The lambs were the give away. At first, I thought they were just lucky and hopped through the wires quickly enough to avoid getting a shock. Apparently, that's not the case. 
As you can see, my pasture is surrounded by woods. It is a constant battle to keep the woods away from my fence-line. This year, I am losing that battle. Of course, I didn't KNOW that I was losing the battle: I thought my charger had died. So I drove to a nearby town this morning and shelled out $117.00 for a new charger. Came home, took down the old charger ~ put up the new charger ~ no small feet for a gal who is NOT, in the least bit, mechanically inclined! Nothing. Nada. No Zap. 
Which means that I have to get out the gas-powered weed trimmer and trim all the crap growing along/under my fences, all the way around the whole, freaking pasture. I hate doing that! It KILLS my right arm and shoulder. Once I get it done, I may be able to control the regrowth with RoundUp. But that's expensive. 
All I know is that I've got to get something done FAST!! Until my fences are hot again, the girls are being kept in close to the barn. It is only by the grace of God (who for some unknown reason really seems to LIKE me!) that my ewes and lambs have not been preyed upon by the ubiquitous coyotes that I lay in bed and listen to at night...
"I kept telling those lambs not to go through the fences, Mom! I really did!!"I'm sure that you did, Dreamer.
I know how much you love all those lambs...
;-)
I'm sorry you've got such a hard job ahead of you. I'm finally beginning to understand just how much work is involved in farming and sheepherding! And I can just sit here at my computer and enjoy your stories and photos - I feel that I should apologize for not flying up there to help!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, and good luck.
Nancy in Atlanta
Wow! That's awful! That has never happened to ours and I'm wondering why. There is a lot of long grass along the edges because the goats don't like to get too close to the wires. I wonder if we will end up with that same issue?
ReplyDeleteSince we have moved to the 30 acres across the county (here in NW NC Appalachians, I wondered if any coyotes were around but haven't heard any. Maybe they don't reside in the mountains so much.
ReplyDeleteHope you get the fence fixed.
Sorry for all the extra effort you're going through right now Nancy. I sure hope the store will take back the fencer - then maybe you should use the $ to hire a kid to clear the fenceline for you. Stories like this make me appreciate my good old woven wire fencing so much. It's always on and no cost on the electric bill. Yes, I know the coyotes could dig under or jump over, we added a strand of barbed wire at the bottom this year and I think having the dog mark the perimeter helps some too. (Knocking on wood here!) We're all at the mercy of Mother Nature when it comes to predators. Best wishes, I know you have a lot on your mind. :-)
ReplyDeleteI hate coyotes! I lay in bed and listen to them at night too. I'm still stalling all my animals at night. I just can't risk it without a guard animal.
ReplyDeleteHmmm...do you have a tester that you can just start around the fence and see where it loses charge? Is it solar or electric? If electric, are you sure your outlet is functioning properly? I can't imagine what would cause the whole thing not to work. Good luck finding the problem. I know things like that can be so frustrating.
ReplyDeleteTammy
Yea! Fixed. Good for you!....and the sheep.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn
We've used a bleach and water solution to kill the growth along our fences. It's much cheaper that Roundup.
ReplyDeleteWe've had our fair share of coyote encounters. I thank God every day for my Maremmas.