Who's in charge?

After yet another snow last night (1" totally covering the grass), today was magnificent!  I was actually glad it snowed because I frost seeded the pasture with some Timothy grass yesterday morning and the snow was perfectly timed to water it in.

Beautiful weather and wet ground are the perfect combination to put up fencing so that is how I spent several hours this afternoon.  It was nice to be out with the animals for a good part of the day and see how they are doing.

Sarah and Amelia spent this morning head butting, maybe trying to decide who gets to be the head of the flock.  Every one else was eating but they kept up the competition for awhile.  It's funny, since Hildegard died a year and a half ago, no one has stepped up to be the big boss.  Now it looks like we may have a new matriarch.  Later in the day, they were at it again.  It looks like it would hurt, and maybe it does.  At one point, one of them would back up, like pacing for a duel, but then they would decide it was too far back and if they went at each other from that distance, it would really hurt so they would shorten the distance, and then charge again.  Next, they go up to each other, head to tail, change positions and go at it again from the new direction.  I am not sure what was decided today.  I hope it doesn't take too long to establish the new boss; it hurts my head just watching.

I will finish the fence tomorrow and see if I can tell who is in charge.  I wonder if that is where the expression "who's in charge" comes from.

Their is always a little head butting and other signs of establishing hierarchy, especially after shearing, but you do not see much all out charging with sheep, at least not with ewes.  I am sure rams are another story.

Cher was following me around all day checking out what I was doing.  She makes this little sound, like a whining, that I think means she doesn't like something that is going on.  She was doing it a lot today.  I guess she doesn't like all the fencing; maybe it interferes with her running or maybe patrolling.  The sections are not real wide but they are all long and the pasture below the driveway is wide and long.

I am glad all the animals know I am in charge, even though I do let them tell me when they want their dinner.