[Blackbelly] Mineral feeders
Glad I could be of help. I got the idea from someone else but wanted the clean out plugs instead of an end cap so that I could clean them out when needed. Curtis ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Loose Mineral feeder
I used sewer pipe and some basic fittings to make my loose mineral feeders. They work really well, especially since they can't climb into it or on it. It is gravity fed with a screw in plug on both ends, one to out in mineral and the other to clean it out. You can make them as long or short as you want by changing the length of the pipe you use and they only take up one little corner/spot in the pen. You do have to come up with a way to attach it to the fence. I used galvanized wire. Curtis ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Pricing
I tried this before and am unsure if it went through I was wondering how y'all priced you rams for sale, especially those that have really nice horns. Any and all help would be much appreciated Thanks, Curtis ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Yearling males getting aggressive
I had an intact ram that was a bottle baby. He never tried butting me or act aggressive towards me. I'm nit sure if that was because I had him out with the flock after he got used to the idea of coming in to get a bottle or being on his mother for the first part of his life. Part of the problem might be that he considers you part of the flock and is trying to better his position in the hierarchy of sheepdom than he currently occupies. Hope this helps, Curtis ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] More ram lambs than ewe lambs
I'm in southwest Texas and had about two ewe lambs compared to the 10 plus ram lambs this past winter. I just figured that my ram was throwing more y chromosomes than x. Interesting idea about the drought...got me kinda curious. Curtis ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Animal biproducts
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it was the feeding of sheep bonemeal thy led to the prion that first caused Mad Cow disease. And aren't there mandates against feeding livestock, especially herbivores, animal biproducts? Curtis ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] Our Blackbelly's Guard Dog
Shearing the dogs makes the hair come back thinner and finer. The outer hair is a thicker variation than the undercoat. This outer coat is there to protect the dog from getting hurt during a fight from predators, as well as provide much needed insulation and protection from the weather. Of course, being a relative "newbie" in regards to lgd ownership, most of this info comes from a group similiar to this one, among other Internet sourcesthough to be honest, that is a sometimes debated topic with good points on both sides. One more Texan, Curtis ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Lamb with runs
Every time I've had an animal that was a bottle baby with runs, I've stopped it with a raw egg mixed in with the milk in the bottle a few times. It's cheap and effective, in most cases. I honestly don't know why it even works, but it does. If that doesn't work or the lamb seems to get worse, then it's the meds that get slipped into the bottle or injected somewhere. Curtis ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] CDT
How about this: I didn't even know what CDT was. Needless to say, that's one shot they don't get. I use a syringe as a drench, minus the needle, for ivomac, the cheap, off brand. The only shots that I give are antibiotics, that's if they have snotty noses or look "off", and B- complex, if I think they need that extra boost of energy to help them pull out of it. So far, I've lost only one sheep to worms, and she was an auction house buy, and one to an unknown illness, again, auction house buy...though there are quite a few losses due to coyotes. I haven't lost any since because they get antibiotics, worker, and B- complex when they are unloaded. Curtis ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Livestock guard dogs
I ran across an article by the us dept of ag detailing guardian dogs. It also had a lot of good advice for training a good guard dog and the qualities to look for. Another of the things memtioned is that Anatolian dogs have to be watched carefully. According to the article, they mature slower than Pyrenees and are rougher with sheep, sometimes causing injury and death. I have never dealt with that particular dog breed, so I take these claims with a grain of salt. My focus is finding a dog that will protect my sheep, mainly the lambs, from predation from coyotes, not be a cause for livestock loss. I've also heard good things about some about mammen (sp?) but hav only recently heard of the breed. Thanks again for all of the advice and support. Curtis ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Livestock guard dog
Thanks for all the help. Unfortunately, the guy decided to give the dog to someone else, so I'm still looking. Curtis ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Livestock guard dog
As some of you may remember, I'm on a voyage to get my first shepherd. I have a bead on one in my area and have a few questions. The dog is an "energetic and playful" (owner's words, not mine) dog that has no flock experience. It is an anatolian shepherd. I was wondering if the flock experience is essential, or will his natural instinct take over when put in the flock situation? He will be a year in march. Will he bond with the herd and start thinking if himself as a member is the group, or is he too old? I'm not an expert with this kind of situation and would like some info before I get myself into an impossible situation. Thanks, Curtis ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Lgd
I'm looking for an Anatolian shepherd on the San Antonio, tx area. Does anyone know of any breeders in my area? Thanks, Curtis ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Little info needed
I have a small herd of 26 American blackbelly. I would like to know if they are a good breed for dry conditions, as we are going through a VERY severe drought. If not, any ideas on a breed that handles semi- arid to arid conditions? Thanks, Curtis ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Saws
We have used reciprocating saws to cut up cattle...should work on sheep. Works well when the carcass is hanging. It could take two hands because they are a little more bulky than the smaller saws...but that might not be too bad because it's hard to cut a fiber off if all ten are on the tool you're using. Curtis FYI: I used the bulk feeder after all. They go through more feed, as I'm just start and have been told the animals tend to do that when that type of feeding is first implemented. No dead sheep yet (fingers crossed). I always enjoy the posts...a lot of interesting things I wouldn't get to read otherwise. ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Butchering on the cheap
I've processed animals for family consumption without a bandsaw for the past years...including hogs. Using only a knife to bone out the meat (including boneless chops and bone-in ribs), I have been able to cut up meat cheaply. The cuts that we deem too tough go into the sausage bin. After that, it goes on the pit, range, or in the oven. We usually have to take the meat to someone to grind it up and stuff it. As far as the sportsman processing stuff goes, get the heavier duty stuff. It might be a little more costly but won't wear down as fast. I'm not sure about getting a wood saw. They might not sealed against the moisture, and meat saws breakdown all the way so you can get the bone and meat particles out. Only my opinion, Curtis P.S. Cecil, was the ram did long enough for the meat to go bad? Could the meat have been saved if he'd been dressed sooner? ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Feeders (again)
The feeder I have in mind is a small one...about what you'd expect to feed sheep or goats from. The pan where the feed falls into isn't all that deep and it has dividers perpindiclar to the direction the trough runs, big enough for one snout at a time (they are actually more shallow than what I have been feeding them in). We used to use in when we ran goats. It has two troughs on either side of the main body (where the grain is stored). They are still going to be able to go out to pasture and I have a round bale out with another on standby. I feel that they need more feeding than my schedule allows, due to the drought. I feed each evening and some way to get them more...though observation has taught me that the breed seems to be made of nothing but hustlers and beggars. Has anyone had any good results with this type if feeding with the kind of situation I'm in? Thanks, Curtis ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] Bulk feeders
I am from an area that is going through a sever drought. I have been supplementing with fees since I started and have also been feeding hay. I have been feeding a 16% protein pellet mixed with some sweet feed. Lately, I have been toying with the idea of putting the protien pellets in a bulk feeder and let them eat what they want. My concern deals with the repercusions. Has any one tried this? Do I run the risk of listing my entire herd? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Curtis ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
