baymule
Garden Master
@seedcorn
We did this on Sunday, it was sunny, warm and beautiful. We loaded them up on Monday afternoon, so we could leave early Tuesday morning. We usually load up the night before, if there are problems getting animals loaded, it gives up time to work out the finer details of obstinate animals and ignorant humans and we don't miss our appointment the next morning.
Our lamb loading has a lot to be desired. We have invited our friend over to help us catch and carry lambs to the trailer, it took 2 or 3 of us, that worked, not great, but it worked. I have tackled them in the lot, slipped a halter on them and led/dragged them to the trailer with me pulling and BJ pushing. That also works, again not great. We have put up 2 cow panels coming out of the sheep barn, to a trailer, then chased them into our crappy chute and lifted/dragged to the trailer.
I have plans for that elusive "someday" loading chute that will miraculously be attached to the barn and be in a place that is easy to back the trailer to. Those plans are in my head, nobody can see them, they are subject to change and they are not implemented yet. Temporary is my magic word. Cow panels, bits of wire, hay string and pallets are marvelous inventions.
I have plans for that elusive "someday" loading chute that will miraculously be attached to the barn and be in a place that is easy to back the trailer to. Those plans are in my head, nobody can see them, they are subject to change and they are not implemented yet. Temporary is my magic word. Cow panels, bits of wire, hay string and pallets are marvelous inventions.
I formulated yet another invisible temporary loading chute in my head. I'll pause for a moment so y'all can feel sorry for BJ. We generally tie up, 
argue, fight and yell 
at each other because he can't read invisible head plans and thinks his ideas are better than mine. I remain mystified
at what the he!! is wrong with him. Him, likewise with me.
So I attempted to relate verbal blueprints, how hard can this be? It's just cow panels, right? This time, my brilliant idea scrapped pervious plans of backing up to the barn, gate, wire gap or other location, which are hindered by the placement of a power pole and guy wire. What a stupid place to put them. I have even inquired about moving them from representatives from Wood County Eclectric Co-Op which pretty much got shot down. Anyhoo, my new plan was to run a cow panel, along with a 18' piece of non climb horse wire, down the back of the portable building and along the fence. The sheep barn is a 20'x24' lean to off one side of the portable building. A fence runs down the back of it, to the back yard--another
argue, fight and yell at each other because he can't read invisible head plans and thinks his ideas are better than mine. I remain mystified at what the he!! is wrong with him. Him, likewise with me.
So I attempted to relate verbal blueprints, how hard can this be? It's just cow panels, right? This time, my brilliant idea scrapped pervious plans of backing up to the barn, gate, wire gap or other location, which are hindered by the placement of a power pole and guy wire. What a stupid place to put them. I have even inquired about moving them from representatives from Wood County Eclectric Co-Op which pretty much got shot down. Anyhoo, my new plan was to run a cow panel, along with a 18' piece of non climb horse wire, down the back of the portable building and along the fence. The sheep barn is a 20'x24' lean to off one side of the portable building. A fence runs down the back of it, to the back yard--another
temporary
fence. Their lot opens to that pasture with a
temporary
wire gap. My
temporary
loading chute would make use of my previous fencing efforts.
After preliminary 
bickering, we got started. We rounded up T-posts-another marvelous invention, hay string, tossed a cow panel over the fence, along with a T-post driver and the long piece of wire which came with a bonus piece of rebar which at one time, functioned as a wire gap. BJ used the end pieces of the horse wire to wrap around a cow panel-part of the sheep lot, while I held it up. He then drove a T-post and I tied the wire to it with hay string. It's
bickering, we got started. We rounded up T-posts-another marvelous invention, hay string, tossed a cow panel over the fence, along with a T-post driver and the long piece of wire which came with a bonus piece of rebar which at one time, functioned as a wire gap. BJ used the end pieces of the horse wire to wrap around a cow panel-part of the sheep lot, while I held it up. He then drove a T-post and I tied the wire to it with hay string. It's temporary
, OK? We got that piece of wire up, then positioned the cow panel and jammed it up against the cow panel gate that we use to go in and out of the side pasture, another
temporary
cow panel fence to keep the sheep off the side pasture while the winter rye and clovers grow. This had the joyous result of severely restricting just how far that piece of cow panel gate would open. We drove the T-posts, secured with hay string and the chute was up! We cut the fence, making a place to back the trailer to. We high-fived 
ghfive: our congratulations of a job well done. We hitched up the trailer and BJ backed it up to the hole in the fence perfectly. 
ghfive: our congratulations of a job well done. We hitched up the trailer and BJ backed it up to the hole in the fence perfectly.
