sheep breeds
Breeding and Lambing in Soay
For those new to sheep, the ease of Soay lambing can be great for a beginning shepherd and certainly makes it worth considering this unique breed.
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Soay Sheep Domestication
The domestication of the Soay sheep is a rather odd one, having been domesticated centuries ago and semi-abandoned on a small island until the early 1900s.
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Artisanal Sheep Cheese: Shepherds Manor Creamery Part 1 of 2
The artisanal sheep cheese from Shepherds Manor Creamery is what makes this creamery stand out with its award-winning, product — 100% sheep milk cheese.
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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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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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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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Choosing Yarn for Rigid Heddle Loom Weaving Projects
Add to Favorites When learning to weave, the rigid heddle loom is a good choice. It’s easy to work and you will quickly master the basics of weaving. Plus, setting …
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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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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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Accidental Shetland Sheep Farmers
I became what I term as an accidental Shetland sheep farmer. Why do I say that? Well, sheep were not something we had considered for our small homestead.
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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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Finnsheep are the Perfect Fiber Animals
Add to Favorites By Mary O’Malley, Honeysuckle Farm johnandmaryomalley@yahoo.com An ancient variety, Finnsheep are both meat- and wool-yielding animals. Finnish sheep characteristics have been bred for thousands of years. Stentorp—the farm …
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Raising Sheep for Meat – Flavor-Based Success
Add to Favorites By Alan Harman – Raising sheep for meat that are from the “land of fire and ice,” Barb Gunness’ flock of Icelandic sheep are right at home …
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