For those in need of ideas for sheep handling facilities, check out http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/plans/sheep.htm. I have not tried to order plans, but many may be viewed and printed (click on the highlighted ones) in enough detail from the website to get the idea. Although most of us probably don't have large herds, the "squeeze" theory (successively smaller pens) is the same - just resize for your anticipated needs.
John Carlton Double J Farms -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, July 08, 2004 1:01 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Blackbelly digest, Vol 1 #747 - 5 msgs Send Blackbelly mailing list submissions to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.coyotenet.net/mailman/listinfo/blackbelly or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to [EMAIL PROTECTED] You can reach the person managing the list at [EMAIL PROTECTED] When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Blackbelly digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Bummer Ram Lambs (Sue Miller) 2. Catching Sheep (Barb Lee) 3. Re: Catching Sheep ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) 4. RE: Catching Sheep (Susan Smith) 5. RE: Catching Sheep (Crawford, Dr. Stephen) --__--__-- Message: 1 From: "Sue Miller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wed, 07 Jul 2004 15:32:58 -0500 Subject: [blackbelly] Bummer Ram Lambs Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <html><div style='background-color:'><DIV class=RTE> <P><BR><BR></P>Hi all and welcome to somany new people to the list!!!! Makes it all the more enjoyable.</DIV> <DIV class=RTE> </DIV> <DIV class=RTE>Our ram Mr. Boots was a bottle fed lamb. He is now 4 years old. He started getting " aggressive " at about 1 and a half years of age. I guess I feel it is how you interpret the word aggressive. He will come stright at you if you are in the pen. It's mainly cause he wants attention. He will ram the posts at times or the gate in the barn but again it's cause you aren't apying any attention to him. If you take the time to acknowledge him and talk to him and scratch his haunches or his neck, he's fine. MInd you I wouldn't get in the pen or pasture and turn my back on him, but he's not all that wild or mean. To me agressive behavior is when they charge at you constantly and try to destroy everything in sight. You just always have to be wary and careful with any " alpha male " of almost any species. That's my two cents worth on this topic. We intend to keep breeding Boots as long as we possibly can. Hope everyone had an enjoyable 4th. &n! bsp; </DIV> <DIV class=RTE> </DIV> <DIV class=RTE>Sue Miller</DIV></div><br clear=all><hr> <a href="http://g.msn.com/8HMBENUS/2731??PS=47575";>MSN 9 Dial-up Internet Access helps fight spam and pop-ups - now 2 months FREE!</a> </html> --__--__-- Message: 2 From: "Barb Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2004 18:10:11 -0700 Subject: [blackbelly] Catching Sheep Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Being new at this sheep caper, I don't have much in the way of dheep handling facilities. I've got one that needs some attention, and I may as well be trying to catch the wind. We tried setting up some "traps", but they were waaay too savvy for that. One of them can fly through the air with the greatest of ease. I'm feeling a bit stressed at the moment, to put it lightly, and wondering if I've made a big mistake. I have a plan drawn out for a small sorting/handling area, but jeez, I'm afraid if it's not roofed, they'll just go over the top of anything I erect. Anybody care to share ideas about snagging the little devils? Should I have bought a sheep dog before I even thought about getting these things? Thanks. I need some encouragement. Barb Lee --__--__-- Message: 3 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2004 22:08:16 EDT Subject: Re: [blackbelly] Catching Sheep To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I would suggest you get a holding pen built ASAP! We built ours out of 5' tall panels (like pig panels, but taller) and put the posts about 3' apart. Thus far, none have gone over it - although I did have one once jump into a old cow feeder and then jump over the field fence + barbwire (about 4' tall) - I've since moved the feeders farther away from the edges of the fence. Anyway - the other suggestion I have, if you haven't already thought of it, is within your holding area, you need to be able to make smaller and smaller areas within it. We used pipe gates with the panel wire on them to make areas that can be closed off small or opened large by just opening or closing a gate. You can use the gate to 'herd' them from one area to another by swinging it different directions. It's hard to describe, but works great!! The best way I've found to catch one is to get so many into a small area that they CAN'T JUMP so you can just walk in and grab the one you want. They need to be comfortable going into the area you build - or you need to build some kind of 'funnel' with your fence to herd them into it. We feed ours in the holding pen, so they are used to going in there every day - their water is also in there. Trying to catch one in the open field is difficult, as you already know - before we added the gates to our holding pen to make smaller areas, we had to catch them with a lasso even in there and most of my sheep are pretty tame, but once you start catching them, that all changes! Sorry - no great advice other than get a lasso (if you don't already have one), get a LOT of people and use several of those stiff panels to work the sheep into a corner (I've had to do this before when trying to catch a sheep at our neighbor's house who didn't have a holding pen), get your holding area built quick . . . Maybe someone else will have more ideas . . . good luck! Onalee (no dogs herding my sheep) In a message dated 7/7/2004 9:18:22 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Being new at this sheep caper, I don't have much in the way of dheep handling facilities. I've got one that needs some attention, and I may as well be trying to catch the wind. We tried setting up some "traps", but they were waaay too savvy for that. One of them can fly through the air with the greatest of ease. I'm feeling a bit stressed at the moment, to put it lightly, and wondering if I've made a big mistake. I have a plan drawn out for a small sorting/handling area, but jeez, I'm afraid if it's not roofed, they'll just go over the top of anything I erect. Anybody care to share ideas about snagging the little devils? Should I have bought a sheep dog before I even thought about getting these things? Thanks. I need some encouragement. Barb Lee --__--__-- Message: 4 From: "Susan Smith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [blackbelly] Catching Sheep Date: Thu, 08 Jul 2004 02:15:41 +0000 Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi Barb, I think we have all been where you are at in our