ninnymary
Garden Master
You have bear!? Could you set up a trap for the fox? More questions...When did you start raising sheep and have you lost any to predators?
Mary
Mary
Feels like a picture sharing Wednesday...
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- #32
Unfortunately.
Never seen any so far, hope to never see any bears, coyotes or big cats. Though, we did see a strange fox. Or maybe it was a coyote, not sure, looked like a fox on stilts.
Looking at this map....I will never go outside at night alone again....
Bought the farm in spring 2012, I think. Got two horses soon after, then in the fall, I just 'had' to get some cotton ball sheep! lol.
No sheep loss to predators, but lost an ewe and her twins this spring to a reason the vet couldn't decide on.
If you see one fox or coon, there are 10 more you don't see. Just like rats or cockroaches...Kill one, but the rest of the family will simply take their place. Caught one coon in a trap, never was able to get a fox, LGD treed a small coon one day. Foxes live in the mountain around us, we hear them several times a year, they have pups each spring. They come around 12-2 am and pm. Coons are just random and endless, saw a huge one once, that thing was terrifying. I've only lost chickens and ducks to them, rats like to rip up rabbits.
Not always fun or easy having livestock. Fences are never strong enough, buildings never tight enough.
Oh, and don't put out poison bait for mice/rats, ducks, chickens dogs and cats will eat the poisoned rats and die. And if the poisoned mice/rats crawl over food/water of other livestock, they get poisoned as well. Basically, it's never safe enough to use poison.
Never seen any so far, hope to never see any bears, coyotes or big cats. Though, we did see a strange fox. Or maybe it was a coyote, not sure, looked like a fox on stilts.
Looking at this map....I will never go outside at night alone again....
Bought the farm in spring 2012, I think. Got two horses soon after, then in the fall, I just 'had' to get some cotton ball sheep! lol.
No sheep loss to predators, but lost an ewe and her twins this spring to a reason the vet couldn't decide on.
If you see one fox or coon, there are 10 more you don't see. Just like rats or cockroaches...Kill one, but the rest of the family will simply take their place. Caught one coon in a trap, never was able to get a fox, LGD treed a small coon one day. Foxes live in the mountain around us, we hear them several times a year, they have pups each spring. They come around 12-2 am and pm. Coons are just random and endless, saw a huge one once, that thing was terrifying. I've only lost chickens and ducks to them, rats like to rip up rabbits.
Not always fun or easy having livestock. Fences are never strong enough, buildings never tight enough.
Oh, and don't put out poison bait for mice/rats, ducks, chickens dogs and cats will eat the poisoned rats and die. And if the poisoned mice/rats crawl over food/water of other livestock, they get poisoned as well. Basically, it's never safe enough to use poison.
ninnymary
Garden Master
Thank you secouno for giving me an interesting education.
Mary
Mary
bobm
Garden Master
Mary, to continue your education ... my 20 acre ranch is about a 100 miles ( as the crow flies) south east of you. We have a HUGE coyote 
population in our neck of the woods. Our across the street neighbor has 50 ewes and annually lambs out 75 +/- lambs per year but looses 20-25 lambs per year to coyotes. He and as well as all of the neighbors shoot and trap the coyotes ( about 20 -30 / year) and have guard dogs, but inspite of this, the coyotes still kill and maim his lambs. Years ago I used to get 10-12 FREE feral cats from the city pound 3-4 times a year to control the heavy mouse, rat, and ground squirrel population. This is due to cats being COYOTE SNACKS. Some only survive a day and some several months. Then come the bleeding heart dog/ cat rescue / no kill shelters and take over the county pound. They started to charge $ 25/ cat. 3 months later they then charged $75/ cat. then within the year it became $125 / cat. ... now figure this out ... I used to get about 40 + cats per year for FREE from the county pound and saved the county a feed bill, housing costs, etc. for these unadoptable feral cats that were otherwise euthenised. After the bleeding hearts took over, I was stuck to pay for 40+ cats X $125/feral cat = $5,000 +/-. per year. 
This equates to economic suicide !!! 
So now I have to go and buy POISON grain from the County Ag. Dept. for a whapping cost of $32 / year 
and have to go gather dead pests 2x / day as well as keep my dogs and indoor pet cats locked up. About 10 years ago a cougar killed one of my horses. In recent years the FERAL PIGS have become quite a problem in preying on small domestic animals such as chickens, ducks, turkeys, lambs etc., and tear up fences, to root/ eat / destroy the pastures, gardens, etc. Also, the feral boars tear down fences to run off with domestic sows. Number of lambs born is often related to breed type, ie. some people raise the primitive breed types which usually have single lambs, wool breeds will have about 130+/- % lamb crop, while the meat breeds about 145-160 +/- % lambing percentage. I even had one Suffolk yearling ewe have quintuplets.
