I peek into your adventure every night - you write so wonderfully I feel like I am sitting on the fence rail watching. Thank you for taking the time, it is very educational. Thanks for doing such a good job saving Karma.
Dan and Sue's Excellent Adventure
Started by
Sue R
, Feb 09 2011 11:58 AM
124 replies to this topic
#82
Sue R
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Posted 15 February 2011 - 09:24 PM
"Saving Karma" - sounds like the title of a movie or a book! My thanks and appreciation to those who have been enjoying our adventure, and letting us know.
The afternoon included a bit over half an hour with the calves again, by which time my boy was tired, tired, tired. And still a bit foot-sore. So, we set things up in the night pen, I set the gates, and we put up Ms Peggy Sue, and then all the ewes, lambs, and wethers. And fed Ms Karma.
And both of us were very grateful for a ride back to the house on Kathy's little cart. We are both tired. Dan's been fed and sleeping in the bedroom, and the other dogs need to come on in shortly, and Anna's due home in another hour, more or less.
Did I mention I was tired? I didn't get to ride Peggy Sue but I kept myself (and Dan) pretty busy. Got to go lock up the chickens!
The afternoon included a bit over half an hour with the calves again, by which time my boy was tired, tired, tired. And still a bit foot-sore. So, we set things up in the night pen, I set the gates, and we put up Ms Peggy Sue, and then all the ewes, lambs, and wethers. And fed Ms Karma.
And both of us were very grateful for a ride back to the house on Kathy's little cart. We are both tired. Dan's been fed and sleeping in the bedroom, and the other dogs need to come on in shortly, and Anna's due home in another hour, more or less.
Did I mention I was tired? I didn't get to ride Peggy Sue but I kept myself (and Dan) pretty busy. Got to go lock up the chickens!
Sue Rayburn - Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult, but not the brightest firefly in the jar.
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
#83
Liz P
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Posted 15 February 2011 - 11:57 PM
Dangerous Dreams Farm
#84
Sue R
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Posted 16 February 2011 - 05:32 PM
Today dawned drizzling and oh so not-southern-CA. But Dan dawned not-so-Danlike. He hurt the pads of several feet on Sunday but other than ouchy feet, he was doing fine - lively and active, and rip-roaring and ready to go to his stock. But, yesterday evening and then this morning, he was just not himself. Lethargic might be a description; looking like every bit of his body hurt might be another; depressed could be a third description.
So, we declared a rest day for Dan (and Anna, with a raging cold that came on yesterday, needed a sick day for herself) and ran him to her vet, just to check. No abnormal temperature at all for him. Sore feet but healing very nicely, no raw spots remaining. No evidence of joint pain, or any other particular, localized tenderness. We had been giving him half a Previcox (sp?) each evening since Sunday, which should have taken care of controlling pain from elevated levels of work and helped moderate the foot pad pain. But it seemed to have no significant effect, and that's what had Anna worrying about tick-borne disease.
Proposed diagnosis? Working too hard, combined with the ouchy feet (which are healing well). The vet took blood to send for a SNAP (the clinic was out of kits) and we'll have that result tomorrow. But she felt that he should be showing improvement by morning and, if not, a more extensive blood test for tick-borne disease would be the next step.
So, it's a lazy day (well, except for Danielle, who is out there working with Chesney) and I'm enjoying it - except for the reason why it's a lazy day. Here's hoping Dan is on the road to feeling much better soon - and Anna, too!
So, we declared a rest day for Dan (and Anna, with a raging cold that came on yesterday, needed a sick day for herself) and ran him to her vet, just to check. No abnormal temperature at all for him. Sore feet but healing very nicely, no raw spots remaining. No evidence of joint pain, or any other particular, localized tenderness. We had been giving him half a Previcox (sp?) each evening since Sunday, which should have taken care of controlling pain from elevated levels of work and helped moderate the foot pad pain. But it seemed to have no significant effect, and that's what had Anna worrying about tick-borne disease.
Proposed diagnosis? Working too hard, combined with the ouchy feet (which are healing well). The vet took blood to send for a SNAP (the clinic was out of kits) and we'll have that result tomorrow. But she felt that he should be showing improvement by morning and, if not, a more extensive blood test for tick-borne disease would be the next step.