We did this on Sunday, it was sunny, warm and beautiful. We loaded them up on Monday afternoon, so we could leave early Tuesday morning. We usually load up the night before, if there are problems getting animals loaded, it gives up time to work out the finer details of obstinate animals and ignorant humans and we don't miss our appointment the next morning.
I stood in the middle of our loading chute, turned toward the barn and took this picture.
Then I turned towards the trailer for this picture.
Then I took this picture of the hole we cut in the fence and the peeled back section that worked as a stop.
Then a picture of the lambs in the chute.
It worked! Best one yet.
After we loaded the lambs, we cut the hay string that held the cow panel up against the cow panel gate that Paris is standing on the other side of, wondering what are we doing. We pushed the end against the outside fence and tied it with hay string. The gate now swings freely. It is tied with wire, by the way. LOL BJ unhooked the wire on the other end and we tied it to the fence with hay string. Both ends are closed off, the sheep or dogs can't run through it. It worked so good that we left it up for next time.
All my failures, all my
All my failures, all my
temporary
brilliant ideas, contribute to helping me build a better invisible "someday" loading chute in my head.
So yesterday morning we take the lambs to the packing house. Naturally they didn't want to get out of their cozy trailer. I pushed one out, went back for another, Lamb #1 ran back in the trailer. Me and the lambs were not communicating well at all. BJ got in to help and the sheep rodeo began. One ran between his legs, knocked him off balance and down he went on his knee, then he rolled on the trailer floor. I'm looking at bits of hay and sheep poop stuck to his clothes, thinking, I gotta wash that! He wallowed around, trying to get up. For you young folks out there, old people are like turtles on their backs when we fall down. We lay there, arms and legs waving around like that's going to somehow propel us back up on our feet. Finally the turtle rolled over, got on his hands and knees, grabbed for the side of the trailer and struggled to his feet. He staggered out the side door. Score: Lambs-1 BJ-0
Mr Jim got in to help and together we pushed one out and into a pen. They are sheep, one goes somewhere, then they all go. Mr Jim and I pushed the rest of them to the end of the trailer where one planted his front feet, the one behind him stuck his head under his butt, raising it up at a precarious angle. Finally the dam broke, they all poured out and we claimed the victory!
In the mean time, BJ limped around to the driver's side, crawled into the truck with his knee the size of a grapefruit. I went inside to give cutting instructions and found out they are booked up through February, so I made an appointment for May for the lambs we have now.
BJ is not a mutton buster. He is mutton busted. I have rubbed his knee with Arnicare-it's great stuff for pain relief. He can walk, bend his knee, it is just swollen and it hurts. He is currently kicked back in his recliner, he'll be ok and up and at 'em in no time.
So yesterday morning we take the lambs to the packing house. Naturally they didn't want to get out of their cozy trailer. I pushed one out, went back for another, Lamb #1 ran back in the trailer. Me and the lambs were not communicating well at all. BJ got in to help and the sheep rodeo began. One ran between his legs, knocked him off balance and down he went on his knee, then he rolled on the trailer floor. I'm looking at bits of hay and sheep poop stuck to his clothes, thinking, I gotta wash that! He wallowed around, trying to get up. For you young folks out there, old people are like turtles on their backs when we fall down. We lay there, arms and legs waving around like that's going to somehow propel us back up on our feet. Finally the turtle rolled over, got on his hands and knees, grabbed for the side of the trailer and struggled to his feet. He staggered out the side door. Score: Lambs-1 BJ-0
Mr Jim got in to help and together we pushed one out and into a pen. They are sheep, one goes somewhere, then they all go. Mr Jim and I pushed the rest of them to the end of the trailer where one planted his front feet, the one behind him stuck his head under his butt, raising it up at a precarious angle. Finally the dam broke, they all poured out and we claimed the victory!
In the mean time, BJ limped around to the driver's side, crawled into the truck with his knee the size of a grapefruit. I went inside to give cutting instructions and found out they are booked up through February, so I made an appointment for May for the lambs we have now.
BJ is not a mutton buster. He is mutton busted. I have rubbed his knee with Arnicare-it's great stuff for pain relief. He can walk, bend his knee, it is just swollen and it hurts. He is currently kicked back in his recliner, he'll be ok and up and at 'em in no time.
