We went down to do chores this evening. Luckily we went down a little early. I came around the barn and saw one of the ewes out in the field with her lambs. I was like, wait a minute, you're not supposed to be out there. I then noticed that the gate to this field was wide open. One of us forgot to chain it shut on Sunday when we were thru working on stuff and the wind had blown it open. The problem is that last fall the creek flooded so the fence was out in two spots on two sides of the field. As I walked thru the barn I glimpsed into the stall to see if any sheep were in there. The only one in there was an ewe with her brand new lambs. No time to stop and check on them. Now, the next problem was that we had let just Cash and Corbie come down with us and they had both had their altering surgeries the day before. Neither one should be working sheep or running. I had no choice as I didn't have time to run back up to the house to get a different dog. So, I took Cash since a neuter surgery is less invasive. We went out in the field and I saw the one ewe with two other ewes...........shit, we're missing some sheep and lambs. I got those three ewes back up into the barn yard, chained the gate and went looking for the missing ones. Steve went into the woods, I went across the field to the ditch along the road. Unfortunately I found sheep tracks. Darn, they went up by the county road. I went up and looked in the opposite ditch, good no sheep. I then went back to the ditch that runs along out fence. Found some more tracks, kept following them and saw that they didn't go across the neighbors driveway. Went back along our fence and found some more tracks that went up along our fence on the edge of the neighbor's yard. Cash was out in front of me as I came up the hill and I saw his head drop, good the sheep are on top of our neighbor's house. Mind you, they live in an Earth home. Got up there, saw the sheep and started yelling to Steve that I found them. Flanked Cash around and the two newer sheep without lambs took off along the fence. Cash still needed to get the two mothers to move with their lambs. I was so worried that the other two were going to arc out onto the county road. Whew, they didn't. Finally got the two mothers to catch up with them. Then they wouldn't go back across where they came out. They continued down the ditch. Steve was running to open the gate at the end of our driveway. Of course the gate opened towards them so they turned to come back down the driveway. Luckily Cash was there and I asked him to walk up. Got the sheep turned and they went thru the gate and ran to the barn. We both breathed a big sigh of relief.
Went back into the barn to discover that the first time mom ewe had a set of triplets. Two girls and one boy. They are all snugged down in the barn for the night.
I don't think that the vet clinic would think that Cash is being kept quiet. I know that they wouldn't be happy with this, but I had no choice, we had to find the sheep and get them back before they either went into the woods or onto the county road. I checked his incision and it is fine.
Thank heavens everything turned out okay.
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