So, it's a lazy day (well, except for Danielle, who is out there working with Chesney) and I'm enjoying it - except for the reason why it's a lazy day. Here's hoping Dan is on the road to feeling much better soon - and Anna, too!
Sue Rayburn - Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult, but not the brightest firefly in the jar.
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
#85
ShoresDog
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Posted 16 February 2011 - 06:40 PM
It is a gloomy day today. I hope everyone feels better tomorrow!
#86
Sue R
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Posted 16 February 2011 - 11:49 PM
I may be grasping at straws, but I am thinking that I am seeing a bit of improvement in Dan already. I just took him for a good walk in a grassy pasture, which was nice and cool and wet with today's rain, and he was interested in sniffing about and I could see him break into a trot every now and then, on his own.
He trotted up the stairs back to the house for the first time in a couple of days. The last two days, he's been walking up (or down) them quite slowly. And, in the house just now (with Anna and all her dogs gone to bed), he's actually been a little playful, something I haven't seen over the last day or two. Of course, with no puppy here to play with, the playful mood didn't last long - but he just seems optimistic and cheery, not depressed and tired like he was yesterday evening and even more so this morning.
When he got up this afternoon for a potty trip, he stretched the way an "I feel good" dog does and now he's moving all around the house, alternating with eagerly grooming himself, which behaviors were *not* there this morning or last evening.
Here's hoping!
Meanwhile, poor Anna went to bed early with her cold. I'm hoping she feels better soon. A sick day tomorrow is more than merited.
He trotted up the stairs back to the house for the first time in a couple of days. The last two days, he's been walking up (or down) them quite slowly. And, in the house just now (with Anna and all her dogs gone to bed), he's actually been a little playful, something I haven't seen over the last day or two. Of course, with no puppy here to play with, the playful mood didn't last long - but he just seems optimistic and cheery, not depressed and tired like he was yesterday evening and even more so this morning.
When he got up this afternoon for a potty trip, he stretched the way an "I feel good" dog does and now he's moving all around the house, alternating with eagerly grooming himself, which behaviors were *not* there this morning or last evening.
Here's hoping!
Meanwhile, poor Anna went to bed early with her cold. I'm hoping she feels better soon. A sick day tomorrow is more than merited.
Sue Rayburn - Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult, but not the brightest firefly in the jar.
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
#88
Sue R
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Posted 17 February 2011 - 04:47 PM
Donna - How sweet of you to say that!
Dan is apparently quite recovered from his sore feet, sore body, and burnt-out mind. He was looking at bit more optimistic last evening, and was very much more mobile and cheery this morning. In fact, we could tell things were looking very good when he spent a long time playing bitey-face and tug with Scamper, the four-month old pup. And the feet were not an issue, maybe a little tender, but not a reason to avoid trotting around as he has been feeling the last few days.
We started out with Dan helping to put out the flock, and then we did a couple of hours of tended grazing. When Anna went back to the house on an errand, I took the time to work Dan on Cindy's three calves for a little while. As soon as she came back, she said that since they were readily available, how about if I worked Dan a bit - and I told her I already had. That's when I did work him in front of Anna and she made the comment that he was back to "loose cannon". We decided that while the feet and body were ready for work, the brain seemed to still be sleeping in the house.
Later, Dan and I gathered the flock and put them across the roadway into a catch pen to sort. Dan really did a terrific job of staying put to hold the sheep in my corner but he did tend to creep on up because, doggone it, Mom, you're letting them get away!!! But it was a huge lesson in patience. And, most of the time that I turned around and saw him moving, he was trying to cover the sheep or lambs that squirted back to the rear of the pen (usually because Dan was too close to the group).
Now we have mothers and babies all in a pasture, and the school sheep and "less-pregnant" sheep and a couple ewe/larger lamb pairs - all waiting for the bread to come out of the oven so we can go work again.
Dan's brain was out of bed for this bit of work, and he's looking forward to any excuse to work. This afternoon, he'll have a bit of sheep work and later on, it will be some calf work. Did I mention how tiring it is to try to keep up withthe Energizer Bunnies Anna and Dan?
Dan is apparently quite recovered from his sore feet, sore body, and burnt-out mind. He was looking at bit more optimistic last evening, and was very much more mobile and cheery this morning. In fact, we could tell things were looking very good when he spent a long time playing bitey-face and tug with Scamper, the four-month old pup. And the feet were not an issue, maybe a little tender, but not a reason to avoid trotting around as he has been feeling the last few days.
