Don't laugh!!
So I am new to this and received 20 North of England Ewe lambs last week. They are in a 6 acre field with permanent electric fencing around it. They have lots of grass and don't seem overly interested in sheep nuts yet. They don't come to a bucket.
I made a pen outside the current field using the field gate as an entrance. With a friend (just) managed to get 18 of them in it last week. I was able to do some vital work on a cut foot and back sore. Now another is lame and I obviously need a look. Trying the same method yesterday we got nowhere. They know exactly where I am taking them and two people is not enough. I live on my own so need to find a solution. I cant be dragging 3 or 4 friends over every time I need to look at a sheep...
I have had a go at grabbing them individually but they are extremely fast and aware. I am far from slow (serious runner) but really struggle. It seems wrong to be chasing lame sheep for any period of time.
I think some of my main issues are:
They never got the chance to trust me as they needed working on straight away.
They don't have mature sheep to follow.
They don't come to feed.
The electric fence is not ideal when pushing them into corners.
I cant really have a dog/dogs as I work full time.
Any ideas? Perhaps I was crazy to imagine I could do it without dogs...? A footbath around a feed trough may reduce the times I need to capture them but its not the full answer. Should I get a crook and concentrate on that...? Spend a lot on hurdles and have very long funnel.... ? Make a permanent pen in the field with all of their water/food there..? Sooooo frustrating. I have the time to work with them but they hate me
So I am new to this and received 20 North of England Ewe lambs last week. They are in a 6 acre field with permanent electric fencing around it. They have lots of grass and don't seem overly interested in sheep nuts yet. They don't come to a bucket.
I made a pen outside the current field using the field gate as an entrance. With a friend (just) managed to get 18 of them in it last week. I was able to do some vital work on a cut foot and back sore. Now another is lame and I obviously need a look. Trying the same method yesterday we got nowhere. They know exactly where I am taking them and two people is not enough. I live on my own so need to find a solution. I cant be dragging 3 or 4 friends over every time I need to look at a sheep...
I have had a go at grabbing them individually but they are extremely fast and aware. I am far from slow (serious runner) but really struggle. It seems wrong to be chasing lame sheep for any period of time.
I think some of my main issues are:
They never got the chance to trust me as they needed working on straight away.
They don't have mature sheep to follow.
They don't come to feed.
The electric fence is not ideal when pushing them into corners.
I cant really have a dog/dogs as I work full time.
Any ideas? Perhaps I was crazy to imagine I could do it without dogs...? A footbath around a feed trough may reduce the times I need to capture them but its not the full answer. Should I get a crook and concentrate on that...? Spend a lot on hurdles and have very long funnel.... ? Make a permanent pen in the field with all of their water/food there..? Sooooo frustrating. I have the time to work with them but they hate me