Kim, Stuck In The Fence

I was in my studio when I heard the sound of sheep.  Sometimes the sheep call out, especially now when they want to get into the pastures where the grass is growing.  But there was something about the sound of this sheep that seemed wrong to me.

I’ve learned not to ignore that instinct.

So I took Fate and we went into the barnyard where all the sheep were hanging around the pole barn.  Except one.  I looked towards the back pasture and saw a white sheep up against the far fence.

I grabbed a rope thinking I might have to guide her out as I did with Griselle, and ran to her.

Kim had her head caught in the mesh fence I put up last year to keep the sheep from going through the five-wire fence onto our neighbor’s property.

She startled when she saw me running, so I walked up to her calmly speaking in a quiet voice.  I wouldn’t be using the rope, but wished I had brought a scissor or knife with me to cut the fence.  Having neither, I gently pulled untangled her wool which was wrapped around the fence.

It didn’t take me long to get Kim’s head free.  When I did she immediately went to the other sheep who had followed me into the pasture.  Socks and Asher gently nuzzled her head as if comforting her.

Then Kim joined the other sheep who had begun to graze.

I let kept an eye on Kim for a while but she acted as if nothing happened.  So I led the sheep and donkeys back to barnyard and closed the gate to the back pasture.

An hour later I checked on her again and she was fine.

We called Todd  Mason who put up our fences to see if he could come and put up a sturdier fence like the ones we have along Route 22.  If it takes too long for him to get to us, I may just take down the temporary fence and put up chickenwire.

Kim is my most skittish sheep.  She never really got used to us or the dogs.  But I was glad to see that she trusted me enough to allow me to help her.

And I felt good that I trusted my instincts and have enough experience with my sheep to deal with situations like this one.