We moved the ewes yesterday in the fog. As I write it, it doesn't sound like such a big deal, but we couldn't see more than about 50 yards at the time. Our border collies, Mo and Taff, finally found the sheep, and we moved them into their new paddock. At least we thought we found all of the ewes!
This morning when I arrived to feed the guard dogs, Boise greeted me outside the paddock. As I was getting ready to be mad at him for getting out, I noticed fresh sheep droppings on the outside of the fence. As I walked further, I came upon dry spots in the grass - a sign that a sheep had slept in the spot (and prevented the dew from settling on the ground). A bit further, and we found about 20 ewes that we'd missed the day before.
While I'm sometimes frustrated by our guard dogs, I've also learned to trust their instincts (for the most part). Usually, when Buck or Boise is out, there's been a predator around or a sheep out. Their protective instincts override their fear of getting shocked by going through the electric fence.
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