An 'A Plus' For Ben

I wanted to sort off the ewe with the older lambs today, to put her out with the rest of the flock, but keep the one pregnant ewe and the ewe with the one week old baby inside the barn still, in case we get more bad weather. 

I planned out a strategy using a small pen, two gates and Ben and it worked perfectly the first time! 

How many times does that happen?  Barely ever, and certainly never when anyone is watching.  No one was watching us today, so that is probably why. 

 It worked even though one ewe charged Ben right away when we walked into the small pen.  He nipped her in return, and then she behaved.  

The pregnant ewe went back in the stall, I changed the gates, the ewe with the older lambs went out into the field, I changed the gates back, and the ewe with the tiny baby went into the stall.   

All done!  

Spring and Lambs!

We're having a pretty day today, so I took the ewes and lambs, who have been living in the barn, outside into a small pen to get some sun and grass, well, dry weeds, for the day.  They were not going to move at all for me, so I used Tessa (on a line, she's never done this before) to put them out and Ben to bring them back into the stall in the evening.

I took some pictures of the second time I moved them.
Ben did a great job.  He really knows pressure. 

The moms with the older lambs or not lambed yet ran right in to the barn first.

One day old Peanut is not so fast.

This is the closest Ben got to them, giving her plenty of time to feel safe enough to turn her back.

She's thinking about going in the barn with the other sheep.

Baby Peanut, unconcerned about me or the dog, is interested in this rock.

Wow, this rock is really cool.

Ben waits patiently beside me. 

Mom checks out baby again.

She feels safe enough to walk away.

Baby follows.

Checking out the dog again because we have moved up.

Now they are back in the stall.  One of the other ewes peeks out.