catchall for everything non-health related for keeping your animals secure
We were minding our own business in May 2012 when the breeder of our LGDs called, asking us to buy a six-week old male puppy who had tested as bold, fearless, stubborn and unusually assertive. The breeder thought the puppy needed experienced Anatolian owners to manage his outsized personality in what would become his outsized […]
Believe it or not, one of the most common roadblocks to a new Soay owner getting off to a good start is the inability to get the new flock safely off the transport truck and into the pasture. Last weekend we encountered the closest thing to a perfect setup we have ever encountered when delivering […]
This is only my second eulogy in over a decade of blogging, thank goodness. Several years ago I wrote about my country veterinarian father. Doc Peterson was scary smart, hard-working, loyal, committed to safeguarding the livestock under his care, and definitely not the urban sort. Our first and only border collie, Molly, could be described […]
I leave my Soay flock to their own devices today in order to talk about an essential part of any heritage sheep operation – predator control. For today’s essay, livestock guardian dogs, or LGDs. In the last 14 years, we have acquired nine LGDs: two mixed Maremma/Anatolian/Great Pyrenees and then a wonderful succession of seven […]
Among the telltale sounds of Soay sheep breeding season, none is as distinctive and frankly distressing as the “crash” “boom” of a breeding ram trying to get through a fence to the ewes on the other side. No matter that the basher has his own ewes to service. Even if there is no “greener” grass […]
With both the World Series and the election almost over, it’s time to start thinking about that special Soay shepherd on your Christmas list. The last time I made gift suggestions here was several years ago, so I guess an update is overdue. Disclaimer: everything on this list is a personal favorite of mine. I […]