We started out with Dan helping to put out the flock, and then we did a couple of hours of tended grazing. When Anna went back to the house on an errand, I took the time to work Dan on Cindy's three calves for a little while. As soon as she came back, she said that since they were readily available, how about if I worked Dan a bit - and I told her I already had. That's when I did work him in front of Anna and she made the comment that he was back to "loose cannon". We decided that while the feet and body were ready for work, the brain seemed to still be sleeping in the house.
Later, Dan and I gathered the flock and put them across the roadway into a catch pen to sort. Dan really did a terrific job of staying put to hold the sheep in my corner but he did tend to creep on up because, doggone it, Mom, you're letting them get away!!! But it was a huge lesson in patience. And, most of the time that I turned around and saw him moving, he was trying to cover the sheep or lambs that squirted back to the rear of the pen (usually because Dan was too close to the group).
Now we have mothers and babies all in a pasture, and the school sheep and "less-pregnant" sheep and a couple ewe/larger lamb pairs - all waiting for the bread to come out of the oven so we can go work again.
Dan's brain was out of bed for this bit of work, and he's looking forward to any excuse to work. This afternoon, he'll have a bit of sheep work and later on, it will be some calf work. Did I mention how tiring it is to try to keep up with
Sue Rayburn - Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult, but not the brightest firefly in the jar.
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
#89
Sue R
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Posted 17 February 2011 - 07:51 PM
Sorry that we have not had someone to take photos but either we both are working dogs or have our hands full.
Dan and I had a very enjoyable time working with the shed sheep, mainly just doing walkabouts. The big news is that I was able to turn my back and walk like a real person - and could tell by the sheep if Dan was getting too close. He was taking his downs nicely, balancing well, listening to me, and even taking downs with the whistle.
We were trying small outruns but they were not going well - too tight at the top and cutting in. Yet he was casting about nicely when we were wearing. One step at a time, I guess.
We finished off the day with a little calf work by ourselves. The outruns were not good as he's going for the heads - so, I send him on the side that will take him to the heads, they turn away, he crosses over - you get the picture. Again, like with the sheep, if he was just balancing to me, he was casting around pretty nicely.
He's tired, a little footsore, happy. Come to think of it, so am I. Life is good.
Dan and I had a very enjoyable time working with the shed sheep, mainly just doing walkabouts. The big news is that I was able to turn my back and walk like a real person - and could tell by the sheep if Dan was getting too close. He was taking his downs nicely, balancing well, listening to me, and even taking downs with the whistle.
We were trying small outruns but they were not going well - too tight at the top and cutting in. Yet he was casting about nicely when we were wearing. One step at a time, I guess.
We finished off the day with a little calf work by ourselves. The outruns were not good as he's going for the heads - so, I send him on the side that will take him to the heads, they turn away, he crosses over - you get the picture. Again, like with the sheep, if he was just balancing to me, he was casting around pretty nicely.
He's tired, a little footsore, happy. Come to think of it, so am I. Life is good.
Sue Rayburn - Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult, but not the brightest firefly in the jar.
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
#91
Sue R
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Posted 17 February 2011 - 10:10 PM
Dan and I fly out on Wednesday. It's been intense for both of us. I ache all over tonight - I think I'll blame that largely on the sheep sorting. Fun, educational, interesting, and strenuous.
I think we are both going to sleep a bit early tonight...
I think we are both going to sleep a bit early tonight...
Sue Rayburn - Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult, but not the brightest firefly in the jar.
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
#92
Sue R
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Posted 18 February 2011 - 11:19 PM
Can you say "tired"? I sure can. I can also say "sore". If Dan could talk, he could say "tired and sore", too.
The last couple of days, most work has either been on calves, working to get Dan to fetch them to me, not run to the heads or go off balance to get to the heads, take his downs, listen to me, work as a partner, and keep his stock together. He is greatly improved in some of these, and not as much in some aspects - but, overall, improved, listening better, and trying to be a partner more.
No working photos but here is the field where we worked yesterday and today in the morning -
Those big "crates" are orange bins, set up in the field for some games that the teen on the ranch and his friends play. They make nice obstacles for working stock, although Dan and I are not yet that far along at all!
