A Day on The Farm

Hello blog readers.  Here I am for another guest blog.  I figured since the whole coyote problem has surfaced, I should provide more details.  For fifteen years, I have maintained a good relationship with the coyotes.  I admire and respect them, and they used to (I think) have pretty much the same attitude towards me.  I am not sure why there is a problem this year, but there definitely is.  

Here is how it started.  One sunny afternoon, I was clipping the pasture on half of my field behind the barn.  I was on my tractor, using a seven-foot sickle-bar mower.  I noticed the sheep grazing on the other side of the field in the tall grass, which was due to be clipped the following week.  After about an hour, I noticed the sheep running to the barn, and I wondered what that was all about, but I was not alarmed.  When I was done clipping, I went to the barn and checked the sheep, and all looked fine.  I did not count them, as they are REALLY hard to count! 

The next day, when went they went outside, I noticed one lamb hanging back.  She looked fine, but she was walking slowly.  To my horror, when she went past, I could see how her whole side was ripped open.  After much searching around, I was finally able to get a vet over, but the lamb had to be put down, as her injuries were too severe.  

At that point, I got an accurate count on the lambs and determined that another was missing, never to be found.  Now, you are probably wondering where Bess was during the attack, and I will tell you that she was in the house!  It was a brutally hot afternoon that day, and I was using a sickle-bar mower!  I NEVER have any dogs or cats outside while using such equipment.  

Of course, I was horrified that this happened and felt very responsible and guilty that I had let my sheep down.  I then began my stint as an official shepherd, watching those sheep every second that they were out grazing.  Last Thursday, I decided that it might be a good idea to shoot my .22 gun off, just to make a scary noise.  First I did a perimeter check with Bess and Kelsey to check for any invaders.  Finding nothing, I put the dogs in the house again because it was very humid, and they were very hot from their patrol around the farm.  I then took the gun and went to let the sheep out and watch them.  After about an hour, they had drifted about 200 feet from the barn, so I ran in the barn to check my 100 Freedom Ranger chicks.  Immediately, I felt nervous about the sheep, so I ran back out to count them (for the billionth time).  All of a sudden, I saw a ewe pick her head up in alarm, and a coyote came streaking out after one of my lambs at about one hundred MPH.  

There I was with a loaded gun in my hands screaming and running as fast as I could towards this coyote, who totally ignored me!!  Finally, I stopped and let a shot off, which did make the coyote take notice, and he left.  Luckily no lambs were hurt.  The next day, my neighbor that has land adjacent to mine lost a lamb (he began a flock three years ago, when I gave him a couple of ewe lambs).  So now I am totally shook up. 

Bess really does her serious patrolling at night, and she does not stay with the flock, as I have not raised her that way.  If you remember, I mostly wanted a guard dog to guard the farmstead, keeping the chickens, border collies, and me safe.  I always fall way too much in love with my dogs to have a dog that stays with the flock all the time.  I am very happy with Bess, and to be totally honest, I would rather lose the whole flock of sheep and herd of cattle than have something happen to Bess.  That is just the way it is, although I do very much care for my sheep and cattle and will do my best to protect them.  

I agree with Kris that hunting the coyotes down is really not the answer, so I have got to do a lot of thinking and develop a new plan to keep everyone safe.  A donkey or a llama are possibilities, although I have heard both very good and bad things about both of these options.  All of your input regarding this matter is welcome.  Meanwhile, I will watch over the sheep while carrying a loaded gun, although I probably will not aim to hit any coyotes.  The sheep know I am aware of the danger, and they know I have got their backs.   

Now let's hope Kris posts lots of pictures of Bess, Kelsey, scout and the farm just to cheer us all up.