frisbeegirl

Hi, I too needed to wait to start my flock almost two years of research. Most of the advice I received here on the boards was to check out the sheep raised in your area. This should minimize any health issues purchasing the wrong sheep for the pastures or even the weather. I have purchased a merino mix breed called a cormo. The fleece is beautiful and after my first shearing each fleece was worth $1200. Not bad for a beginner. They are a little difficult for Keeva to work they don't flock well and can jump really, really high. But we are taking lessons and she is a blast to work. Good Luck. My advice figure out what you want to do. Food, Wool, Trialing. Robin

So a dog trained for trials does that fall in the recreational herding category ?

I have sheep. So there has never been anyone entering a trial or a nursery trial that has not had sheep of their own? I find that hard to believe.

Recreational herding ?????????? You are either herding or your not. The Dog is either herding or its not. I must really be missing something.

Have Fun. They can be easy keepers. I have had my ewe lambs for 3 months now. My DH wasn't too excited either but now I catch him just watching them. He loves to send Keeva to fetch them.

Yeah Maybe. I have never seen her show her teeth to anyone or anything on our farm. Personally I don't think snarky is bad. Just like me she would rather be around sheep than people and other dogs.

There have been a few threads about border collies being snarky. I had no idea what it was and what it meant. Well !!!!! a short story. Keeva is two and had a checkup at the Vet yesterday. She hasn't gone in a year I think. All the training that she has had went out the window. First she pulled me like a 200lb dog to the front door. When we sat down to wait our turn she jumped on my lap and tried to crawl inside of me. Vet was running late. A young women with a young male mix came out. Woman says is she friendly and of course I say yes. Wrong, The woman turns to her dog and says "dude you need to read body language" and I look at keeva and she is barring her teeth without any sound at all. She could not wait to get home. Snarky Really ?

Hi I used 16 foot livestock panels(smaller on the bottom). I was lucky I had a horse fence already in the pasture so I didn't need to put in posts. The farm that I purchased my sheep from did not suggest any barb wire. It rusts and sheep can get tetanus and injuries. I had a foal years ago that ripped a tendon on old barn wire that was left from cattle. I used the woven wire for the gates. Good Luck.

Many people I know say the lambs finished on pasture have a stronger flavor than lambs finished on grains and silage, For me the local grassfed lamb is the best ever! Don't plan on eating mine.

The light tan one, with the white on her face. On Wednesday I called her the brown bitch !

Here are the lambs, Safe and Sound.

Hi, Haven't been here lately, but would like to relay an adventure I had on Wednesday. I have a 2 year old border collie and picked up 3 ewe lambs. Put the lambs in the back of a jeep (wrangler) drove them home. Unloaded them in their paddock. Done. Whatever on earth possessed me to let the lambs into the pasture which every bone in my body said too soon, too soon. Well I did. What happened next was what one would call a free for all. As soon as the lambs leaped out of their paddock into the pasture both dogs flanked them this would have been fine however they got thru a small panel in the fence right into the horses field. Now the horses were not happy and chased them out of their field. At this point I have two lambs on the other side of my rock wall and one I have no idea. (Please do not give me advice, site me for cruelty to animals, I have learned my lesson and am so humbled by this experience.) I get a hold of the two that are together and carried one (40lbs at least) and place them back in the paddock. Good, right ! Not quite, know idea where the runner went. Let me sum this up 6 hours later ,I find her on a ridge maybe a 1/2 mile from me. Below the ridge a small 3 acre lake or pond. BC is on leash with me and the lamb starts heading down the ridge to the pond. I take the leash off of Keeva and she turns that crazy lamb right into the pond. SHEEP CAN SWIM !!!!!! That lamb swam to the other side of the pond and I grabbed her and carried her home. They are happy it is day 3 and I have more fence to reinforce this weekend.

Hello, Question here, needed to change Keeva's food(first time ever, she is now 20 months). Went from Orijen 38% crude protein, 18% crude fat to Taste of the Wild 32% crude protein same 18% crude fat. There are also subtle differences in vitamins, amino acids, minerals and botanicals. We are working with sheep 3 times a week, (my lambs are coming mid June). I was hoping someone may be able to answer my question about the 6% decrease in protein. I don't see any change in her desire to do anything I ask of her but I want to make sure that this subtle difference will not have an effect on her. Between training and lambs she will be very busy.

There is alot of information on the internet about border collies using the words "hyper" and "crazy". They want a job to do. Simple or hard they will do it. People who get a border collie and think they can tire them out will soon find out they are sadly mistaken. That is a recipe for disaster. I think you are lucky but I think all border collie owners are lucky.

Thank You. We worked this weekend and I walked(hiked out to the sheep) and "Yelled" left and she looked at me as if she was puzzeled and moved right, I yelled left again and she went to the left and lifted the sheep. She did this once. I was happy