SageHill Ranch Journal

[SageHill]

Spent the entire weekend judging a dog scentwork trial -- outside the entire time on my feet. Normally not bad - but cold and windy. Stuck in one place and grabbing whatever sunshine was there when it appeared. Much rather would have been home working around the ranch. Not sure if I'll keep doing this. Got one more on the schedule in May (watch it be blistering hot). It does help on the hay bill - but... oh well.
Back out grazing today - yay. Greenery is thigh high now, and the leggy stemmy flowers are starting to bloom. Mustard and Wild Geranium. The sheep like the wild geranium - otherwise known in my silly sheep cards as tasty purple posies. Sheep love them. We're about a month early on them this year too.
Hopefully I can get to trimming hooves this week!

 

[Baymule]

Something about being out in a cold blowing wind……not fun! I’m so over winter. Nawthurners can go ahead and laugh, your idea of winter ain’t my idea of winter and that’s why I live in Texas. This hasn’t even been a bad winter, I’m just tired of it.

 

[Mini Horses]

Me too!!! Be done.

 

[SA Farm]

Saw this and thought of you

 

[Mini Horses]

That sounds about right! . But I think Obi is the ring leader.....

 

[SageHill]

It was a cold one this morning. 31 degrees -- frizz brrr (I'm proud of my weather wimp status). Down jacket and knit watch cap worked pretty good. There was even some frost on the ground on the walk to the barn. Brrrrr
The sheep were very happy to get out and about this morning. We took them to the north slope where they proceeded to eat, and eat and eat. YAY. Yeah - they do that every time, though today it seemed like the entire slope was a tasty treat. With the height of the greens and the age of them I fully expect the tastiness to start dissipating. I can see baby foxtails starting to head up in some of the grasses. Once that happens the sheep will probably be less likely to eat as readily. At least that's what happened last year. And that was before things started to dry out. Time will tell this year.
Got a new load of hay today - $31 / three strand bale (~115lbs) ouch. But it looks nice. Really green and soft. Add in that it's this year's hay. I'm guessing first cut. My hay guy knows that I'm feeding sheep and is working with me in getting what they will eat with as little waste as possible. I've got 3 1/2 bales left from that last load so I'll phase in the new hay.
Of course pics from this morning. Some are funny - I can't help myself sometimes. It's like if I'm there animals pose for me. I used to do a photo walk at the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Wild Animal Park -- and without fail every time my group would get to an enclosure the animals just seem to come out and pose. Guess they like me - and it's no different with my silly sheep.

Grazing Under The Old Oak Tree

A Bearded White Cap Ewe ....

Ewe have to get down to the bottom to get the sweetest part of the grass....

Ol' Spot the wether - he's a card -- always so funny only God knows how old he is.

he sees me taking his pic and this happens next (it happens A LOT) ....

And finally (if you've toughed it out through all the other pics).....
"The dog said to try chewing on this. I don't get what he thinks is so good about it."....

 

[Baymule]

Great pictures! Thanks for taking me along with you, Obi and the sheep!

 

[SageHill]

Just another regular day. That's good. Grazed the sheep this morning for a couple of hours. We stay out until I see that over half are just standing and not eating. Then we head back with as I call it "snack along the way". They will grab little bites of this and that. Usually their favorite things like wild buckwheat, sugar bush sumac and of course a few flowers - often the purple ones. Got a busy week ahead, a friend coming over tomorrow, some other friends on the coming weekend from out of town, and a trip up to LA for the last day of the study that Halo is in. All good stuff for sure. And the usual out to graze, teach lessons, I really want to get started on trimming hooves this week too. We'll see. No on looks like they really need it done asap - it's just another of those do it now while it's easier things.
Garden stuff, plant seeds - yup that long list. So far those marigold seeds I planted all over have not seemed to come up. Well - at least they were "free" - no great loss.
And I've figured out my "need more sheep" dilemma. While I want more to work with, I'm not thrilled with the cost of hay. Heck - that IMO kicked the want a horse out of my brain. I've got three sheep that aren't really great players. The trial wether, fat tail ewe, and Auntie Barb. All three of those can and do get wild hairs up their butts and will be stupid for no reason. I'm seeing that behavior start in the younger sheep I bought last year. Not good. SO if I take them to the auction I can get three more sheep from a friend how has too many. If I get 2 wethers and a ewe from her I should be good to go for training as I'd always have at least 3 to work with the dogs, and lambs from the ewes for whatever (training, freezer, ??). 'Tis my thinking on that at least for now.
Silver - the silver colored ewe that I got last year is dropping some wool (as expected) and that gorgeous silver color is underneath. I can actually pull pieces out as we walk along the roads to go graze. I hope when the time comes that she'll produce that color. Yeah - I know it's a crap shoot - but it the dice land just right .
Question -- besides my fences is there such a thing as a rub rail (or something like that) for sheep?? I know I've seen big brushy things for cattle, just wondering about that for sheep.

"You will go with the rest of the flock"

Greenery is getting TALL !

Someone's been taking posing lessons from Ol' Spot!

 

[SA Farm]

A quick google search gave me these images. I like the first one - brushes screwed onto a post. The second one looks fairly simple too, like a rough rug attached to a post. The last one seems the least practical and definitely more goat-oriented

 

[Baymule]

I like the brushes screwed to a post idea. I may have to copy that.

Get rid of the screwballs in the flock. They will teach the youngsters their bad habits. Any that don’t fit the program, they gotta go. Let peace be in the flock.