When we purchased our first sheep, years ago, we had little knowledge of sheep behavior. Those early days and weeks of getting to know and care for our new flock of sheep were full of mishaps and escapades. If someone had only told us these five things you should know about sheep behavior-our lives would have been much easier. Once … Read More
You might remember me. My name is Magnus. I started life as the third born of a set of quadruplet Gotland lambs. I slipped into this world almost unnoticed as I was so tiny. I only weighed three pounds at birth and my shepherd thought I was not alive. But I took a deep gasp for air and let … Read More
Three years in a row, I have purchased sheep from a breeder in Oregon. They traveled just over 3,000 miles to get to our farm in Vermont. Some have come the southern route, and some have come the northern route, making the trip within 5 days to within 3 weeks. Basically, my flock of Gotland sheep have seen more of … Read More
In the early spring, we literally sit and stare at the grass on our farm. Here on our Vermont hillside farm, we only graze 5-6 months out of the year. After months of eating hay, the sheep can not wait to get out on grass. With grazing comes the joys of pasture management for parasite control. On our farm, … Read More
Ask the Shepherd ~ Why do sheep curl their upper lip? Flehmen Response Curling back the upper lip. Inhaling deeply-head held high. The transfer of air carrying pheromones to an organ in the roof of the mouth, provides the animal with information about the scent. It’s a sheep thing. It’s the way that they gather information. It is how … Read More
