Guest pax Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 Will they cross a cattle guard? You know, one of those sleeping policeman type things laid down into the driveway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Watch Debatable Posted March 31, 2007 Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 Nothing useful to offer, but found this: Clever sheep foil cattle guard Hungry sheep on the Yorkshire Moors (Britain) taught themselves to roll 8 feet (3 meters) across hoof-proof metal cattle grids and raid villagers' valley gardens. According to a witness, "They lie down on their side, or sometimes their back, and just roll over and over the grids until they are clear. I've seen them doing it. It is quite clever, but they are a big nuisance to villagers." Source: BBC News, July 2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philologus Posted April 9, 2007 Report Share Posted April 9, 2007 I live close to the moors mentioned in that BBC article and have seen sheep that have "escaped". I have often had to stop the car and carry one back over the cattle grid. I didn't realise how they did it until I read that article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted April 9, 2007 Report Share Posted April 9, 2007 I've lived here almost a year with a cattle guard on my driveway. The sheep have not tried to cross it but the llama will/can jump across. I think if they were properly motivated they would jump over it too. I have the bar gate thing attached that you can shut, that stops the llama but if he figures it out, we're sunk. He can clear at least 6 feet when he jumps but he doesn't know it. I do know barbwire, unless its 7-9 strands very tight and close will not stop the sheep. They love to visit the neighbor’s front yard. That's when the llama gets out, he doesn't know he can jump the barbwire fence so he goes over the cattle guard looking for his sheep. I'm sure everyone on my country road got a good laugh at the Yankee Woman with the "llama creature" walking 2 miles home in the pouring rain with llama in tow. It took at least 3 days to find him and then 2 to catch him (Mick was laid up with an infection in his leg so couldn't help for the 2 days) Our last llama adventure was last week when the sheep escaped into the cattle field next door, and we found Al (the llama) stopping traffic in the middle of the road. This time it only took the 4 wheeler and the dog to get him headed in the right direction, I think he remembered his last adventure and was happy to come home! The good side of all that was we finally met the next door neighbors and they are wonderful people! So my long answer is....yes but not if they are motivated, i.e. better grass on the other side (at least that's what they think is on the other side of the barbed wire that they crawl through), dog harrassing them on their side, etc. they will figure out how to jump or belly crawl over it. Hope that helps! Kristen PS. congrats on Notch! He's darling with his big 'ol ears! I like the name! You could always come up with a nick name and keep his name Notch on his papers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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