Thursday, February 17, 2011

Jill and her sheep

Jill catching a cat nap
yearling ewe lambs enjoying their day
In less than a year, I've acquired five livestock guardian dogs.  Jill arrived last May to protect the sheep and quickly made herself indispensable in protecting both the sheep and all the poultry on the ranch.  As I leased more pasture land for grazing my sheep, I added three more adult dogs to protect the sheep from predators, primarily coyotes.  And of course, the latest addition, my Akbash puppy, Nia.  The dogs are fearless in their natures — willing to defend the sheep against coyotes or mountain lions.  As the sun begins to set, their "work day" begins as they work throughout the night and nap during the day.  Their loyalty, service and courage are always astounding to me.