Farmer Using Duck to Herd His Big Sheep Is a Total Genius

Sometimes, you have to do what you have to do. Maybe you're a parent and you have to chug the rest of your once-hot coffee between soccer games. Maybe you have to settle for taking your makeup off with paper towels.

Or, and most importantly, maybe you're a farmer with dozens of sheep and no herding dog. It might feel like an impossible task, but on Sunday, August 25th, one farmer proved that you can herd your sheep with nothing more than a duck and a dream:

When I started watching Dan Lee's video, I was sure the not-dog herder would be, like, a dude in a tractor. Maybe a cat. A duck?!

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Dan Lee may own a farm, but he does not own even one herding dog. He's also shared on his page about his commitment to using old equipment on his farm; it works just as well, so there's really no reason to "upgrade" it.

When it comes to his animals, he has quite a few, but he has managed to get by without a herding dog. He has designated areas that they stay in, and removable barricades that connect them. Sheep are intelligent, but they're also very simply creatures: if they see an opening, they'll go through it, and as long as you don't need them in a specific formation after that, they'll pretty much be fine.

The combination of the first sheep walking forward through the opening and the hilarious duck leading the way definitely helped keep everyone in line. I am curious about how they get rounded up to go into the barn at night - maybe he uses a tractor? Or does the duck still work?

What to Do If You Don't Have a Herding Dog

There are a lot of reasons why someone might have a farm and no herding dogs, from a simple dislike to a tragic passing. There's no need to panic: without a herding dog, your farm will not fall apart.

If you don't have a herding dog, you have a couple of options, though they'll be a little more labor-intensive. You and a friend could herd the animals yourself (though you'll want to have a vehicle of some kind, like an ATV). You could set up your pasture like Dan has, where it's just one place to the next with a small opening in-between.

Alternatively, if you're looking for more of a multi-purpose breed, you could go for a Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD). While they won't do much in the way of herding , but they do tend to keep the animals in line. At the same time, they keep predators away!