In a previous blog post we discussed selecting breeding stock. Today we are going to discuss the next step. Quarantine. When you bring your new prize ram/ewes home, they should go straight into a quarantine pen far away from all your other animals. It doesn’t matter how healthy you think the new animals are or…
Category: Homesteading
Easy Homemade Sheep Milk Ice Cream
One of our favorite uses for sheep milk is ice cream, or more accurately iced milk. Sheep milk is plentiful going into the hot summer months and ice cream is a quick, easy, delicious snack to make. Sheep milk is high in solids, and as a result it makes a healthier ice cream than cows’…
Meningeal Worm: How Deer Can Impact Your Flock
Did you know that whitetail deer can share diseases and parasites with your sheep and goats? Meningeal worm, also called brain worm and deer worm, is one of those parasites. It is not as frequently seen or spoken of as other parasite, but it can be deadly if not treated promptly and properly. Thus, it…
Enhancing Livestock Performance: The Importance of Breeding Stock Selection
If a large percentage of your flock is related to your ram, you might be at the point where you are worried about inbreeding and looking to buy a new ram. Perhaps you’re looking to buy in some new ewes to enlarge your flock. Or maybe you just feel like your sheep aren’t performing as…
Keeping Mastitis Out Of Your Flock Of Sheep
If you breed sheep for any length of time, you’re likely to run across a case of mastitis at some point. This is particularly true for dairy animals. The increased udder volume and the larger, lower placed teats that are desirable for milking make the animals more susceptible to mastitis. So today we are going…
Lambing: What To Expect When Your Ewes Start Expecting
Lambing season is in full swing. If you are new to sheep and this is your first lamb crop, you are likely a bit nervous and apprehensive about what to expect. You are probably also curious about what signs you should be watching for. So today we are going to look at pictures of and…
How To Prevent Pregnancy Toxemia and Milk Fever
A few months ago we discussed both the basics of how to understand a forage analysis, and also how to select the right mineral mix for your sheep. Lambing season is just around the corner, so, today we are going to discuss two very common and completely preventable nutrition-based problems you might encounter. We will…
10 Terrific Reasons To Milk Your Katahdin Sheep
Milking sheep is something that most people in this country find unusual or even weird. Most have never even considered it as a possibility. Many of those who have considered it have been put off by the wool and terrible reputation dairy sheep have. Or maybe you already have a flock of hair sheep and…
A Quick Look At Sheep Coat Color Genetics: Spotting
Last time we started talking about sheep coat color genetics. We discussed the Agouti or pattern genes which are mainly responsible for your sheep’s coat color and markings. We also discussed the black brown genes and the extension genes that sometimes play a role in coat color. Today we are going to discuss our favorite…
A Quick Look At Sheep Coat Color Genetics
Have you ever wondered about the genetics behind sheep coat color? Or have you wanted to know how to skew your lamb crop towards being more colorful? Maybe you browsed around our website and realized that sheep come in some really flashy patterns not just white? Or perhaps you have an interest in producing naturally…