sheep experience. I can only tell you what works for me. My sheep are not out in a huge pasture, but they do have 2 large paddocks to roam in. I am a true believer in bribery. I bribe the ewes into one section of the barn with grain...give them the grain and close the door behind them...then I move to the other door while they have a panic attack because I walked to close to them.. :-) Close the other door then we are all inside. I have a 5 foot shepherds hook, grab the one I need...hold on (hopefully I have help for the holding part) then open one door, let the rest out and close the door again and can work on the sheep that needs it. (a halter would be handy to have close by) Course this isn't probably the most efficient way to do this, but it works for me. I wish you all the luck catching your sheep without to much more stress. They are a wonderful breed, just move slow and talk low....and get a big stick! (shepherd staff that is!) Good Luck, Sue Susan Smith Sandoah Achers www.sandoahachers.homestead.com Barbado Sheep (hair breed) Ponies 4-H Projects Public Sales Donkey Rescue and Adoption >From: "Barb Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [blackbelly] Catching Sheep >Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2004 18:10:11 -0700 > >Being new at this sheep caper, I don't have much in the way of dheep >handling facilities. I've got one that needs some attention, and I may >as well be trying to catch the wind. We tried setting up some "traps", >but they were waaay too savvy for that. One of them can fly through the >air with the greatest of ease. > >I'm feeling a bit stressed at the moment, to put it lightly, and >wondering if I've made a big mistake. I have a plan drawn out for a >small sorting/handling area, but jeez, I'm afraid if it's not roofed, >they'll just go over the top of anything I erect. Anybody care to share >ideas about snagging the little devils? Should I have bought a sheep >dog before I even thought about getting these things? > >Thanks. I need some encouragement. > >Barb Lee > >=============================================== >This message is from the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep mailing list >(http://www.awrittenword.com/listserv/index.html). >To respond to this message, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To unsubscribe or change your membership options, go to >http://lists.coyotenet.net/mailman/listinfo/blackbelly >To search the archives, go to >http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ _________________________________________________________________ Check out the latest news, polls and tools in the MSN 2004 Election Guide! http://special.msn.com/msn/election2004.armx --__--__-- Message: 5 Subject: RE: [blackbelly] Catching Sheep Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2004 09:51:55 -0500 From: "Crawford, Dr. Stephen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hey Barb: I feel your pain. When we first started out about 5 years ago we were in the same spot. Big pasture and nowhere to really round up the sheep. We purchased some corral panels and made a round pen for them. We fed them there all the time so they would get used to going in the corral. Well it was easy to catch the big ones, but the same ones just slip the panels. We know have a 24'x12' livestock shelter. On one side we have made a hay storage spot, fencing it off with cattle panel. We then fence off the front as well with cattle panel and a small 4x4 gate to enter the shelter. The sheep are fed in there now making it a much smaller area to catch them. Most of the time they are busy eating and we are able to snag them, especially the young rams because you just grab on to their horns. The ewes are a little more wilier. We normally use a shepherds crook to get around the necks (I do that as my wife or son grabs the sheep) or I use a rope just like roping cattle. You can pad the rope if you want, but they are normally not on long enough to do any hurt. In small, confined area, with high, tough fencing (hence the cattle panel) we have no problem catching them at all. In an open area, barbado can be almost impossible to catch, unless you rope real well. Where do you live? If it is close enough, my son and I would lend a hand and help you out. If all else fails, you can ask you local high school football team over to catch them. That should get them ready for fall ball. Sincerely, Steve *********************************************** Dr. Stephen Crawford Director of Bands & Percussion Studies University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 900 College St. Belton, TX 76513 PH: 254-295-4816 FAX: 254-295-4158 EMAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ********************************************** -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Barb Lee Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2004 8:10 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [blackbelly] Catching Sheep Being new at this sheep caper, I don't have much in the way of dheep handling facilities. I've got one that needs some attention, and I may as well be trying to catch the wind. We tried setting up some "traps", but they were waaay too savvy for that. One of them can fly through the air with the greatest of ease. I'm feeling a bit stressed at the moment, to put it lightly, and wondering if I've made a big mistake. I have a plan drawn out for a small sorting/handling area, but jeez, I'm afraid if it's not roofed, they'll just go over the top of anything I erect. Anybody care to share ideas about snagging the little devils? Should I have bought a sheep dog before I even thought about getting these things? Thanks. I need some encouragement. Barb Lee =============================================== This message is from the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep mailing list (http://www.awrittenword.com/listserv/index.html). To respond to this message, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe or change your membership options, go to http://lists.coyotenet.net/mailman/listinfo/blackbelly To search the archives, go to http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ --__--__-- =============================================== This daily digest is from the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep mailing list. To respond to this message, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe or change your membership options, go to http://lists.coyotenet.net/mailman/listinfo/blackbelly End of Blackbelly Digest =============================================== This message is from the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep mailing list (http://www.awrittenword.com/listserv/index.html). To respond to this message, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe or change your membership options, go to http://lists.coyotenet.net/mailman/listinfo/blackbelly To search the archives, go to http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
