shooting for PBR at their World Finals - on the dirt with the cowboys.
Here's the ranch as we bought it......
before.jpg

Here's the ranch today
after.jpg
 

BrahmerQueen

Loving the herd life
Joined
Feb 2, 2022
Messages
236
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Points
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Location
Central Florida
First - I wish I'd found this group years ago - I'm loving reading everyone's journals and learning a lot as I do. You all rock and thank you for sharing!
It's HOT here in So Cal - and I've been staying cool inside reading, and decided - what the heck jump into the journal pool under the AC vent with coffee in hand.
I did an intro when I first found you all.
I'm not sure how I'll journal-up --- perhaps current and a bit of back track.
We bought our land in 2017 -- 12 2/3 acres of old avocado grove that was left to die by it's previous owners. As things stand now we've got about 60 avo trees that remain. They are definitely survivors as they get no water other than our rain (which is little at best). Not a lot a avos on them but I know where each is! LOL
We built a house here 2018-2020 and a barn 2021. Absolutely needed the barn to keep sheep safe at night - coyotes.
We have chickens for eggs, they are in a Fort Knox of chicken runs - hardware cloth sides and top - safe from hawks and coyotes. We have 5 sheep (lost one last week - such is life she was old - 13??). Old sheep 10-12 yrs+?? Hopefully getting 4 this weekend - if the owner can get them in a trailer 🤞.
What breed do have? Wow that a old sheep🤯
I have dogs that I work herding the sheep. I do teach herding lessons to a few folks who like to take their dogs to herding trials (AKC and AHBA style - not border collie stuff). I've been doing the dog/sheep thing since 1981.
Wow that's pretty cool
I enjoy working with livestock. Yeah - crazy me. So much so that my favorite times of the day are when I take the sheep out to graze with one of our dogs. The best of them is Obi Wan, who was in the June/July Farm and Ranch Living magazine as the top winner of "Farmer's Best Friend Contest". Obi Wan keeps them on our 'ranch road' and turns into a 'fence' when we get to where I want to graze. Now that we're in the "brown season" 😉) we don't do that. Our barn went in November last year, got the sheep that I'd shared with a fellow herding trainer, and started the graze routine in November. At that time we had no fences. ROTFL - I'm sure our neighbors though "OH GAWD - new folks with sheep and no fences" But I am Little Bo Peep who has NOT lost her sheep. By May this year we got fencing done, two training arenas in, and gates! Amazon thinks they can just 'drive through'. Not any more! HA - and Amazon sends our packages USPS which means I have to drive to the PO to get them. Such is ranch life.
With the fencing I can now work the other dogs (we have 6, though two are "retired"). I need more sheep. I ~thought~ I would just do training, but the way things evolve I seem to have switched over to the I want to raise sheep to both train the dogs and have some for the freezer. AND very much so to graze down the ranch - esp here in So Cal where brown=food for fires.
I like to cook, bake and garden - oh and take photos! At one point I was shooting for PBR at their World Finals - on the dirt with the cowboys.
That is very so cool
Here's the ranch as we bought it......
View attachment 93369
Here's the ranch today
View attachment 93370
 

SageHill

Herd Master
Joined
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Location
Southern CA
What breed do have? Wow that a old sheep🤯

Wow that's pretty cool

That is very so cool
Yup Oldies. They were all used for training dogs at various training facilities.
The breeds are Dorper crosses or crosses of Dorper crosses o_O. I've worked with Dorpers
and really like the way they respond to the dogs, usually pretty calm - vs the Cheviots I've worked
with that I would generalize as 'wild as a march hare' 🤣.
 

SageHill

Herd Master
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Location
Southern CA
This will be fun to follow your journey! I love Avacados , lucky you!
Avocados are great!!! After a bit of research I found they can be toxic to sheep -- as well as other critters like rabbits, etc. While I 'trained' Obi to 'Watch that tree' to keep the sheep from grazing on the trees (also toxic per captain Google) I inadvertently kept sheep safe and saved goodies for me!!

P1100523-4x6.jpg
 

SageHill

Herd Master
Joined
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Location
Southern CA
Hope I'm doing the journal stuff right - let me know if there's another way! Entry 2 for me - SO it's a Reply to my first post? Is that how this works??
Today's Doings -
So it's still roasty toasty here (aka normal summer mostly). Last week I ordered the Premiere Deck Chair. Got it, assembled it yesterday and today --- I tried it out - ok >I< sat in it yesterday - comfy even.
I'd read several OMG reviews after I'd ordered it - shook my head thinking I'd wasted $.
I set it up in a corner, had Obi Wan hold the sheep to me while I slipped a lead around the smallest ewe and ....held her head backing her up to the chair and voila - it worked. After she was in the chair I put a shirt over her head - the sun was cresting the grove behind us and sun in the eyes is never pleasant for anyone. Trimmed her hooves and let her go no worse for wear.
Rolled her out rather than lifting the chair and she calmly walked away. One down four to go.

IMG_2614.jpeg
 

BrahmerQueen

Loving the herd life
Joined
Feb 2, 2022
Messages
236
Reaction score
520
Points
183
Location
Central Florida
Hope I'm doing the journal stuff right - let me know if there's another way! Entry 2 for me - SO it's a Reply to my first post? Is that how this works??
Today's Doings -
So it's still roasty toasty here (aka normal summer mostly). Last week I ordered the Premiere Deck Chair. Got it, assembled it yesterday and today --- I tried it out - ok >I< sat in it yesterday - comfy even.
I'd read several OMG reviews after I'd ordered it - shook my head thinking I'd wasted $.
I set it up in a corner, had Obi Wan hold the sheep to me while I slipped a lead around the smallest ewe and ....held her head backing her up to the chair and voila - it worked. After she was in the chair I put a shirt over her head - the sun was cresting the grove behind us and sun in the eyes is never pleasant for anyone. Trimmed her hooves and let her go no worse for wear.
Rolled her out rather than lifting the chair and she calmly walked away. One down four to go.

View attachment 93382
I have one of those it works great for my hair ewes. Not so much for my hamp lambs they figured out how to roll out of it 🤣.
 

SageHill

Herd Master
Joined
Aug 27, 2022
Messages
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Reaction score
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Points
463
Location
Southern CA
I have one of those it works great for my hair ewes. Not so much for my hamp lambs they figured out how to roll out of it 🤣.
🤣 Yet another reason for me to stick with the hair sheep!
Ya' know I was thinking a seatbelt like they have on airplanes may be a nice addition 😁
 
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