Teresa & Mike CHS - Our journal

[Ridgetop]

Are the animal crackers you give to your ewes as treats those cheap ones in the giant plastic canisters at Costco or Smart & Final? I want to tame down my ewes and lambs. I can start while they are in the lambing jugs since they are confined in a very small space. I will get a big canister of those cookies and try them. Our ewes are fairly docile, and a couple are pretty tame and come up to be stroked, but I want then to be really tame so I can handle them more easily in a larger arearea.

 

[Mike CHS]

Are the animal crackers you give to your ewes as treats those cheap ones in the giant plastic canisters at Costco or Smart & Final?

That is the kind. We also get them at Tractor Supply and I break them up so they are only getting a small treat at a time. Not all of my sheep are that tame but the ones that aren't that tame will follow those that are.

I still have to bring them in to be able to get hands on a lot of them but none of them will fight to get away once I get my hands on them.

 

[Mike CHS]

Today was a normal day with not a lot going on. I let Maisy and Mel out to wander around outside the fence and they were happy. Mel is less inclined to come back when I want but that's expected and he stayed within the property area and came back when his curiousity was satisfied. I actually had to take Maisy and walk away since he was trying to see what his limits are.

We extended the cows loading area that I have been feeding them in. The way I had originally set it up, there was not enough area enclosed to give me room to bring the Ranger in and out and be sure the cows couldn't head out the gate. We added about 10' to the loading area that includes the panel that is the gate so I can keep them out while I bring water in. That lets me close it while I'm coming in and going out without having to worry about them getting out of the gate. I got to looking at the cows and then looking at my trailer (which is a horse trailer) and decided I needed a bigger boat. Our older stock trailer is bigger even though the frame is bent a bit but we only have to go a couple of miles so we will use that.

These steers have never been aggressive and not overly curious but I'm happy that they come right into the chute when I put food out. They don't react when I get into their flight zone walking past them to close the panel that will act as the gate. I wait till they finish their feed and open the gate and they just walk out.

 

[Baymule]

Got any pictures of your cow panel loading pen?

 

[Mike CHS]

Got any pictures of your cow panel loading pen?

I don't have any yet but I'll take some. It's a pretty simple layout and the biggest thing was to get them to stay calm because it wouldn't hold them if they decided it was a bad place. The steers are coorperating which is about as much as I can expect.

 

[Baymule]

Can you back the trailer to it and feed them in it a few days?

 

[Mike CHS]

Can you back the trailer to it and feed them in it a few days?

I don't know if you remember our layout but this is on the far side of our place so I built the chute so I can take the trailer out a couple of days ahead of time with the tractor since I have to go through the chute and then back out to set it up. With any rain at all, it stays too wet to use my pickup. It has been quite awhile but these two have been in a trailer a lot when they were younger. I made the width sufficient enough to be able to open the trailer doors and secure them to the gate posts a few days before. I just need to make sure I have some hay brought in early enough for the sheep since this is the gate I have to use for that. I have been fattening them up a bit more.

 

[Mike CHS]

Since I had the camera out I got a couple of Mr. Mel. Whatever was bothering his eyes down south evidently doesn't grow here so his eyes have cleared up.

 

[thistlebloom]

Handsome Mel.
You have lovely land.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

I believe Mels eye issues were from his under the porch pit digging here., that is some very fine dusty sand under there. He looks wonderful Mike, so happy he is living the "good life"