Margaret and I are taking Mr. Wooly back to Virginia tomorrow.
I can only hope he has done his job here! But he has been here long enough that if he was able to do it , he has done it! grin!
They make marking harnesses for a reason and now I know why! I never saw a sign of him breeding my ewes!
I suppose about March we will know for sure!
I have been decorating for Christmas today!
Loaded Mr. Wooly up in his crate late this evening.
I started about 3:30 PM getting the crate down to the pasture. Took it on the hay trailer behind the Gator. (Paul my Mother’s husband fixed the wheel lugs on the Gator tire today!) Yeah it was not the axle just loose lugs!) All the dogs went along at first.
I had Abilene and Amarillo hold the gate opening for me, and a fine job they did, not one sheep tried to go past them in fact the sheep went away from the dogs. I closed the gate and and unloaded the crate and dropped the trailer. Drover , BOO and Montanna remained on the Gator as instructed.
Then my dogs sat on the Gator as Drover and I gathered up the sheep and penned them in the take pen. I put Abilene and Amarillo at that gate just in case. I knew the sheep would not go near the gate with the two black and tan girls on the other side of it.
Drover and I set about separating the ram from the ewes. As all ways there was one ewe that wanted to stay with Mr. Wooly. Drover and I took several tries but finally it was easily accomplished with the help of the feed bucket!
Then we took Montanna, Abilene and Amarillo back to the house to stay for the loading part. I did not need any outside the pen help! BOO stayed on the Gator because she is reliable if I say stay, and I want her to see what I am doing! So back to work at the sheep pens.
I made a Y alleyway and put the crate at the end of it with the open door and sheep feed inside. I had my ewes behind the crate to give Mr. Wooly a reason to go on in I hoped! NOT! Was not happening!
I tried positioning Drover on the outside of the pen and I walked into the round pen. The ram would go up to the crate but he was not interested in intering a small dark hole!
Well now this required a second hand. (normally a dog would have been good ) BUT Mr. Wooly has never been worked by a dog and is quite the flighty Katahdin sheep. I knew better than to put too much pressure on him he would hurt himself. So Drover could not help.
Another trip to the house and a phone call to my brother Kenneth. Hey what you doing? I need you for 5 minutes to help load a ram! What… Just need you to stand in the right place! Okay be there in 5 minutes!
Back to the sheep pens Drover and BOO on the Gator. Both in a down stay! By now it is dark! So Gator lights helped!
It worked like a charm! I walked the ram into the Y alley and I blocked the ram and used my stock stick to encourage the ram to go in the crate. While Kenneth blocked the rest of the opening of the alleyway. It took about 5 minutes!
At one point the ram turned and faced me stomped his foot and thought about coming out. Clearly he is not mean or I would have been in the dirt. I think my bluff was better than his! I stepped ever so slightly into him and he turned away towards the crate. He had no idea but no way was I backing down in front of my brother! (And I had an escape route planned!) But I looked and sounded meaner!It was easier to go away from me than not. Thank you Lord for Your help ! (Yes I was praying!)
All of this was done quietly calmly and thoughtfully. Drover and BOO watched quietly from the Gator. Good lessons for ALL of US!
My brother remarked ” Thought you had good dogs to do this sort of work with!” I do! But the loading was not work for my dog this evening. This ram not use to dogs and in a close place would likely have been a disaster for all!!! That is understanding this sheep and his flight/fright zones, understanding my dog and my ability at this point with my dog! Next time will be different I bet! Guess at some point I will have to have Kenneth in for a demonstration! Hum ! An idea!
