That’s a lot of sheep, you’re going to become a popular man

Can't believe your dog takes everything so calmly. My Lab would be bouncing off the walls with that many critters to chase around.

Jim branching into sheep now?

I remember grandpa saying a sheep was just a critter looking for a place to die.

Or a sheep would get sick, you could leave it alone and it would due in 7 days. Or you could take it to a vet, pay him, and it wouldn’t die for an entire week.

Good luck in the ranchin’

Biden voters

Cheaper than Disneyland!

That reminds me of a saying we had when Disneyland still had different tickets for different ride. When there was some sort of "interesting" event going one we'd say.

'This is more fun than an E ticket ride".

Is every one of them critters tagged?

Probably cost prohibitive to pit tag them?

Looks like a fun time in the future for the Conrad Clan.

Jim, just a little something for your lane road!

Fine children, Jim. Done well.

Jim, is it just me? Or do they look nervous as hell?

Did that dog come with them sheeps or have you had it around the place for a bit?

Looked like it knew its job..................until the hay wagon took of and it needed to chase it.

I thought this would be an "R" rated thread.

Money.

Jim, thanks for sharing.

Nothing warms my heart more than seeing kids growing up right. Great job there.

The kids look great. That brown dog looks to be an absolute jewel. And the sheep, well they look like sheep.

Takes me back fifty years. A neighboring rancher pastured two bands on the BLM behind our farm.

When the water was out of the canal separating the BLM from our half section (Oct 15-Apr 15), my siblings and I thought that BLM was our private playground. High steep hills to climb and run back down, and not another house for a mile in any direction. 8, or 10, or 12 year old kids can make some pretty good speed running full tilt down 200 yds of 10% to 12% grade.

I remember a lovely bright warm March day, we were playing in such a manner, with a band of 1000 ewes and their lambs grazing about 1/4 mile away on a facing hillside. When we took off running down the hill, the entire band stampeded in the opposite direction.

We ran dairy cattle and were smart enough to know we had screwed up. There was nothing funny about it. That poor Peruvian herder and his border collies spent about three hours getting the flock put back together.

We were careful to never run like that again in front of the sheep. The herder must have forgiven us, as he was always friendly and waved when we were playing nearby. Though we never understood a word he said, he sent us home with a very nice border collie cross pup one spring which grew into a fine farm dog.

You in Montana with sheep? I hope you have a six gun.

Jim, That is a good looking bunch of sheep! All the same size and age it appears. Are they all bred? I don't envy you when it comes time to band them and dock their tails. It always seemed to come a time when the snow was melting and real sloppy. Oh, I forgot giving them shots was kinda interesting also.
But, I never saw the owners ever complain about not making money on them. Of course the wool is big money---or can be.
Good luck with your venture, it will be good for the kids.

Ken

While you do ahave a fine crop of sheepkids, ya really need a sheepdog, Kelpies rock

We bought that dog from a producer in Big Sandy.


He is an 8 month old Anatolian Shephard. He was guarding a few goats. He is a good dog.

Ken. these are not bred ewes. They are yearlings.

Thanks Jim.

Is he going to get partners to help or can one like him guard 350 woolies?

We bought two Pyrenees female pups.....but they need a few more months to develop into dogs.

They are goofy assed pups currently.



Got another producer talking into selling us a cut two year old Pyrenees/Akbash male. He is experienced in guarding sheep and training pups.


You can buy pups all day.....but developed dogs are hard to find.


They are comparatively cheap. 500 bucks or so.


I guess the trick is to have a lot of dogs....and be developing them all the time.


Thinking about getting some grey hounds or wolfhound crosses next............we already have a fleet dogs! Why not eh?


Wife says I could hire out with my grey hounds.

Sheep farmin’, cow farmin’ , dog farmin’, .farmin’ farmin’.....

You a busy man Jim!

You need more dogs, let me know.

I got an old schnauzer I’ll send ya. He ain’t got no teeth, but he’s mean and smells bad.

Just say the word!

I think you forgot

Rabbit farmin', grasshopper farmin'

Busy man for sure!

I wish you all the luck with the sheep venture, Jim!

Let us know about 2-3 years in how it's working out.

