Latest Posts
Three Things to Love About Gotlands: Part I
We have had Gotland sheep on our farm for two years now. In that time, we have discovered many things that we love about Gotlands and their personalities. I thought I would share with you some of our most favorite character traits. Gotland Sheep – Fun Loving & Playful It is a delight to go out and do chores each … Read More
Sheep and Winter Storms
I am often asked how my sheep can survive the harsh Vermont winter storms. Yesterday our first big snow storm hit with a vengeance. We woke to swirling snow, subzero wind chills, and deep snow banks. With proper shelter and feed, our sheep have no difficulty with these winter conditions and cold temperatures. Proper Shelter Well ventilated…protection from wind…plenty of space … Read More
Our Secret to Keeping Fleeces Clean With Bale Box Feeders
Keeping fleeces clean is one of the most difficult challenges to combat on a sheep farm, and it all centers around chore time. Who would ever think that feeding sheep would be one of the most significant moments on a fiber farm? Sheep are like most other creatures, they talk with their mouths open, they dribble their food all over … Read More
Recognizing a Difficult Lambing
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
Ask the Shepherd: The Proper Way to Skirt a Fleece
Curls…lustrous gray Gotland curls…that’s what spinners and felters are so eager to get hold of. Though I raise my own Gotland sheep, I too have ventured beyond my own flock in search of these silver ringlets. “One can never have enough,” I tell my husband when he asks why a box of raw fleece arrives in the mail. raw wool … Read More