borderlicious Posted April 2, 2007 Report Share Posted April 2, 2007 I guess this is more of a training question than a livestock question, but I apologize if it's in the wrong forum. Here's my dilemma: I'd like to get weekly lessons with Eve, but money just doesn't allow for that. Each trip out for a lesson costs us about $50 just for Eve, and way more if I want to bring Dakota. If I wanted to go to another trainer (who is highly esteemed but across the state from me) it would be about $150 for the lesson and gas, not to mention 7-8 hours of driving. So if I had my way and Eve worked sheep weekly, it'd be $200 per month minimum. When I was thinking about it, I figured that it might be more reasonable financially to buy some sheep of my own to practice what we learned in lessons, and my parents are willing to buy the sheep for me, but I can't keep them on our property. So here's my question - is it common or even heard-of for people to buy their own sheep and pay someone else to board them each month? The owner of the sheep would pay for feeding and vet care as well, of course, and just come out to work the sheep. Has anyone ever done that or is the idea too far-fetched? I'm just trying to figure out how I can actually put our lessons to use and get her trained, because it seems like if she only works when we get a lesson, it'll take years to just get her started. :-/ I know, I think too far in advance . . . but any input is still appreciated so I'll have an idea of where to go from here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOOSEDOGS Posted April 2, 2007 Report Share Posted April 2, 2007 I think it's fairly comman for the hobby herder to "board" their sheep. Me and a friend rent a field and do all of our own chores etc. It's just finding that right situation. Everyones idea of rent is different too. Joan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katelynn & Gang Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 As you know, I boarded my sheep. It was great but you have to know what you are doing before you do it, its easy to mess up a young dog. But once you start learning, it'd be idea for you to practice and learn how to handle sheep and everything. You learn a lot when all the "pressure" for everything to be correct is all on you. Katelynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokjbc Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 Hi, A few important things to consider for boarding your sheep. FWIW, I've boarded sheep some place or another for the last 10 years- the last 6 in the same place. Make sure the fences are sheep and dog proof. Sheep are very good at getting out of horse corrals, pipe corrals, etc. Also consider that new sheep at a new place may be very flighty- I really appreciate that I have solid fencing and a very contained area that I can get the sheep accustomed to myself and the dogs before they can be moved to the larger lot (also securely fenced). You will want a nice open space to work- preferably a good size pasture but I've had to make due in a horse arena and trailer/drive out to work on outruns. It has been very valuable to me to have my sheep on a property where the owner lives there. She watches the sheep very well and let's me know if anything is a miss. Another important thing is that if there is something amiss- make sure you get to your sheep as soon as possible and take care of the situation. I have seen it cause really bad feelings between land owner and boarder when there is a delay in getting up there. Be prepared to make some modifications- the sheep will quickly show you were the holes are and what needs to be changed. Try to have different "exits" from your working area - keeps sheep from getting too sour on one gate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Watch Debatable Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 Get sheep. Sheep rock. You can still attend clinics and take lessons every so often. My sheep live on a 20 acre farm on the edge of town, about five/ten minutes from my home. I drive down to feed and water, and when I'm out of town I pay one of the local ag. kids to look after my little flock. Here's how it all started... Almost 20 years ago, when Bracken was just under a year, I spent days driving all over town looking for a place where I could 1) set up a secure pen and 2) have enough room to work on 150 - 200 yard outruns. (As it happened, I think the work of moving sheep up and down tricky barb-wire lanes from pasture to pasture taught us as much as anything.) I found a farm that looked like the perfect place, rang the farmhouse doorbell and was given directions to the owner's house. He was a super guy -- a retired dairyman -- and he gave me the go-ahead to keep sheep in one of the corrals. $50 a month, free run of the property, use of the barn, the pastures... the whole enchilada Back in the days when we had rain, I used to plant a pasture in barley --- Bracken learned her look-back when the barley was over five feet high. Good times... Through the grapevine I'd had the good luck to meet a rancher who owned thousands of range ewes. I knew the flock before I met the man --- he and his Peruvian shepherds moved the sheep up and down the canyons where I rode my horse. This gentleman was kind enough to spend an afternoon helping me secure my sheep pen with hog wire [coyotes go under, not over, he said, and I've never had reason to doubt him], and he gave me three cull ewes to start with. Those ewes were something: one was blind in one eye and two were