Sheep
Secrets of Raising Katahdin Sheep
Add to Favorites By John Kirchhoff – For many people, mentioning hair sheep evokes either “I wouldn’t have anything else” or a “No way would I have them” response. My wife …
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Hair Sheep Breeds – The Right Choice for You?
Hair sheep breeds are growing in popularity as consumers look for economical ways to raise homestead meat animals. Hair breeds have many positive traits that make them an ideal animal for small farms, homesteads, and of course, larger commercial farms. If you have space to corral a few sheep, you can fill the freezer with a healthy alternative to beef and chicken.
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Sheep Breed Profile: Bluefaced Leicester
In today’s world, the term “BFF” is a texting shortcut that stands for Best Friends Forever. In the world of sheep, however, “BFL” is the common nickname for the Bluefaced Leicester, and it might as well be interpreted as “Best Flock for Life,” because of the wonderful characteristics of this breed of sheep.
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Sheep Giving Birth: Tips for Successful Lambing
Over the past 12 lambing seasons, the main thing the sheep giving birth has taught me is that every season will bring a new lesson. I’ll never forget meeting a seasoned shepherd with 50 years of lambing behind him who told me that he still learns something new every year.
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Cherishing the Natural Beauty of Icelandic Sheep
Add to Favorites By Marguerite Chisick – We discovered that Icelandic sheep were our ticket to a more sustainable way of life! It is not uncommon for people who are living …
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Heritage Sheep Breeds: Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em
Heritage sheep are rare, but their wool is special. The Livestock Conservancy’s new Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em project is focusing fiber artists on using rare breed wool and yarns to draw attention to their unusual and fine qualities.
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Avoid Lambing Problems with This First Aid Contents Checklist
Most of the time when you have lambing problems or experience a sheep illness emergency, the vet and local livestock supply stores are closed for the weekend, and sheep farm and ranch specialties dealers are days away by mail.
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Soay Sheep: Hardy, Low-Maintenance, and Eco-Friendly
Soay sheep are the hardiest miniature sheep breed from St. Kilda, Scotland. Their light weight and self-sufficiency make them ideal for land management and homesteading, plus you don’t have to shear them!
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Pink Eye in Sheep: Treat or Let it Run its Course?
During show season, pink eye in sheep can be a common livestock issue. Small ruminants easily transmit pink eye from one animal to the next.
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Are Rams Dangerous? Not With Proper Management.
Many people who are interested in keeping sheep hesitate because they have heard that rams are dangerous and hard to keep. So, are rams dangerous?
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Dead Ram Walking: Treating Sick Sheep Symptoms
One day the ram was walking around and looking totally healthy — the next day he was just standing under a tree with his head hanging down. I approached him, hoping he’d lift his head and move away from me, but he didn’t.
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Becoming a Shepherd
Shepherding has been part of humanity for thousands of years. And I was drawn to this lifestyle. I do not come from a background of shepherding. My family roots are deep …
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Best Dairy Sheep Breeds for a Farm
There are a few dairy sheep breeds you could add to your farm. The East Friesian sheep is considered the best breed of dairy sheep by researchers.
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Sheep Breeds for Fiber, Meat, or Dairy
There are numerous breeds in the world and raising sheep serves many purposes. Some sheep breeds lend themselves to provide the whole range of products, Rambouillet sheep, Dorset sheep, and some other sheep breeds are good providers of wool fiber, lambs, milk, and eventually, meat.
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How to Shear a Sheep and Other Fiber Animals
Learning how to shear a sheep takes practice and time. Before you head out to buy sheep shearing supplies try to observe a professional sheep shearer and ask questions.
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