Of course I would have the sheep with wander lust! What they have at home to eat is never green enough, lush enough or just sweet enough!
My little flock of Katahdins roam the farm (when allowed) all most every day. For forage and they are happy doing this. But one thing about sheep I am discovering (much like people) they are all ways looking for more and willing to see what is over the hill and through the woods! At my neighbor’s house even!
I can have the best there is but it is not enough!
The phone rang around 3:30PM it was The Neighbor! Kay! You have 3 sheep near the road and the rest are in the ball field! Okay! I will be there in a few minutes!
I put the warm clothes on! Toboggan, Sweatshirt and coat with hoods! Gloves! I find my leash and my stock stick. I put the girls all up in crates. Then Drover on leash (The Neighbor had said her dogs would fight my dog if they saw him) I had asked her to contain them in the garage, Not possible she said! So ready for whatever assaulted us … We headed down the driveway praying for safety and a good outcome.
Did I mention it was raining hard and the wind was up about 35 MPH? Most pleasant (NOT!) out of the East north east! (not good for man nor beast!) and it was in the mid forties felt colder!
It is my experience that living in the country does not give a person stock sense nor knowledge of stock. It only means the more nightlights in a yard the less they know! (just a casual observation here) Anyway folk with sheep know that a dog is necessary to move them especially when there are no fences, and even with fences sheep look at people and say “Yes and you want me to do what?! Ha Ha HA! Make me! ”
Which is why Drover had to go along to assist but I was not making the mistake of not having him on leash this time! He is afraid of the dogs at the road!
We walk out thru the woods there stands 22 Katahdin sheep grazing peacefully! I swear they took one look and went “We are caught! and Man we have messed up AGAIN!”
I called softly to them “Sheep Sheep Sheep” they started towards me and as we went into the woods I turned Drover loose. He very quietly and efficently balanced to me behind the sheep and in 5 minutes we had the sheep up and in the pen for the night.
You might ask why no fences?
We have the Premier Sheep fence which the sheep either get hung in or JUMP! Or stick heads under and go where they please. We are working on a 48 inch high Perimeter fence but that takes tons of time not to mention money! and The work is slow because we do it as we can. Hopefully we will have a section finished soon and this Neighbor business will be over with!
