[Fleecewife]

    <<<...even if it appears to be 'giving the sheep what they want'.>>>

That's the trick isn't it - you make what you want what they want too.

It's all sheep psychology 

I daren't comment on the male/female thing 

[Keepers]

Hence why use of a dog is a good idea, it is giving the sheep what they want, a safe area to get away from the dog 

[Old Shep]

Get yourself some nice quiet Texels.  We had to move 3 texel tups tonight, we walked them towards the landrover and trailer, they walked around the back of the trailer and put themselves in before we even got there!  Think they were hoping we were going to take them to their girlies - sorry lads a few more weeks to go!

[clydesdaleclopper]

Hence why use of a dog is a good idea, it is giving the sheep what they want, a safe area to get away from the dog 

But for a small flock a dog isn't really justified and you end up with an underworked dog.


I have Gotland x Shetlands who are bucket trained. On Sunday I got all 27 of them across 2 fields and into the stables. I then split off the lambs and shearlings and took them off across another two fields to their new field and the ewes back across the original two fields to their field. All achieved without a dog and just a bucket of nuts.


I think the cost of a bag of ewe nuts which seems to last forever as they only get a very small amount to train them is well worth it.

[Womble]

Lots of helpful comments, but we need to watch out with the "you don't want primitives - you want some nice docile XXXXs like mine" line.  It may well be true, but if you have primitives, you need to learn how to handle them, and it IS difficult, let's be honest.

From reading various threads (including my own!), the solution is usually one of three things:

1) Persuade them to tame up, and get rid of any who won't (change the sheep's behaviour). This may need to wait a few months though, as they may not be hungry enough just now to overcome their fear of you.
2) Change your setup so that it works better, or get a dog (change your behaviour towards the sheep)
3) Change the breed of sheep entirely

Personally, I hated the panic I caused our primitives when they were penned. They would jump about and thrash against the gates, even before I laid a hand on them. That wasn't pleasant for either them or me. When we had nematodirus issues a few months ago, it took me three evenings of very patient handling spread over two weeks to catch all of the lambs and worm them, and we lost one as a result - that was the final straw.

So, the ones who won't tame up will run free for a few more weeks before going in the freezer, whilst the ones who ARE tame enough to manage will be kept and cross-bred this year, to see if that works. Let's be honest though, the root cause is MY failure to cope with them, and not a failing on their part! After 18 months though, I know I'm beaten: try, try and try again.... then quit. Don't be an idiot!

That isn't a recommendation though Coximus; only you can decide what's right for you .

[Coximus]

Thanks for the feed back guys - it was late last night so I didnt give enough background;

I had a badly limping shearling I needed to tend to, tho she stoped limping for the chase - somethings bitten her leg badly in 3 places so I had to get her in, penned off and a pen&strepp, and given the wound size fly eggs on its edge I got her this morning just in time.

Anyway, the 5 new buggers decided Im not good enough and 2 vaulted to a neighbour, who tried for an hour to get them in, before giving up. of the 3 remaining ones, they went into a field shelter, and that is where I have trapped them .

They're seperated off and today the flock is abit distant but otherwise came through as usual for treats and filed into the chute for food as wanted.

The consensus is these 5 are trouble and will get another month to calm down and behave, or they wont even see the tup. The 3 in the shelter had no fear of me, my neighbour or his dog - approach the door, hop over and they just push you out of the way trying to get over the stable door half, Never seen such bold ewes. I can see why they were given away!

Anyway I'll be putting some tame Castlemilks and Texel X's in with them next week to hopefully get the flock far far far more used to doing as needed.

I would love to get a dog tbh but I dont think I have enough work for it, is 2-3 jobs a week good enough?

[Fleecewife]

My Jack Russel does the work of a sheep dog when needed, then reverts to being a terrier, and digs large holes all day   I definitely would never keep a proper sheep dog, as we are in sheep country, so a bored dog can cause mayhem and damage to the neighbours' sheep. 

[Big Light]

Pen  the trouble makers for a week and go in and feed them daily and talk to them etc - they won't be the tamest but it might take the edge of them

[kanisha]

Have used a non working dog ( just using their prescence in the field) to drive the sheep into a pen before now when they decide to play up.
Also when ten rams went walkabout last year and after managing to round them up and drive them back to within one field from home they refused to cross the boundary into the home field. I brought back the old ram who used to lead the flock ( who now lives the life of riley without the rigours of life in an all male group)  introduced to the boys enjoying their freedom and simply walked back in with the old ram on  a lead everyone followed like little sheep :-)

Best tip Ican give always pen and handle your sheep calmly, they learn the routine are not flustered and seem relatively accepting ( even the wiley ones!!) get them running around and no amount of training will work!

[Marches Farmer]

It does depend to some extent on the individual sheep.  All our Badger Face have grown up alongside the Southdowns, are bucket trained and dog trained but some are always very cautious and others come over for a head scratch.  They do tend to pass it on to their lambs.

[shygirl]

brings back memories......lol