Finaly my 8 old Norwegian sheeps are home 🤩
Made a about 500sqm electric fence enclosure for them, my fear was that they would run out of the trailer and jump the fence.

Now 3 hrs later, they are all laying underneath a hazeltree

Gulf Coast Native lamb. Pixel because she was a very small lamb, and also had a tiny black dot on her hip.

Just one of my favorite St. Croix ladies on the farm… she is amazingly friendly and trusting.

Portland, TN. 2 mules, 1 horse, 7 sheep, 3 goats, a bunch of chickens and one very proud owner.

This applies to folks raising entirely or mostly on pasture.

Greg Judy swears by a buffet-style mineral feeder where the sheep choose among twenty or so individual minerals to meet their specific needs. He says as long as you start training them to it when they're on full pasture they will learn to choose only what they need of each, and continue doing so even when they shift to hay in winter. He does offer free copper, but the sheep don't take more than they need which is obviously very little. He claims he's seen better health / growth, as do other people who are using it.

The initial cost is high but eventually I'd be spending just on the minerals my sheep prefer, and there's a side benefit that they excrete the excess and so would be adding trace minerals to my pastures that they lack over time.

So is anyone doing this, and what's your experience?

What are some things y’all do to keep your sheep cool, regardless of location. We put iced water bottles in their water buckets to help. Use a shelter fan. Just wondering. Thanks to all.

Squishy was outcompeted by some very nice quality ewes but she still gave it her all !

Does anybody have experience using CIDR's for breeding first time ewe-lambs out of season, and if what was your success rate?

Also, can folks on here recommend a prefferred brand and source for CIDR's?

Thanks as always!

Babydoll sheep, a little obsessed with getting their daily pets

I typically get about 25% less for my ewe market lambs than their half brothers when sold at the same weight, 80 to 100#s. Is there any difference in the eating quality between the two when both are at finished weight? Dorper cross hair sheep.

Hello everyone,

I have had 2 Ouessant sheep for 2 years now.

It's been almost 3 months since it last rained where I live.

I've provided them with hay, but they prefer to eat grass, moss and tree leaves - even though the grass is quite dry as you can see in the photos.

Of course, I've also provided them with water, which I change every 2-3 days. But I'm a little worried about them even there is no sign that they are unwell.

I have a field of 3200m2 for these 2.

Do you have any other advice please?

I have 2 hair sheep who are pets. One is a barbados black belly, the other is a katahdin cross. The katahdin sheds 75% but her back requires some extra effort. The first year I let it go and it matted and I had to shear it. Trying to avoid that again, but also would prefer not shearing her. Is there a comb that anyone would recommend to help the process. I think it will come loose if combed, I just can't get a good angle with my hands like I can with he rest of her.

TIA

I'll be honest here, I know next to nothing about sheep.

Recently I was shown pictures of Rams with giant horns that either get in the way of there sight, are cutting into the Rams skin, and it made me wonder about trimming the horns.

Is it safe? How much can be cut without hurting the Ram?

Looking online hasn't given me much luck, though one post on a blog from 2009 about a farmer who used some sort of burning wire to cut the horn, but there was blood apparently, but it didn't state how much could be cut. I assume everyone in the post already knew it already.

Honestly there was more posts about culling Rams with horn issues then cutting the horns.

So I'm coming to you all. How much of a Rams horn can safely be cut without hurting them? Is it even possible?

Hi there! I am really confuse right now with two female sheeps of our herd.
Today, both of them started to try to eat our clothes or licking/biting our skin.

I am really confuse on why they do so and google seems to not be my friend today, because they think I am talking about cats. (Yeah… google got lost on that one)

Do you think it’s a symptom of mineral deficiencies? Or something else that we have to worry about?

Thank you!

the fibrous raft is a floating mat of coarse plant particles that forms in the upper region of the rumen. It is a critical structural layer essential for capturing smaller digesta, stimulating cud-chewing, maximizing microbial digestion, and preventing digestive disorders like ruminal acidosis.

https://dellait.com/physically-effective-fiber-vs-effective-fiber-effect-their-role-in-dairy-cattle-diets/

Ruminant digestive systems have the ability to degrade and ferment fiber through microbial activity. The fiber components, and the subsequent production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), provide the majority of the energy for the ruminant. But energy (and milk) production is not the only role of fiber: it is the fiber that ensures the proper function of the rumen. Hence the quality and properties of fiber is a key element to ensure optimal rumen function and rumen health to preserve well-being.

Fiber is slowly degraded in the rumen due to its physical structure and the lignin cross-linking that holds the fiber intact. Fiber degradation in the rumen is influenced by:

• The anatomy of the fiber (pectin, hemicellulose and cellulose concentration), which is related to crop species

• Lignin content and structure (maturity,

fiber plays a physical role in functioning of the rumen engine. The rumen content is composed of several layers:

• Gazes at the top

• The fiber mat floating over the liquid

• Fine material mixed into the liquid

https://www.lallemandanimalnutrition.com/en/asia/stories/do-you-know-how-fiber-is-affecting-rumen-health/

Just really happy I'm starting to get the technique down.

Some of these guys had some serious mats, not the worst ever, but breaking the neck-wool was like trying cutting through layers of cardboard.

Shearing in the summer is kind of tough!

We brought home an ewe and her two lambs a week ago. They are extremely skittish, mom will let me give her a few head scritches if I have a treat for her to nibble in my hand, but the babies will immediately dart away if I try to touch them.
They were field raised with LGD, and I’m guessing their previous owners didn’t spend much time around them other than to go out with hay and water. We bought them to help with land management but I would love to be able to be hands on with them without having to resort to roping them for health inspections, hooves, etc.
Are there ways to do this or should I expect this to pretty much be the way it is? The ewe lamb won’t even eat from my hand (but to be fair her mom is kind of a hog lol.)

Working on a soap project in Mobile Alabama. Wanting to see if there were anyone who raised and processed sheep near here. Specifically looking for sheep’s fat to make a Christian soap with. It’s called Gifts for the King. Wanted to trade nine bars of soap from the finished product for 6 pounds of sheep fat.