With the sheep on pasture full time now, managing summer parasites becomes top priority on our farm. At this time of year, an over load of intestinal parasites is the primary cause of illness and even death in sheep, often effecting those with a compromised immune system, nursing ewes, or young lambs. I have found that the key to … Read More
With summer on our heels, I have had many inquiries from people wanting to add sheep to their farms or homesteads. I thought I would bring this blog post, written a couple of years ago, to the forefront on tips for starting your first flock of sheep. Here are some of the typical questions new shepherds ask me. How many … Read More
This time of year, my sheep stand at the fence line gazing at the fields as they begin to turn green. The lambs will stick their heads through the fence and under the gate just to get a nibble of the short grass growing on the other side. Once they get a taste for grass, they are intent on convincing … Read More
Phew! Despite the whirl wind of activity the past two weeks, I have learned two helpful tips for shepherds this lambing season. Our lambing began on March 15, one day after our big snowstorm, and ended this past Wednesday. The day before the storm, we worked feverishly to tighten up our old barn. With lambs due any day, and wind … Read More
Nature brings most lambs from the womb into this world with ease, filling lambing pens with new life. Ewes care for their young, bonding with them, loving them, and nourishing them. On occasion though, what should be straight forward and simple becomes entangled, even backwards at times, with lambs choosing new ways to enter the world. There are a few … Read More
