Worming Day

This morning I wormed the sheep.  Rave did a great job of pushing them up the chute.  She enjoyed having a 'real' job and did it with real authority.

Ducks 0, Predator 4

Something got 4 more ducks last night.  Left two carcass and took two. It got Caesar this time.  I peeled Caesar out of the egg when he was born.  He had become to weak to finish the job.  He stayed a few days in the kitchen until he was strong enough for the flock.  He had a puff on the top of his head.  Like a little crown.  It left an additional duck severely injured.  Won't be long before I am out of ducks.  I suspect a raccoon.  A friend saw one near the duck pen a few days ago.   I will move them to the barn tonight. 

Poor Little Duckie

The summer is taking its toll on the duck population. Foxes, ospreys, hawks, raccoons. You name it they are after my ducks. Yesterday I lost another one. Don't know why. She was safe in her pen, but dead. She was one of my older hens. Maybe she just couldn't tolerate the heat we have been having. Around 95 degrees. Two ducks just disappeared a few weeks ago. This spring I lost three to some unknown predator. Only one was there to tell the bloody tale. The other two had simply vanished. Now I have one duck whose entire group of friends have gone. For some reason my ducks, although all raised together, self divided themselves into three groups. I guess his group was the less bright? Now he is the only one left from his group. The other ducks don't accept him. He stands alone. The other ducks, now that he doesn't have a group, have started to gang up on him. What do you do with one duck? I might have to separate him from the others to protect him. How will he fair in isolation, no duck friends? Its sad to be at the bottom of the food chain. Sadder to be at the bottom of the food chain and by yourself. I hope the others will survive. I don't know how I could replace them at this time of year.

You can see the little duck by the far wooden crossbars if you look real hard.This is one of the groups of ducks playing in the irrigation water.

Idaho the Beautiful

 These pictures where taken on 3 different evenings from the deck of my home.  They are directly out of the camera.  No enhancing.  Idaho is truly a magical place to live!

 

Back to Basics, Again

In talking over with my friend how to get a more solid stop I realized that I had not done any stop exercises in a long time.  So I got all of my sheep (14) and put them in the middle of the arena.  I had Rave flank around them stopping at various locations asking for a down.  If she did not down I calmly walked to her and grasped her collar and gently put her in a down.  No speaking, calmly and quietly.  Then returned to the sheep and flanked her again.  I made sure that sometimes it was just a few steps and sometimes it was all the way around, so she would not start to anticipate.  I also went both directions.  This is an exercise that Lisa Edwards taught me.  It teaches the dog to listen and take the command on the first one.  It teaches me to stay calm and pay attention to giving a command once and only once.  I need to remember to do this exercise about once a month.  It is good for both of us!

It's Your Turn, Rave

I went out to Roy's today.  It was a beautiful morning with maybe just a tad bit to much wind, but lovely and considering it is the 3rd of July and still cool.

I discussed with Roy the items that we are having trouble with.  Rave not quite keeping her stock 'bunched' and therefore having trouble with the push on the drive.  And Rave taking responsibility for controlling the stock, especially on the drive.  This is what we mostly worked on.  I think the two things are inter related.   So I had Rave drive the sheep down the fence, trying to watch the stock and Rave closely.  There was a very strong drawn at the bottom of the arena where the sheep are let out to go to their pasture.  When Rave started to go wrong, allowing the sheep to pull to the draw, I tried to give a verbal correction instead of a flank command and allow her to 'fix' herself.  We where both getting a bit better by the end of the lesson but I need to catch it sooner.  Next week I am going to try to go out with a trailer and borrow some of Roy's sheep so that Rave will have some 'fresh' stock to work.  She and my sheep have to much understanding of each other.  She needs to be challenged by unfamiliar sheep.