22 replies to this topic

[bcnewe2]

So true on the friendly llama deal. My llama was like a cat. Very aloof. He would let me pet him a bit but on his terms. We had agreat relationship but I have heard of the bizerk syndrome allot when I was finding a llama.

Julie, I've been thinking about a minni donk. There are quite a afew round here so you can get them pretty cheap. I was thinking a bred jenny so I'd have 2 eventually, but don't konw enough about them, how are you liking yours?

[juliepoudrier]

These photos were taken a few months ago. Her name is Sadie, and she's maybe 9 hands high. My landlord bought her and pays her expenses--I'm responisble for care/feeding.




(This may well be one of the last photos that will showcase all those gumballs. The forestry guys were here earlier this week and took down all the sweet gums in the barn area. I won't miss them, except for the shade they provided.)

When she gets a bit rambunctious, she will chase the sheep (she's been with last year's lambs), but she hasn't hurt anything. She did chew the wool off the backside of the dark lamb that was in with her. I don't know if that's because the lamb was the odd-looking one or what, but it was just the one lamb.

I would not trust her with ewes with newborn lambs (that was Min the Maremma's job this year), but will probably try to introduce her to the concept next spring.

I felt better starting with a baby because I thought she was less likely to accidentally damage sheep when behaving like a factious pony and that if she grew up with sheep then she would be well bonded to them.

She's in a pasture with the yearlings about a mile from here. Diana, who lives there, reports that Sadie gets quite distraught if she loses sight of her sheep. When I go over with my dogs, I have to be careful that she doesn't go after them.

She spent the first 6-8 months here at the house where I could handle her, feed her, teach her to lead and tie, etc. The one thing I had to keep reminding myself of was that even though she's small she still behaves like an equine and requires the same care when handling. If I want to work dogs in that pasture, I catch her and tie her (or once the round pen is finished, will enclose her there).

I don't think she'd be effective against a pack of dogs or coyotes, but a single canine after her sheep could be in serious trouble. And I envision a situation where when I can put her and Tasha together, Tasha will do the bulk of the work and Sadie will be the "rear guard" whose task will be to take care of anything that might get past Tasha.

J.

[workindogs]

Lani,
I've been using eNet for the past two years....bought more each year. It's an investment but if you (your friend) buys a portable battery charger the fence can be moved to rotate the sheep through the pasture. I find the eNet quite easy to move. My charger is 110v so I am somewhat tied to how to connect to my 110v. I might have invested in a battery charger but eNet cost was getting to me so I cut cost on a more affordable charger. Life (and pasture utilization) would be easier if I had a battery charger. The llama patrols the pasture exterior of the eNet. Since I am bound by my 110, I open the eNet each morning to let the sheep graze the larger pasture during the day and then put them behind eNet at night. When away for weekends I put them behind the eNet and fill the feeder with hay. So far, no losses.