The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: jaykay on February 13, 2012, 07:02:49 pm
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Very excited ;D
First challenge though will be to gather the sheep ::) Am going to have to get them to my neighbours holding pens. I could walk the Roughs there as they were so placid and greedy they didn't mind crossing the bridge nor the narrow strip of land to a gate they couldn't see. Don't think I stand a chance with the Shetlands :-\
Have decided to gather them in the pen in the high field (which we can't get a vehicle to) and then put them in the quad bike trailer and drive them round. If I put a tarpaulin over the top of the trailer, I think it'll stop them jumping out......
Going to get him to scan the goats as 1. Ellie looks like she's having quads and 2. Rowan was shouting today :-\
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Good luck with your busy day - I think patience is a virtue when I need to round up the sheep - I need to be calm and calculated and outwit the little devils - hope the scanning goes well
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Best of luck - on all fronts! I'll have my fingers crossed for you.
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I bet you that nothing goes to plan - cos there are animals involved. Best of luck though :)
The master plan may work - let us know :)
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I find that when gathering sheep by hand three is the magic number as it were - any less than that and its a right faff to get them in....this is a good time to rope in yours/someone elses kids...
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Well -amazingly the plan went well :D I put two mesh panels over the quad bike trailer, which helped cos it was light and they didn't object to going in. Bit of a squeeze getting 8 in but I guess it stopped them bouncing around. Was very good to have my sister helping, and then Dad later on, it was definitely at least a two person job!
So:
1 geld, 3 singles, 4 twins. The geld is probably not her fault, I only left the tup in for one cycle as I have only got a fortnight off over lambing and I find the later ones don't get such good care from me. Normally I'm lambing rather more than this - hopefully i'll get lots of good gimmers and can build my flock up again.
Rowan (goatling ) is having twins - i'd have preferred that she was having a single but there it is. When the wether kids go to the butchers tomorrow I'll at least be able to feed her up without them stealing her food. Ellie we could only see one kid, but it was sideways so there could easily have been one behind it. Given the size of her already plus she's had twins every year, I think I'll assume she's having twins too.
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Well I think that's tremendous news all round. :thumbsup: ;D Shame about the geld one, but everything else sounds great. Yes it would have been better if Rowan were having a single - but at least she's held. And it sounds as though Ellie probably isn't having the quads you were fearing! :D
And I'm so pleased you were able to get the sheep caught and trailered. (Do you think they'll fall for it again next time you need them in?)
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Do you think they'll fall for it again next time you need them in
ah well, there's the catch :D
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An unexpected bonus of having them scanned - I can enjoy their high kicks as they run alongside the quad bike when I'm bringing them cake and hay, without having to worry that the high kicks mean they're geld ;D
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An unexpected bonus of having them scanned - I can enjoy their high kicks as they run alongside the quad bike when I'm bringing them cake and hay, without having to worry that the high kicks mean they're geld ;D
;D