[Jacob-list] Living with Jacobs...Does it Ever Get Boring?

[Tara Higgins]

Heel low:

Getting a bit of items stock piled here and better post them or forget
about it.

Does anyone else put kiddy pools (the plastic loud decorated kind) full
of wetted down sand in with their sheep?  I have and the lambs (llamas
too in their area) all nestle in there when it's hot to cool off.  The
only detriment I see is that they will pick up some sand in their belly
wool which will dull your shearing edges...but hey, I don't shear until
this fall and am hoping most of it will fall outta their fleece by
then.  I could even "wash" them prior to shearing to get more of it out.

Couple weeks back I was busy putting in a new fence (always seem to be
fencing...does that EVER stop?) when I looked up.  I saw my four ACDogs
all curled up in a small group dozing in the shade and noted one extra
party.  The Jacobs and dogs regularly "graze" together (they call this
canine breed "Cattle Dogs" but I figure it's because they act more like
"cows" by eating grass than being bonafide stock dogs!), the sheep on
the greenery, the dogs on the sheep beans and grass too (makes you enjoy
doggie kisses all that much more--blick!).  Who should I see curled up
beside Stoggar chewing his cud but Nicto the ram lamb.  I burst out
laughing cause poor Stoggar was sorta grimacing about her siesta
partner...she had this look of, "But this is a sheep...Oh PLEASE can I
have a nibble on him...please!"  I told Rick about the arrangement and
he shrugged his shoulders.  We both know Jacobs have above average sheep
intelligence.  He said that Nicto was just getting in on the good side
of the wolves in the hopes that while herding practise was going on,
they would remember him as more of a "dog," than a sheep needing
heeling!  The dogs actually do run past him, ignoring him when I have to
round up the flock for home.  I've even shut the corral gate with him
left behind in the dog pack....Nicto:  "See me blend...I'm camflouging
like a good ol' park sheep.  And you thought the dotty dots were just
there for cuteness appeal!"

I also note what Debbie says about rams going off by themselves...they
are indeed solitary kinda beasts.  I believe alot of males in the wild
do this (hmmm and men who hunt too...hee hee!), go off by themselves and
sometimes they form bachelor groups when not with their girls so they
can enjoy benefits like group snow removal for food benefits and
protection in numbers.   I kinda reflect on it being lonely when I see
Nicto on the outskirts of the ewe flock and yes, sometimes he really
does wander off by himself, but the rams must really enjoy their own
company.  They certainly seem to have their own ajenda and way of going
about things--kinda regal and independent.  Makes one think they like
being them, which of course is a healthy concept, though I often wonder
how healthy days on end in the company of just sheep and dogs is for
me??  Side affects are probably posting sheep observations like
these...be afraid, be very afraid!

Mentioning intelligence, these Jacobs are uncanny with their abilities
to problem solve...and with that, get into all sorts of trouble.  I was
refilling the stock tanks and had to physically slip thru the sheep gate
to get to one.  The gate is actually sold as a calf alleyway gate, the
heavy metal kind that is adjustable and slides up and down like a
guilletine (sp?).  I pushed up on the gate, crawled on thru and went
about emptying and filling the waterer.  I hear this bleat of "Hello,
how are you?" and turn about to see my lead ewe Lego trotting up to me
with one of the twins in tow.  I'm thinking to myself, how did you get
in here?  When I realize she must have watched me lift up the sliding
gate and go thru.  Dang sheep...now I'm going to have to secure the gate
DOWN to ensure she doesn't flip it UP if I want the forest pastures to
have a rest.  Think she probably used one of her lateral horns to catch
the bottom, flip it up and slide on thru.  These guys are trouble, thru
and thru...gonna have to keep looking over my shoulder to make sure I
don't give them anymore bright ideas...sheesh!

Doggone outwitted by Jacobs...oh the shame of it all!

Tara hanging her head down...
--
      ____(\                Tara Lee Higgins                  /)____
     (_____~>        Rat Ranch - An ACD is for LIFE          <~_____)
    ( ``  ``          ranchrat at telusplanet.net                ``  `` )
     \                      Alberta Canada                          /
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