population in our neck of the woods. Our across the street neighbor has 50 ewes and annually lambs out 75 +/- lambs per year but looses 20-25 lambs per year to coyotes. He and as well as all of the neighbors shoot and trap the coyotes ( about 20 -30 / year) and have guard dogs, but inspite of this, the coyotes still kill and maim his lambs. Years ago I used to get 10-12 FREE feral cats from the city pound 3-4 times a year to control the heavy mouse, rat, and ground squirrel population. This is due to cats being COYOTE SNACKS. Some only survive a day and some several months. Then come the bleeding heart dog/ cat rescue / no kill shelters and take over the county pound. They started to charge $ 25/ cat. 3 months later they then charged $75/ cat. then within the year it became $125 / cat. ... now figure this out ... I used to get about 40 + cats per year for FREE from the county pound and saved the county a feed bill, housing costs, etc. for these unadoptable feral cats that were otherwise euthenised. After the bleeding hearts took over, I was stuck to pay for 40+ cats X $125/feral cat = $5,000 +/-. per year. This equates to economic suicide !!! So now I have to go and buy POISON grain from the County Ag. Dept. for a whapping cost of $32 / year and have to go gather dead pests 2x / day as well as keep my dogs and indoor pet cats locked up. About 10 years ago a cougar killed one of my horses. In recent years the FERAL PIGS have become quite a problem in preying on small domestic animals such as chickens, ducks, turkeys, lambs etc., and tear up fences, to root/ eat / destroy the pastures, gardens, etc. Also, the feral boars tear down fences to run off with domestic sows. Number of lambs born is often related to breed type, ie. some people raise the primitive breed types which usually have single lambs, wool breeds will have about 130+/- % lamb crop, while the meat breeds about 145-160 +/- % lambing percentage. I even had one Suffolk yearling ewe have quintuplets.- Thread starter
- #35
Ah, I forgot about the feral pigs! I read that they are now in Virginia.
Makes no sense how the govt controls harmless wild horses with crazy diligence and poisons our food, but they don't give a darn about dangerous 4 legged predators killing left and right and spreading like wildfire...
Makes no sense how the govt controls harmless wild horses with crazy diligence and poisons our food, but they don't give a darn about dangerous 4 legged predators killing left and right and spreading like wildfire...
baymule
Garden Master
I got two new ewe lambs!!
I love it that you have two lambs in the front seat! Haha! And my DH thinks I'm crazy for hauling hay and feed in my car! Beautiful lambs!
Did you go a little nuts when you first got your farm and get all the animals you always wanted but never had room for? Then did reality give you a good smack, did you concentrate on what you loved best? I'm asking because we're moving and I'll probably be in the same boat. (or farm) But I will do my darndest to exercise control over myself and smack my grubby little paws and say NO! NO YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT!
But I do want a couple of feeder pigs in the spring. Will you have a pig again for the freezer?I already found a good home for my donkey, but keeping 3 horses and a mule. Butchered some old hens, but want Delaware chicks in the spring and will phase out my other hens. We have 3 dogs, Australian Shepherd, Great Pyrenees and a black Lab/Great Dane cross. Adding a couple of feeder pigs that will be butchered in the fall shouldn't be too bad. But I am really, really thinking about sheep. Will probably wait a year on them, but I am sure tempted......
Your sheep are so pretty, can you tell us a little more about them? Do you butcher any for yourself or do you just sell them?
- Thread starter
- #37
- Thread starter
- #38
Did you go a little nuts when you first got your farm and get all the animals you always wanted but never had room for? Then did reality give you a good smack, did you concentrate on what you loved best?
Always wanted a horse, found one and then the seller had a pony for cheap, so why not? Two showed up. Then there were three, cute sheepies, what is just 3 sheep when we have 5 acres?? Chickens came with us from a rental house, 100+, but then the coons and foxes got most of them during the move in. I moved them in first, big mistake! Then I wanted to try ducks, very dirty and smelly, was digging my pond and they kept diving in. Eventually gave up on ducks, but having Pekin again would be great, laid eggs every day, year round and big eggs! They were annoying, though. They would all track me from outside, quack and carry on when they saw or heard me near a door or window! Spies!!
Then goats to eat weeds, but they were heck to keep contained. They ruined half my hay, never listened to hot wire, just so dang troublesome!
I think pigs came before goats...would of kept Porker if I could of kept him warm and water from freezing. But he was so short and the goats kept stealing his hay in his hut!
I learn best by trial and error, just reading won't stick in my head. =/
DH never really said "no" 100%, and most kind of "came outta no where".
Thought of buying a grower pig, but they are a pain to keep contained, so rather not bother. If I find out Porker needs a new home, then I'll take him back, but so far they love him.
Meat chickens never worked out, but Pekin for meat worked well. Had them in a wood/wire hutch, they grow so fast and make such a huge mess, they had to be outside!