Suffolks. They weren't dog-broke. at. all. If Bracken hadn't been as keen, as talented and as brave as she was, we wouldn't have lasted long. But as luck would have it, I've been keeping sheep on the property ever since, and Bracken took me to Open. Bracken and I learned more from keeping our own sheep and taking care of them at the farm than we would have learned in years of weekly lessons. And what a bond was forged from working together --- that dog was grappled to my soul with hoops of steel [to paraphrase somebody or other ]. I vote for sheep of your own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northborderrookie Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 I board my sheep. for me it has been great. I train with my trainer weekly and practice through out the week. I only have 3 sheep right now so they stay inside in a nice big stall. They are watered and feed twice daily and I train in an indoor arena and train out doors at my trainer’s spring /summer and fall. Being indoor has been a godsend in the -50 weather and I have been able to train through out the winter. The stable is building a small fenced area for my sheep so they can go out side in the summer. I can see them daily and stop in for visits all the time even when I'm not working them. It took me almost 3 years to find a place that would board sheep for me but it was well worth the wait and effort! I really like my sheep and have learned a great deal since getting them.If you can do it go for it! Kara Hewitt Manitoba, Canada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borderlicious Posted April 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 Thank you all for the input. Luisa, I think you've sold me on getting sheep. Another question - where would you recommend looking for someone who will board them? How much money would be reasonable to pay someone to board 6 or 10 sheep? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted April 4, 2007 Report Share Posted April 4, 2007 Related question: so how much training should the human have before getting his/her own sheep to practice on? A friend here just started lessons and within a month or two, was talking about buying a few sheep to work with. Her trainer and an instructor at a clinic both told her to slow down, that she shouldn't think about getting her own sheep for a couple of years. I haven't even started lessons yet, myself (2 months to go!), but I'm just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted April 4, 2007 Report Share Posted April 4, 2007 A couple of years? That's just weird. The sooner the better as far as i'm concerned. You'll learn way more once you have your own sheep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted April 4, 2007 Report Share Posted April 4, 2007 Well, yeah, that makes sense. But on the other hand, getting the sheep and knowing what to do with them are two different things! I'm afraid that without having a good bit of training, you could possibly do more harm than good? Or not really? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted April 4, 2007 Report Share Posted April 4, 2007 No, you just start out smart. Get a few well broke sheep and go from there. Continue with lessons but practice in between. Been there, done that myself, many years ago. And having gotten to where i'm giving lessons now myself, i think it's much better to have folks able to practice in between lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted April 4, 2007 Report Share Posted April 4, 2007 Ok, continue with lessons, practice what you learn. That makes sense. I wonder why they told my friend that? She does not have a BC, BTW. She's got a very un-traditional breed to herd with, in fact. Maybe that's why, who knows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carson Crazies Posted April 4, 2007 Report Share Posted April 4, 2007 Seems to me, too, that it would depend on one's level of "getting it" factor. I suppose I've been at this for a year and a half now, and I'm just now feeling like I have enough competency to have my own livestock, and to be able to work my dogs without direct supervision every single time. Aside from uh... only having .000001 of an acre, my other hangup has been good stockmanship. That part is very important to me, so it's not reasonable to me (in my mind) to get stock unless one is prepared to care for it well. So, those are my personal requirements - enough training & trust on my dog to feel like we can handle the sheep humanely, and enough competency to be able to care for my stock well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borderlicious Posted April 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2007 Good points, PSmitty I was wondering the same thing. At the moment, even though I'm familiar with livestock and am comfortable with sheep, I'm not sure of my ability to control (much less train) a young dog and let him work without ruining him. Granted, Eve wouldn't start any training for some time, but it would be nice to be able to practice with Dakota and learn from him. I'm totally comfortable doing anything with Dakota, he's the world's most resilient dog and I don't have anything to lose if I make a mistake with him - just go back and fix it . He's never going to trial. I'm worried that I will ruin Eve for stockwork if I even breathe wrong on her. I'd definitely like to have someone else get her "started" before I do much with her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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