The last couple of days, most work has either been on calves, working to get Dan to fetch them to me, not run to the heads or go off balance to get to the heads, take his downs, listen to me, work as a partner, and keep his stock together. He is greatly improved in some of these, and not as much in some aspects - but, overall, improved, listening better, and trying to be a partner more.
No working photos but here is the field where we worked yesterday and today in the morning -
Those big "crates" are orange bins, set up in the field for some games that the teen on the ranch and his friends play. They make nice obstacles for working stock, although Dan and I are not yet that far along at all!
Sue Rayburn - Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult, but not the brightest firefly in the jar.
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
#93
Sue R
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Posted 18 February 2011 - 11:23 PM
We went to Valley Center yesterday to the feed store - here is a view of the valley between Valley Center and the area where the ranch is located. The plantings that appear in lines and on the lower areas are orange groves. The plantings on the steeper slopes, not in rows, are avocados. I am amazed at the number and size of the nurseries in this area. So many people are into landscaping and plantings of many kinds. Some yards have their own citrus - orange, lemon, grapefruit. Yum!
We drove today to Temecula for groceries and the scenery on the drive was fantastic - but the road was too windy for me to even consider photos.
We drove today to Temecula for groceries and the scenery on the drive was fantastic - but the road was too windy for me to even consider photos.
Sue Rayburn - Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult, but not the brightest firefly in the jar.
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
#95
Sue R
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Posted 19 February 2011 - 07:28 PM
I surely wish I had more pictures to post but, with just Anna and myself, and the work getting more "out there and moving", I can either work my dog with Anna's help and direction, or get photos - but not both!
Dan was used this morning to help move the flock to pasture, and managed to do some nice, helpful work - and to be a lamb-bullying butthead - all within the space of mere seconds. As Anna said, "Don't take your eyes off your dog!" Of course, at the same time, you have to have your eyes on the stock, work the gate latches, watch where you are (and are stepping, at least where the gopher holes are), etc.
We did some work on Cindy's three calves this morning. Nothing stellar but both of us chugging along, trying to get things together - sometimes succeeding, sometimes not.
After the trip to Escondido for the raw food coop pickup, Anna gave me the opportunity to choose the afternoon work. Now, as a bona fide coward and expert on anxiety, I had been dropping heavy hints this morning that I would like to work a small flock of the three school sheep (the "Steady Eddies") with some other appropriate sheep that would lighten the mix a little, as I worked yesterday to my great enjoyment.
I was able to do nice walkabouts with them, Dan was taking his downs nicely, and flanking to balance smoothly - even to the point that I could turn my back on him and walk in straight and curved lines - telling by the sheep by my side (the front of the group) whether I needed to tell him down or walk up. I was even able to use the down whistle very successfully.
So that type of work was well within my comfort zone and something that I felt I could use to calm my anxieties - but it wouldn't be much of a challenge or as much of a learning experience as both Dan and I could use. When it came time to choose, I looked out at the threatening skies, thought about the effort to sort sheep, thought about those four heifer calves in the pasture by themselves, and told Anna we were up to and should work calves. That's what she wanted to hear all along.
We concentrated on a few things with the goal of getting Dan to go around his calves nicely, take his downs, not push the calves past me - and for me to send him calmly, give timely downs, and use gently curving lines to allow Dan to cover and balance, particularly when the calves got too close to me on the fetch.
As Anna said, "Too bad we couldn't have taken some video" because Dan was engaging his brain rather than his afterburners! I was not timing my downs as well as I could, letting him get too far past balance sometimes as I wasn't able to see him on the other side of the calves - but I could have been knowing he was there and it was the right place to down him.
He was, as always, wanting to go to the heads, but he was eager to fetch, cover, and balance - and doing it very calmly and nicely a great deal of the time. In addition, Anna had me "wean" us off depending on the "down" and using his name or a soft "hey" or my movement to encourage him to think, slow down, and pace himself.
If we only had video...
Dan was used this morning to help move the flock to pasture, and managed to do some nice, helpful work - and to be a lamb-bullying butthead - all within the space of mere seconds. As Anna said, "Don't take your eyes off your dog!" Of course, at the same time, you have to have your eyes on the stock, work the gate latches, watch where you are (and are stepping, at least where the gopher holes are), etc.
