Do you count your sheep?

My partner and I have been raising sheep for 10 years now and this month we sat down and compiled our top 10 most important tips to make a youtube video for our channel. Our #1 tip which has saved us numerous times is my partners persistence in counting the sheep at every opportunity.  Overall some of our most important lessons has been around being observant and paying attention and staying proactive. I am curious who else out there with the sheep has a daily habit of counting their sheep and lambs and if you have some interesting stories please share!

It is easy for me to count my sheep = zero.

Do I count goats? = zero.

Do I count deer, yes though I have no idea how many.  I count the ones I see at the feeder, not the whole of the sum.

No animals currently, but we always counted resident sheep, cattle, goats - whatever was in residence at the time.  Only way to know whether Geraldine, the wandering mohair goat had gone to look for a "friend"  usually to be found in next door's sheep, eyeing off their ram!   For the cattle it was how we knew any calf was imminent - Hospital hill being a favourite place, totally out of sight unless you'd climbed up there, or up the creek bed, beyond the 9th cataract (big boulders in there).  Strangely, the sheep were never a problem.  Now we are counting the feral deer, so when the government contractor turns up, we can give some idea of how many he might be dealing with - it's an eradication programme.  So far, 2 lots of venison for the pot.

Maybe I'm OCD, but I count my sheep and cows twice every day.  We only have 30/10 right now so it doesn't take long.  I feed the guard dog twice a day, so I'm out there anyway and I want to know if there is a problem ASAP.  Usually, once a day I'll walk out among them as well and make sure all are able to get up and move around.  I enjoy it so it isn't a chore.  I wish I could spend more time out there with them.