Used to be lots of sheepmen here in Texas. They made much more money than with cattle. But I do believe there were pretty serious subsidies involved.

Then the coyotes pretty much put them all out of business.

The old sheepmen talk about the Sheep Program.

I guess it was pretty good. Thats been gone 20 plus years?? Not sure.

In the last ten years at least.....sheep have paid better than cattle. A lot better.



We dont have a govt hunter here anymore. Friend of mine called the head office to ask why and was told that all the govt hunter money is going to the west side to combat wolves.




So....we buy lots of guard dogs. Also.......teach myself to trap coyotes.



Seriously thinking about getting greyhounds too.

We need more sighthound owners Jim!

When I was a Wildlife Specialist, in the whole county there was only 1 left in the business. Every rancher in that whole area ranched sheep, but slowly went back to cattle.

Obama dufunded USDA Aphis so badly, it's a wonder it's even still a program.

If you need any help, let me know. I used to kill between 3 to 500 coyotes a year, and still wasn't helping that one sheep rancher much.

This is what you want for the yotes.

https://www.dogbreedinfo.com/staghound.htm

Some greyhound with a healthy dose of Airedale.

If ya wanna learn to trap coyotes talk to Oldman03, he'll set ya up.


Are you selling them things to the Muzzies in Minnie?

Jim
What made you think of sheep farming? Is there money in the wool? Or in the meat? I'm not judging, I'm curious.
Good luck with your venture.

Lots of little outfits here raise sheep and goats. Huge Muslim population around Seattle has created a big market for halal meat.

Costco even stocks whole frozen goats and lambs.

I'll tip seedcorn cap to anyone that can raise lambs.

Never saw them around here.

You recall what they charge per pound? Now that I have a freezer I could do one of them myself.

Even got the kids involved in “ammo farmin”. That was epic!

forgot about that one!

Great looking family Jim ! Thanks for sharing with us.

Thanks for sharing Jim!

Neighbors across the street are sheep ranchers. Used to run cattle as well when the Patriarch was still alive. Basque. Their ranch is about 20 miles out of town. 2000 acres or so. Site for lots of TV and movie show scenes in the 20th century like Big Valley. Good people. Matriarch is still alive at 90 and brings us by fresh ranch eggs and when the stars are aligned she whips us up some sheep basque herders bread.

No. I think it was spendy though. I’ll throw out $6-$7 a pound for a whole frozen lamb carcass. Might of been 25 to 35 pounds.

The business Costco is the one that usually has them.

Thanks Mooner.

we only have one kind of Costco where I've been. Business card holders used to get in an hour earlier or something.

I'll have to look, that price is not much different than our family had to pay at the auction combined with the butcher fees for my niece's lamb..........but that was for charity

Reminds me of a time when I was riding with my ex2. We were in the outdoor sand ring, her on her Warmblood, me on a Thoroughbred mare she’d picked up.

The sand ring was downhill from the main barn and there was some scrub brush along the hill. Suddenly 4 deer burst out of the scrub and took off across the hill.

The TB mare thought like a horse - “They’re running! Something must be chasing them!! I’d better run, too!!!!” That damned nag was almost levitating, she wanted to go so bad. I barely managed to keep her from bolting.

Looking badass Jimbo.

You done it now, everyone is gonna tell you how to do it lol. Even Birdfugger is giving advice on what dog to get next.

Cousin used to run greyhound Airedale crosses, claimed the females were the best. I guess males didn’t always kill the female coyotes.

What did they do to them instead.......hehehehehe....

I am amazed...

I hope you make big benjamins off them.
Know you wouldnt got into it without knowing a buying market for em.

Your kids rock man!!!

Those kids always look like the are having fun. Living the dream. Good parents.

Beauty Jim !!!

+ 1

The Montana version of a whore house.

Which one looked good to ya?

They're all pink on the inside.

Careful, you’re putting Jim on the spot, I’ve been to his place, I know what happened to the pizza delivery guys.

Be careful with greyhounds. Guy I went to school with got sheep during the carter years to try and make a living. Lots of coyotes in his neighborhood and he started losing sheep. He got a couple greyhounds and they killed a coyote or two but one night the male got up set with the sheep....killed a bunch.