beginning sheep farming – Page 2

Planning a Barn

We are expanding our flock size with plans to reach a hundred ewes. We need a bigger barn. The first part of planning a barn is how big to build the barn. Based on 25 square feet per ewe, my barn needs to have floor space of 2500 square feet. Along the outside of the…… Continue reading Planning a Barn

Walking the Line

Photo by Blue Bird on Pexels.com Today was a warm, sunny day. A perfect day to walk the line, fence line that is. When the weather is a warm as today, but not overly warm, I check the fence line. I bring some wire, wire pliers and the dog, Hank along with me as I…… Continue reading Walking the Line

Vaccinating Ewes

Replacement ewes age 8 months. The barnyard is noisy with lambs and ewes bawling for each other. The ewes whose lambs I weaned are my breeding group A, older ewes that have been at the farm for a couple of years. I have a group of young ewes, replacement ewes. These ewes were born on…… Continue reading Vaccinating Ewes

It’s Noisy

Weaning time has arrive, actually I am a week late in weaning the lambs. Sheep for the most part are quiet animals, until weaning time. I will have two to three days and nights of constant baaing. I schedule weaning when the lambs are eight weeks old. This year due to a serious cold front…… Continue reading It’s Noisy

Have You Seen My Brain?

My husband often hears this question as I am walking from room to room searching. His response is “between your ears” and laughs. To me it is not very funny as my “brain” is very important. What I am searching for is my calendar planner. Photo by Olya Kobruseva on Pexels.com This calendar planner is…… Continue reading Have You Seen My Brain?

Walking With a Business Plan

The main reason I raise sheep is to have an income or make money. Raising sheep is a business. Every business needs a business plan. A business plan can be complex with numbers and projected figures or simple plan to follow when making decisions. Businesses write out a business plan each year. I complete my…… Continue reading Walking With a Business Plan

Plan, Growth, Expansion

When I began as a sheep farmer, I checked with the area officials on how many animals my property would support. Answer is 25 ewes. I made plans on where to put the shelters, size of pens and where I wanted the alleys to go. Eight years later, I have learned and implemented rotational grazing…… Continue reading Plan, Growth, Expansion

Are You My Mama?

Photo by Rachel Claire on Pexels.com A helpful skill for a sheep farmer to learn is the ability to graft or have a ewe accept and care for a lamb that is not her own. Many things can happen during laming. Lambs get separated from mom by wondering off while mom is delivering another lamb…… Continue reading Are You My Mama?

Start and Build Upward

Chester, my first ram When I first started raising sheep my financial situation was not very good. I purchased the best I could buy. One sheep you should consider paying the most you can afford is the ram. The ram is half or 50% of your flock genetics. The ewe is half or 50% of…… Continue reading Start and Build Upward

Do Not Be Afraid of the Curve

Photo by Erkan Gu00fcneu015f on Pexels.com Whenever we take on a new job or new business or new hobby, there is a learning curve in learning. When we first start, there are things that are new or done differently than we performed before. Do not be afraid of this learning curve, it is natural and…… Continue reading Do Not Be Afraid of the Curve