We had my first Doberman and then our little mutt. DH wanted a bulldog...ugh. And then I added a LGD to protect the birds and rabbits. First Dober had to be put to sleep, I couldn't wait and got another. Oh, I forget when I got those...I got a silver fox pair from a lady near by, then californians, american chinchilla, lionhead. Then eventually cut back to just silver fox. But sold out over a month ago. Four dogs is too many.
They're Olde English Babydoll Southdowns. They aren't miniature, since they are the original ones. Later on, they used the Australian Southdowns to make the USA bigger versions, Southdown. Most breeds in Europe are smaller, but once here, we made them much larger so there's more meat off them. Babydolls are a meat and wool breed, many people only consider them a novelty breed, though.
They grow to 20-24in tall, 24 being most common. One registry accepts all colors, but the one mine are in only accepts black and off-white. There's a breed called the Harlequin, they look exactly like spotted babydolls, but they're made with other sheep. Very hard to tell them apart.
I always end up selling my wethers (castrated male sheep), so haven't had the chance to butcher one for dinner. Most sell as breeders, a few as pets. None have sold for dinner.
They're a very calm breed, naturally polled (hornless), they don't challenge fencing and are happy where ever you stick them. Naturally more parasite resistant, tend to lamb easily and just so freaking adorable!
Always wanted a horse, found one and then the seller had a pony for cheap, so why not? Two showed up. Then there were three, cute sheepies, what is just 3 sheep when we have 5 acres?? Chickens came with us from a rental house, 100+, but then the coons and foxes got most of them during the move in. I moved them in first, big mistake! Then I wanted to try ducks, very dirty and smelly, was digging my pond and they kept diving in. Eventually gave up on ducks, but having Pekin again would be great, laid eggs every day, year round and big eggs! They were annoying, though. They would all track me from outside, quack and carry on when they saw or heard me near a door or window! Spies!!
Then goats to eat weeds, but they were heck to keep contained. They ruined half my hay, never listened to hot wire, just so dang troublesome!
I think pigs came before goats...would of kept Porker if I could of kept him warm and water from freezing. But he was so short and the goats kept stealing his hay in his hut!
I learn best by trial and error, just reading won't stick in my head. =/
DH never really said "no" 100%, and most kind of "came outta no where".
Thought of buying a grower pig, but they are a pain to keep contained, so rather not bother. If I find out Porker needs a new home, then I'll take him back, but so far they love him.
Meat chickens never worked out, but Pekin for meat worked well. Had them in a wood/wire hutch, they grow so fast and make such a huge mess, they had to be outside!
We had my first Doberman and then our little mutt. DH wanted a bulldog...ugh. And then I added a LGD to protect the birds and rabbits. First Dober had to be put to sleep, I couldn't wait and got another. Oh, I forget when I got those...I got a silver fox pair from a lady near by, then californians, american chinchilla, lionhead. Then eventually cut back to just silver fox. But sold out over a month ago. Four dogs is too many.
They're Olde English Babydoll Southdowns. They aren't miniature, since they are the original ones. Later on, they used the Australian Southdowns to make the USA bigger versions, Southdown. Most breeds in Europe are smaller, but once here, we made them much larger so there's more meat off them. Babydolls are a meat and wool breed, many people only consider them a novelty breed, though.
They grow to 20-24in tall, 24 being most common. One registry accepts all colors, but the one mine are in only accepts black and off-white. There's a breed called the Harlequin, they look exactly like spotted babydolls, but they're made with other sheep. Very hard to tell them apart.
I always end up selling my wethers (castrated male sheep), so haven't had the chance to butcher one for dinner. Most sell as breeders, a few as pets. None have sold for dinner.
They're a very calm breed, naturally polled (hornless), they don't challenge fencing and are happy where ever you stick them. Naturally more parasite resistant, tend to lamb easily and just so freaking adorable!
canesisters
Garden Master
bobm
Garden Master
Harmless wild horses ? ... don't get me started... most of them are nothing but feral horses, turned loose by those that can no longer care for them due to the bad economy when the bleeding hearts got a law passed to stop horse slaughter in the US. One person near ( 30 miles away) our ranch in Cal. owns 10,000 acres of cattle range land. He rounded up over 30 horses ( some still with halters on them), that do not belong to him when they broke down his fence then into his storage barn and ate and trampled tons of grain ( $$$$) meant for his winter cattle feed. No horse rescue group would take them. Took him months and $$$$s in attorney and court fees to finally get legal title to them so that he could truck them ( $$$$$) to Mexico to slaughter them. These so called "mustangs" are overgrazing rangelands all over the country, and WE all are paying the hay bill ( $$$$) at the BLM holding facilities. Herds of deer, elk, wild sheep, as well as countless small animals, birds and rare plants are threatened with extinction due to horse and donkey overgrazing. You can go to anyone of the BLM holding facilities and buy a "mustang" for $25. This caused a loss of value of horses and what drove me ( as well as countless horse breeders ) out of the horse business after a successful 38 year business.
