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
Category: Sheep Farming
A Wild Ride?
Everyday each person is faced with dangers associated with work or occupation. As a sheep farmer I also have dangers while working. There are the dangers of working around tractors and other equipment. At times I am moving heavy objects with equipment, if something goes amiss, I can be injured. I work daily around animals,…… Continue reading A Wild Ride?
Getting Ready
It is the end of February and March is almost here, so is Spring Lambing 2022. I do not lamb out in February, the icy cold frozen rain and fluctuating temperatures are hard on lambs. I aim for a mid March lambing, and the first time ewe are gearing up. That means I need to…… Continue reading Getting Ready
Weighing Lambs
I weigh my lambs when they are born. I try to weigh them at 30 days, but did not get the task accomplished with this group of lambs. I try to weigh at weaning, again I failed to weigh the lambs a day or two after I wean them. Yesterday, I finally weighed the weaned…… Continue reading Weighing Lambs
Savor the Sunshine
Photo by George Becker on Pexels.com The past three days has been cold, windy and cloudy. I do not like stepping outside on cold days, like below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I have never cared for the wind, and a cold north wind is miserable for me. I love to look at individual clouds and cloud…… Continue reading Savor the Sunshine
Ear Tags
The yearling ewes I had retained are getting ready to lamb. The lambs from these ewes will be 75% or Full Blood Dorpers. I will be keeping all the ewe lambs from this group of ewes, but all the ram lambs will be able to be registered, either 75% or Full Blood Dorper. Before the…… Continue reading Ear Tags
Trimming Toes
Yesterday I was trimming toes on the replacement ewes that will lamb in March. I wanted to get their feet trimmed before they were too large. Trimming the feet of sheep is not all technical or hard, once you have the sheep to where you can get ahold of a foot to trim. I just…… Continue reading Trimming Toes
A New Addition
Today was sheep and goat auction. I go to the auction to meet friends who also raise sheep. The auction is mostly a social event, the twice a month I get off the farm. Most of the breeding animals going through the sale are unregistered or if registered, inferior to my needs, or culls -…… Continue reading A New Addition
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
Granny's Homestead 