[Dans]

Any tips? Our neighbour has a 0.5acre patch of ground that he will let us put the sheep on. It's overgrown so not great nutrition. We want to put our 2 not in lamb ewes on it as they are being boisterous with the in lamb girls and they can help get it under control. 

There is a road between our gate and thier gate though. How do I get the sheep across? I thought about walking them one by one (two adults) but I'm worried about them getting away from us and doing a runner! I thought about halters but as they haven't worn them I'm not sure it will work. Our other option is the trailer which seems like a lot of work for such a small distance but seems like the safest.  Any tips? They will follow my husband to the ends of the earth but with there being a road I'm reluctant to rely on that.

Dans

[Backinwellies]

I would halter (as a precaution) but don't pull  sheep.... push and move ......just keep hold of halter incase of escape attempt.

[Womble]

With Zwartbles, I'd go with that suggestion, certainly.

Yours are Castlemilks though, right?  In which case I wouldn't take any chances, and would get the trailer.

Once, through sheer desperation, two of us carried a sheep a short distance by the legs, as if we were going to give it birthday bumps. I wouldn't recommend that though!!

[Foobar]

Halters. Halter train them, it isn't hard.  Or carry them .

[in the hills]

I've seen photos of Soay being transported in a wheelbarrow. Not tried it myself though!

[Marches Farmer]

Hobble both pairs of legs and tip them on their backs into a wheelbarrow ....?

[Womble]

I guess that works..... but what of the trust you've lost in the process?

[Jukes Mum]

How busy is the road?

[landroverroy]

I agree with haltering. Walk behind and they will automatically move away from you. Much easier than dragging from the front. Just guide their heads if they're going the wrong way.

[Black Sheep]

What's the worst thing that can happen if you use the trailer?

What's the worst thing that can happen if you walk them (halter or not)?

What does your liability insurance say, particularly in its exclusions?

Is more practice moving the trailer and getting them loaded a waste of time or a good opportunity? You clearly have some uncertainty and discomfort at the non-trailer options so use the trailer and have greater peace of mind - you won't be as stressed and perhaps neither will they.

[in the hills]

I think it depends how busy the road is and how far the gate is away from your property.

We had to move a Soay ewe on one occasion into a neighbouring field. Her lamb had managed to get out and we needed her to entice it to us.

She is not halter trained but we did have a halter. We put the halter on and used a bucket of food to persuade her to move slowly along. If she stopped we gently moved her along and hubbie carried her part of the way. Strangely enough our Soay don't seem to mind being carried.

Our lane hardly sees a car though an any passing vehicles would most likely be farmers and would have waited well back.

On a busier road I would definitely use the trailer. Less stressful in the long run.

[stufe35]

Have you been feeding them...if so they will follow the bucket..or bag they are used to being fed from. 

Or else feed them for a week first ..then they will follow.

Move at a time when the road is quiet...eg sunday morning early..

[pharnorth]

Recently had exactly the same quandary with 6 shearlings. Road is a B road but quite busy. Entrance is off set rather than directly across, then sharp right into the field.   I concluded it was no real trouble to put them in the trailer and attach it to the quad and takes all of the road risk out of the equation (assuming I can drive !). They would probably have followed a bucket across, but probably wasn't good enough. Risk assessment is as Black Sheep describes. If I was on Crete I would have stopped the traffic and taken 200 across.

[Fleecewife]

We used to move our whole flock across the road and back.  Once they'd done it once, they would just make a dash for the field they were going to and take seconds to cross.  We have moved ewes and ewes with lambs that way.
We have four people, all wearing high viz vests, one on the road each side to stop any traffic, one in front with a bucket, and one behind in case of any which change their minds - which they don't.
Moving single tups is different - halter plus two people.   When we bring several tups across at tupping time, we use the trailer, just to make sure we decant the right one into the right group of ewes.
Several farmers round here still drove their sheep across and along roads, even the main road, always with at least two people, usually more.
The very first time we moved the sheep across the road, we were nervous as you are, so we ran hurdles across the road, with the neighbours to stop any traffic, but the sheep could see the grass on the other side, much more exciting than a strip of tarmac, so we didn't bother with the hurdles next time.
Anyone who had to stop was always enchanted at the excited leaps and bounds - never had a complaint, or a shovey driver.


However, if you're nervous, use the trailer for safety until you are more confident.

[devonlady]

Halters. Halter train them, it isn't hard.  Or carry them .

I once had to walk two Shetland wethers about a quarter of a mile (escapees!) and fashioned a halter for one from a dog lead. At first he fought me every inch but I didn't give in and before we were half-way home he was walking beside me like a Christian. So, five or ten minutes "training" will,  hopefully do.