Finicky sheep

4 months ago
22

Moving the flock to a new area for the weekend, while I'm away at another farm (I'll come back to check on them once a day, and give them water, of course). If you don't keep on top of the pasture moves, they start causing trouble because the net fencing is mostly a mental barrier and if it is not cracking hot, they don't respect it and they walk right through it/over it/under it. Especially the young ones because they are still testing the boundaries of their new surroundings - the older flock members know right where the line is and they generally don't bother trying unless they get desperate.

The lambs don't like eating the tough weedy forage - they seek out the sweeter, higher protein content stuff like clover and trefoil, it makes them grow faster - and they'll get right out of the fence to find it. The older ones will eat some of the tough stuff, even if they complain a little - but you shouldn't push them on this, not much nutritional value in the stalks so you really can't get away with it all the time (poor management). They are much better about it if you leave them alone and don't watch, if you stand there trying to force them to finish a pasture they won't do it - they'll just stand there at the fence bitching to be moved.

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