Farm Fresh Blog

Monday, October 22 2012

Look closely.

Before we go any further, let me point out that this is the same lamb who got so stuck under the wheel well of a truck that we had to jack up the truck to free her. That said, it wasn't a big surprise to look through the living room window and see a lamb out of the sheep enclosure and into the round pen of hay. What I didn't realize was that she was stuck again - mentally at least.

This lamb is dumb as a box of rocks. Apparently she had climbed on top of the hay and couldn't figure out how to get down. When I moved the rest of the sheep into the yard to graze this ewe lamb just bawled and bawled - and no one even bothered to look back as they left her. Such is the nature of sheep.

This is why the world needs Big White Dogs.

I give you Exhibit A:

This creature gets herself into situations and screams her head off, calling every coyote and bobcat in three counties. Without Briar this airhead would be coyote bait.

And since I didn't want to listen to her scream all afternoon, I drove out there and tried to get her down myself. But alas, no luck. She was not coming down. Apparently being abandoned by the rest of the flock was not enough of an incentive.

And so it was that I drove back to the house and got my secret weapon - who had been watching through the living room window.

It is amazing how persuasive a Border Collie can be in these situations. . .

I wish I had pictures of this lamb 'leapfrogging' across bales of hay to her hasty exit as Lily stalked across the hay. Unfortunately it happened so quickly I couldn't get the camera focused. (This happens with Border Collies.)

And just like that, quick as a flash, she had the lamb off the hay and into the yard where she joined everyone else who had been ignoring her screams, and Briar . . .

. . . who keeps idiotic sheep safe from the Boogy Beast!

Posted by: forensicfarmgirl AT 01:21 pm | Permalink | 7 Comments | Email

Comments:

Not all sheep are dumb. I had a three legged one that could open gates and nick food from closed bins. He had been brought up by horses goats and dogs so a different herd mentality.

Posted by Liz (Vic Aust.) on 10/22/2012 - 05:35 PM

Such collaboration between Briar and Lily, who have a fundamental disagreement about the nature and purpose of sheep, and how best to deal with them. BUT both Briar and Lily are willing to follow the directions of the boss lady - wish people were as willing to both express their own preferences AND set them aside to work for the good of the group AND to do their jobs the best they can!!

Posted by clairesmum on 10/23/2012 - 08:02 AM

What tha heck! I'm looking at this from my phone and half my pics are sideways! WTF! I took them on this phone so maybe it recognized them and flipped them back. How weird.

Posted by Forensicfarmgorl on 10/23/2012 - 09:05 AM

Is that ewe a Dorper/Katahdin cross from the color and partial shed? I saw her in some of your recent posts too. Dumb ones here tend to taste good.

Posted by Peg H. on 10/23/2012 - 11:18 AM

Her mother is Roanie, a dorper cross. Her father is a registered white dorper. The only reason she isn't already on someone's table is because I use her to work the dogs.

Posted by forensicfarmgirl on 10/23/2012 - 05:03 PM

"I use her to work the dogs" Ha ha ha! You always have some excuse to keep those silly herdable animals! Is that "work the dogs" because she isn't easy to herd or because she is? Or because she tends to wander away from the rest of the sheep so she gives them something to do? ;-)

Posted by Terri's Pal on 10/23/2012 - 10:04 PM

Hahahha! All of the above! Actually, I sent the bulk of the flock to Dear Friend Cathy's ranch in central Texas until we can get moved full time to our ranch in north Texas. I just kept a handful of sheep to keep the goats company and entertain the dogs.

Posted by forensicfarmgirl on 10/24/2012 - 03:42 PM