We did some work on Cindy's three calves this morning. Nothing stellar but both of us chugging along, trying to get things together - sometimes succeeding, sometimes not.
After the trip to Escondido for the raw food coop pickup, Anna gave me the opportunity to choose the afternoon work. Now, as a bona fide coward and expert on anxiety, I had been dropping heavy hints this morning that I would like to work a small flock of the three school sheep (the "Steady Eddies") with some other appropriate sheep that would lighten the mix a little, as I worked yesterday to my great enjoyment.
I was able to do nice walkabouts with them, Dan was taking his downs nicely, and flanking to balance smoothly - even to the point that I could turn my back on him and walk in straight and curved lines - telling by the sheep by my side (the front of the group) whether I needed to tell him down or walk up. I was even able to use the down whistle very successfully.
So that type of work was well within my comfort zone and something that I felt I could use to calm my anxieties - but it wouldn't be much of a challenge or as much of a learning experience as both Dan and I could use. When it came time to choose, I looked out at the threatening skies, thought about the effort to sort sheep, thought about those four heifer calves in the pasture by themselves, and told Anna we were up to and should work calves. That's what she wanted to hear all along.
We concentrated on a few things with the goal of getting Dan to go around his calves nicely, take his downs, not push the calves past me - and for me to send him calmly, give timely downs, and use gently curving lines to allow Dan to cover and balance, particularly when the calves got too close to me on the fetch.
As Anna said, "Too bad we couldn't have taken some video" because Dan was engaging his brain rather than his afterburners! I was not timing my downs as well as I could, letting him get too far past balance sometimes as I wasn't able to see him on the other side of the calves - but I could have been knowing he was there and it was the right place to down him.
He was, as always, wanting to go to the heads, but he was eager to fetch, cover, and balance - and doing it very calmly and nicely a great deal of the time. In addition, Anna had me "wean" us off depending on the "down" and using his name or a soft "hey" or my movement to encourage him to think, slow down, and pace himself.
If we only had video...
Sue Rayburn - Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult, but not the brightest firefly in the jar.
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
#96
stockdogranch
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Posted 19 February 2011 - 09:11 PM
To the above I'll just add that for the first time, Dan was NOT moving the calves at a hundred fricking miles an hour! He was staying behind them (mostly), and really feeling his stock, and pacing himself accordingly. WOOHOO! And FINALLY!!! 
A
A
#97
G. Festerling
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Posted 19 February 2011 - 09:50 PM
Great job your two. I am with Donna on this. It should be a sticky somewhere. Really am enjoying reading about your progress.
Blimpie, Belle and Thor! Nothing but trouble!
Good thing that I thrive on trouble!
#98
Sue R
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Posted 22 February 2011 - 12:36 AM
Counting down to going home, one day left here! Sorry, no photos again but I was working largely on my own, although Anna did take video for the "obstacle course". This is a woman who is serious about this training and testing stuff - up last night when she couldn't sleep, she was devising devilish torments for me and challenges for Dan. And then, so she didn't forget anything, she got up and wrote it all down!
We started the day doing the basic morning chores - instead of Anna supervising the turn-out of the sheep and Ms Peggy Sue, it was our job. Dan and I got them out of the night pen, through pasture #10, and into #13 for a good graze. And then, our obstacle began - gather the calves from #15 (where the sheep were also now grazing), and take them through the four-gated catch pen (the challenge - I could only close one gate of four, my choice).
I chose to close the gate I thought would be most helpful and we went and gathered the calves and Dan did a nice job getting them to the catch pen, and into it (well, just a bit of a bobble at the open gate). But, in my haste to send him around to block the opposite gate, I let him overflank and so he also blocked the gate we needed the calves to enter.
Take the calves out of the catch pen and set it up to try again - second try, success! Then we moved the calves through #14 and into the catch pen at the other end, where Dan had to hold them while I went across the roadway to open the gate to #12, and stay still while I then opened the catch pen gate. He did, and moved them pretty nicely across and into #12.
Then, we had to take the calves out of that catch pen (easy enough, they left on their own volition) and go halfway down the long side to open the gate there, and the corresponding gate into a lane that leads to the round pen. The two gates do not form a lane across the roadway, so the calves can "escape" in either direction.
