Gotland Ewe
20 Feb 2016

Ask the Shepherd-Scrapie Disease and Testing for Susceptibility

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Scrapie is a fatal, degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats. There is no cure and there is no treatment for scrapie, though scientists around the world are searching hard for one. Scrapie is classified as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE). Both scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE; a.k.a. “Mad Cow” disease) are TSEs, as is … Read More

Gotland Sheep Grazing on Faro
31 Jan 2016

Ask the Shepherd-Do Gotland Sheep Shed Their Wool?

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A few weeks ago, someone asked me the following question: Many of the short-tailed breeds are able to be “rooed” yearly due to a natural rise in their wool. Do you know if Gotlands could do this if they were not sheared in the spring? This is an interesting question, which I myself, had also wondered. While visiting Gotland island this … Read More
16 Dec 2015

Four Things to Consider When Purchasing Breeding Rams

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Ask the Shepherd: What factors do I need to think about when purchasing a breeding ram? I am often asked this question by folks wishing to start their own flock of sheep. The ram you select provides more than 50% of the genes in your flock. His genetics will carry over into the offspring of your ewes for years to … Read More

guardian llama
8 Jun 2015

Ask the Shepherd~Livestock Guardian Animals Part III~ Guard Llamas

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Guard Llamas This post ends a series on livestock guardian animals. We have interviewed shepherds who use miniature donkeys and shepherds who use livestock guardian dogs, and today, I will share some thoughts on guard llamas. We have one guard llama who lives with our sheep year round on our farm. Since bringing her to VT Grand View Farm, we … Read More

Livestock Guard Dogs
11 May 2015

Ask the Shepherd~Livestock Guardian Dogs with Hannah Smith

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Part II~Protecting Your Flock-LGDs In my first post about guard animals for livestock, we explored protecting your flock of sheep with the use of miniature donkeys. Today, I have asked Hannah Smith of Vinegar Ridge Farm to talk with us about LGDs or Livestock Guardian Dogs. I first met the Smith family at the Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival about 11 … Read More

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