[Blackbelly] How often should you check on a ewe thats about to lamb?
We just had our first blackbelly lambs and everything seems to be going great with the two little twin rams! Anyways, it's been about three days now and our other pregnant ewe looks like she's about to deliver any day now. I read that it's important to be around in case something goes wrong or if a lamb gets rejected so you can warm it up and get it bottle feeding, but unfortunately I have to work all day. I've been taking long lunches to check on her though. How often should you check on a ewe that's about to lamb? Also, we heard that as soon as one ewe lambs, then all the other pregnant ones will tend to follow right after. Is that true in everyones experience?? ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] age of starting working dogs
Jaiaen, I have a 5 year old Border Collie, and when we got Tarra she was a pet and we played with toys, such as the frisbee. She would "hide" behind a tree in the front yard, waiting for the toy to be thrown. 4 years ago this spring, I got my stock American blackbelly sheep so Tarra was about 1.5 years old when I got my sheep. I then used the frisbee to teach her the 2 basic commands "come by and away to me" which she picked up very quickly. She loves to work but is a bit timid on my ewes because they have rolled her a time or two so I am helping her with that. With your dog being an Aussie/BC cross, it probably has the working instinct and with training, could be a dynamite working dog. Tarra even helps herd the poultry back to the coop in the evening. Tonight she started herding them in before I even told her to, and once I saw what she was doing, I encouraged her to finish the job since I was in the coop checking on the birds. We now also have border collie pup that will be 6 months old on the 25th and she has shown working potential since the time I got her. Kali has a very strong working instint, so strong we can't just let her run loose with the big dogs. Give your dog positive feelings of confidence and I bet she/he will surprise you. I used to raise and train Aussie's for working trials so your dog will probably do fine. The other day Mary Swindell wrote a long description regarding working cranky ewes so you may want to go back and read that posting. hope this helps, Cathy Mayton LeapN Lambs ___ 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
Re: [Blackbelly] Livestock guard dog
Curtis, Before you find another dog, this would be a great time to learn more about getting the best guardian dog for your flock. Do a little research into breeds - Anatolians can be great guardians, but so can other breeds. I have Maremmas, which are superb also. Can check out the Maremma list serves on groups.yahoo.com and learn a lot from reading past postings. Also can find dogs for sale there. Since you are a novice with regard to guardian dogs, you would best be served by getting a trained/experienced dog from someone who would give you guidance about integrating the dog into your situation. There can be a pretty steep learning curve with guardian dogs, as has been indicated by the others who have commented, so better safe than sorry in my opinion. You may have had a blessing in disguise when the last dog went to someone else - not all dogs from the guardian group are good guardians and especially if he had never been with stock before, you could have had big trouble. Regards, Stephanie Parrish Westminster, SC On Jan 20, 2010, at 6:24 PM, Curtis Yeschke wrote: 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 ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
