The process of laying out the lanes and subdivisions around existing facilities has been very challenging and sometimes I've nearly given up, thinking I must be insane to go to all this work. But the first "shift" was such a no brainer, I couldn't help giving myself a well deserved pat on the back for working out such functional traffic patterns. It's just like any other job, preparation is everything. The actual job, in this case shifting pastures, is child's play if the preparation is done well.
There are a few things I've learned about blackbelly behavior that have been invaluable...
*There's no substitute for good handling facilities
*It's incredibly convenient to have all paths lead back to the handling facilities
*Small paddocks make for convenient moving of the sheep
*Lanes are indispensable for moving the sheep easily.
*When moving sheep, always make a barrier highly visible when you have blocked a gate they expect to be open. Being surprised by a closure leads to leaping. It also leads to unnecessarily crashing heads into gates. Wire gates should be marked with bright tape or other markers.
*Sheep don't necessarily stay where you want them to just because you've provided fresh, clean grass. They pick favorite lounging places, and if you leave them access to it, they will wander out of the fresh grazing to overgraze and deposit manure where it's already been grazed and manured enough.
*Sheep who are well grazed up or have had a good feed in the barn overnight are not so motivated to follow a bucket out to the morning pasture shift. Having lanes and intelligent traffic patterns will allow me to push them gently where I want them.
*Three twine electric fence holds the sheep nicely in the temporary paddocks, but craft and tact should be used to keep from crowding the fences and tempting leaping. If the sheep have been recently handled, their comfort zone may be a 100 ft circle. They will start to move when I get that close.
*At some point, one has to quit working for the sheep, and just sit down and watch them in their quiet browsing and lounging, and just being beautiful sheep. Even if one has to do it with a spotting scope. Watching beautiful animals on a healthy landscape is good for the soul.
Take care,
Barb Lee
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