beginning sheep farming – Page 2

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

The Little Lamb that Could

In October of 2020 a day I had been waiting for finally came, Big Bertha gave birth. Big Bertha is a ewe I purchased, fulling one of my goals for the year 2020, to purchase a really nice full blood Dorper ewe with Australian bloodlines. The day was a double blessing as the twins Big…… Continue reading The Little Lamb that Could

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?

The Lull before the Storm

Photo by Alexandr Podvalny on Pexels.com The busiest time for sheep is laming. A sheep farmer may raise other types of animals or feed for his livestock, so there are busy times. I do not raise anything but sheep and laming is my busiest time. Today was cold, really cold. Well, not Wyoming cold or…… Continue reading The Lull before the Storm

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

Winter Sheep

Photo by Chris F on Pexels.com Today was cold, north west wind gusting and the occasional snow flurry. Although the snowflakes melted the moment they touched the ground. I get concerned for the animals when we do get a cold day or two. North central Texas is no way like Colorado or Wyoming where I…… Continue reading Winter Sheep

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Yesterday, Today and all the yesterdays of the past seven years have started the same way….get dressed, drink a cup of coffee, go tend the sheep. A person thinking about raising sheep or any agriculture adventure should consider what a day being a sheep farmer or other agriculture owner/operator is…… Continue reading Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Laming and Records

Ewe with twins Laming the exciting and busiest time for a sheep farmer. I do a lot of planning starting with when to breed the ewes, which ram to breed which ewe to and proper feed. Then I wait five long grueling months, which to me seems like a very long time for lambs to…… Continue reading Laming and Records