[Bionic]

They always come to the bucket except when I want to do something to them. How do they know?
We only have 5 sheep and its taken us the whole morning to get them in and now I am exhausted 
While they were in we gave a drench (our first time), condition scored them and did their feet. They still need to be fluked but my friendly farmer said he will bring some today so they are staying in until they have had that drench too.
Still, I feel happier that we got a lot done in the end.
Sally

[woollyval]

LOL.....keep getting them in and do nothing.....don't look as if you are about to drench/trim/shear/etc.....they have a sixth sense you know......and if you look as if you are up to no good they know!!!

[jaykay]

Don't they just 

Dad's always vanish to the far corners of the fields if mum appears, since if she's there, then there must be 'jobs' to be done with them.

I brought mine in and did nothing with them the other day - gotta outwit them occasionally 

[Fleecewife]

Sheep are prey animals so are expert at reading the body language of their predators - which these days means mostly humans.   You might think you are being totally nonchalant, but they pick up the slightest clues.  Sheep are definitely not stupid, especially when it comes to avoiding being eaten    so we have to learn ways to overcome their doubts.

[twizzel]

My orphan lambs would come to me even without a bucket... it was their downfall in the end when I bought them in for the last time, they came trotting towards the gate and raced me into the shed! Poor buggers lol...

[Bionic]

Mine have just got their own back. They are in the stable yard until I get them fluke drenched. I just went out to get some chicken feed from the stable and somehow they managed to lock me in. One of them had sat against the stable door and dropped the latch on the outside.
Its no good shoulting as OH always has ear phones in. I'm glad he needed something from the stable as I would have had to wait a very long time if I was waiting until he missed me. 

[jaykay]

  You can just imagine them plotting   

[renee]

Bucket trained?

[in the hills]

Ours always come running when they hear us and come to the same area to feed BUT they can work out if we are going to do anything with them. OH has to go alone, while we wait in the house for the nod that they are in. We don't dare carry any equipment down until they are safely in. They just know. Like the dog when it's time for a bath 

[jaykay]

Or a cat who is due to go to the vets 

[Rosemary]

Ours are a dream to move or bring in - unless Dan's there If he's there, generally something bad is going to happen. Smart sheep.

[SteveHants]

I keep the odd ram bucket trained cos they can be akward, but ewes....I just drive them into the pen, often I use an un-elecrified flexinet as a guide.

[SallyintNorth]

Hi renee 

Do put a post in Introduce Yourself to tell everyone about your sheep and holding.

That picture is practically a nosebag! 

Here's one of the Swaleys where I used to farm trying the same trick - but not making such a good job of it.

[FiB]

Snap!  we get there in the end though.

[SteveHants]

If theres two of you, why not get a couple of sticks and drive them into the pen? Thats how I get/have got mine in.  Build the pen along the fence and drive them into the fence, making them follow the line into the pen.