It took a try or two to get them out of #12 and across to the lane but Dan was trying his hardest to accomplish the job in spite of me! Shut them in the lane with Dan on a down to hold them, go around to the other end, and open the gate so they could go into the round pen. From there, I had to open another gate and have Dan pen them up again.
A brief respite, and we took them out and back into the lane, and then out the other end and across the roadway to #12. Some of these "transfers" went swimmingly smoothly and some did not - but when they didn't, Dan was able to fix whatever mistakes we made. Back to the catch pen, and back to #14 for a well-deserved rest.
This was preparation for loading these calves and returning them to their home farm, where Anna would get four new, fresh calves. When the time came, Dan and I gathered up the calves again, took them into the four-gate catch pen, and out the gate into #13, down that field (Dan doing some elementary driving), into that catch pen, and out into the roadway, where we moved them down to the far end of #12 and into a lane, where they would be loaded into the trailer.
Big day, real jobs (and job training), and an overall good feeling all around!
We started the day doing the basic morning chores - instead of Anna supervising the turn-out of the sheep and Ms Peggy Sue, it was our job. Dan and I got them out of the night pen, through pasture #10, and into #13 for a good graze. And then, our obstacle began - gather the calves from #15 (where the sheep were also now grazing), and take them through the four-gated catch pen (the challenge - I could only close one gate of four, my choice).
I chose to close the gate I thought would be most helpful and we went and gathered the calves and Dan did a nice job getting them to the catch pen, and into it (well, just a bit of a bobble at the open gate). But, in my haste to send him around to block the opposite gate, I let him overflank and so he also blocked the gate we needed the calves to enter.
Take the calves out of the catch pen and set it up to try again - second try, success! Then we moved the calves through #14 and into the catch pen at the other end, where Dan had to hold them while I went across the roadway to open the gate to #12, and stay still while I then opened the catch pen gate. He did, and moved them pretty nicely across and into #12.
Then, we had to take the calves out of that catch pen (easy enough, they left on their own volition) and go halfway down the long side to open the gate there, and the corresponding gate into a lane that leads to the round pen. The two gates do not form a lane across the roadway, so the calves can "escape" in either direction.
It took a try or two to get them out of #12 and across to the lane but Dan was trying his hardest to accomplish the job in spite of me! Shut them in the lane with Dan on a down to hold them, go around to the other end, and open the gate so they could go into the round pen. From there, I had to open another gate and have Dan pen them up again.
A brief respite, and we took them out and back into the lane, and then out the other end and across the roadway to #12. Some of these "transfers" went swimmingly smoothly and some did not - but when they didn't, Dan was able to fix whatever mistakes we made. Back to the catch pen, and back to #14 for a well-deserved rest.
This was preparation for loading these calves and returning them to their home farm, where Anna would get four new, fresh calves. When the time came, Dan and I gathered up the calves again, took them into the four-gate catch pen, and out the gate into #13, down that field (Dan doing some elementary driving), into that catch pen, and out into the roadway, where we moved them down to the far end of #12 and into a lane, where they would be loaded into the trailer.
Big day, real jobs (and job training), and an overall good feeling all around!
Sue Rayburn - Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult, but not the brightest firefly in the jar.
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
Celt, Megan, and Dan
"When the chips are down, watch where you step."
"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." - author unknown
#99
ShoresDog
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- Registered Users
- 3,675 posts
Senior Member
- Gender:Female
- Location:San Diego
Posted 22 February 2011 - 06:40 AM
Yay Sue & Dan! I will look forward to hearing how you use your training back east.
#100
Mark Billadeau
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- Registered Users
- 2,057 posts
Bill Nye Wannabe
- Gender:Male
- Location:Middletown, MD
- Interests:science, working dogs, sheep
Posted 22 February 2011 - 10:35 AM
Sue,
If you have not heard, coming home will be a bit of a weather shock for you. We got a bit more of that white manure last night. Just in time for lambing.
Mark
I'm looking forward to seeing thinking Dan and Team Sue-Dan.
If you have not heard, coming home will be a bit of a weather shock for you. We got a bit more of that white manure last night. Just in time for lambing.
Mark
I'm looking forward to seeing thinking Dan and Team Sue-Dan.
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