Sheep
Dairy Sheep – Consider Icelandic Sheep
What struck me right away when my first Icelandic sheep lambed were the similarities that these sheep had with dairy goats. I had a commercial goat dairy in years past and these ewe lamb mothers had udders that would be respectable for a good milking dairy goat.
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Poultry, Goat, Sheep, Swine, and Cow Gestation Calculator
Where can you find an all-in-one lambing calculator that also works to factor a pig’s gestation period and a cow’s pregnancy length? Here!
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Fiber Festival Fun
One way to maximize your wool value is to target fiber festivals which include spinners, weavers, and dyers. As a small producer specializing in fine wool sheep, our business depends upon finding innovative and profitable ways to market our wool.
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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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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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How Smart Are Sheep? Researchers Find Surprising Answers
How smart are sheep, actually? Most people consider sheep stupid. Have we misunderstood their custom of following each other? Research has revealed considerable intelligence, social bonds, and survival skills guiding their flocking behavior.
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The Dorper Sheep: A Hardy Adaptable Breed
Would you like to raise Dorper sheep, one of the fastest growing breeds in the United States and many other countries? There is good reason for the popularity of the Dorper sheep breed.
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What to Feed Sheep for Prime Wool Production
A large part of raising wool animals is knowing what to feed sheep in order to obtain good quality wool. Feeding choices will vary from place to place.
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5 Critical Sheep Breeds for the Homestead
Raised for their hides, meat, milk, and wool, sheep are versatile. In addition to providing a local source of food and fiber, small flock owners are looking to support livestock conservation by venturing into raising rare sheep breeds.
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Conserving Romeldale CVM Sheep
In 1915, A.T. Spencer purchased New Zealand Romney rams from the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (the 1915 World’s Fair) in San Francisco. The prized rams could not be returned to New Zealand, and A.T. Spencer seized an opportunity.
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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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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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When Limping is Not a Sign of Sheep Foot Rot
Don’t you just love how sheep keep teaching us what we never knew we needed to know? The past lambing season was one in which I got an advanced education in “Sheep Feet 101.”
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Nominate a Homesteader for the I Am Countryside Feature
Add to Favorites Know a homesteader who inspires others? Want to see them featured in Countryside & Small Stock Journal? Send a note and have them fill out the questionnaire below …
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