Out Around the Barn

Livestock sorting paddles or cattle sorting paddles have a variety of uses.  Yes, they are for sorting livestock but, they can also be used as a guide to help you when working with animals. 

For example:  I woke up Tuesday morning to discover that my beautiful goat herd of seven had found a way into my yard and to my dismay, my garden area.  That was the one place I was hoping to keep them out of but,  being the creatures of habit that they are,  they found their way.  Although it isn’t garden season here yet, was a good thing but, they found my first year strawberry crop and decided they liked them.  I was not happy.  So I hurried out the door and sent them back to the barn.  Usually, only once has worked before and I went back to the house to have my morning coffee when I glanced out the window and they were there again.  So, I went the second time.  To the barn they went.  I followed suit and went ahead and fed them their breakfast, thinking that would do the trick.  Well, I was wrong.  I had a couple of more incidents before I thought that they needed some guidance.  I took my sorting paddle this time and I am not sure what they were thinking but, they didn’t wait for me.  They headed back as soon as I rounded the corner with paddle in hand.  Time passed and no sign of them until about two hours later.  So with my paddle tightly gripped in my right hand and my fist clenched in my left, I headed for my strawberry patch and proceeded to give my lovely herd a loud tongue lashing at the same time using my paddle to guide them out of the strawberries and through the gate, under the fence and back into the barn.  I sat the paddle by the hay manger and pulled a gate over to the barn to close the opening so they could not escape.  In other words, I put them in jail.  I picked up the paddle and they backed themselves into the corner, the length of the barn, away from me.  I put the paddle out of their sight and they would come up to me.  For some reason, the paddle intimidates them enough to keep away from it.  I never once had to touch them with the paddle and it seemed to, at least,  make an impression on them that this is something to stay away from.  That is good.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         I know the guys at the livestock barn use the paddles every day, herding, sorting and loading cattle but, as you can see, the cattle sorting paddles can be used for more than just cattle.