Sheep? Border Collies? So many questions..

I am a long time horse person.

I have also been bitten by the Border Collie/Sheep bug.

I am taking herding lessons from a man who trials his own dogs, and has judged, etc. He has been letting me use his wife's semi-retired Open dog, and the understanding has been that we would be open to the option of me purchasing a "made" dog of my own to learn with, but in the meantime, until the right thing opened up, I would keep using their dog, and he suggested that I might even be able to do the por-novice trials with her when I'm ready, if another dog for me hasn't come along.

Yesterday he offered to let their dog come stay with me for a little while. He suggested if I had a daily relationship with her, our work would go better. I'm really really excited about this for a variety of reasons. : D

Anyway, I need to get my little place ready for some sheep...I've never had sheep. I have no idea what to do with a sheep and DONE anything with them...I know one end needs to be fed.

I need a sheep primer....fencing, feeding, caring...

I have 5 acres and a barn. The perimeter of my 5 acres is fenced in...I'd call it stallion fencing but...it's the woven wire stuff, with big squares. No top rail. Completely grown over at the moment with honeysuckle and poison ivy, but intact. My neighbours cows are on one side.

Eventually I am going to refence the whole place with 4 board fencing and more of the same wire, so I can use it as emergency horse turn out, too.

The bottom of the bank barn is dirt floored, and too short for horses, it's about 6 feet tall. Do sheep even need that much shelter or would they be happier/healthier with a run-in shed in the field?

I do not intend to get in the sheep business...I am imagining I'll just keep 5 or so, enough to work...and swap them in and out as they get dog broke. Is that reasonable or completely stupid because of the potential disease issues caused by traffic?

Please hold forth, and thank you in advance for anything you feel like sharing.





This message was edited Dec 17, 2006 10:47 PM