Merino sheep are one of the most well established sheep breeds in the world. They are now, as they have been in the past, a major influence in the sheep industry. With all of the other sheep breeds available, what is so special about this breed that sheep farmers and ranchers continue to choose Merinos?…
Sheep normally give birth to 1 or 2 lambs at a time, with higher numbers possible in some prolific breeds raised under great management. But, chances are you already knew that so what about your sheep? Since different breeds of sheep and varying flock conditions produce different numbers of lambs, how many lambs can you…
We all know that the fastest way to ruin a wool garment is to put it through the wash, you can’t treat wool like that or it will shrink! If wool shrinks when wet and sheep have wool, why don’t sheep shrink in the rain? Sheep do not shrink in the rain Sheep do not…
You may think of sheep as old fashioned and wonder do farmers even raise sheep anymore? And if they do, why? Well, you may be surprised, there are many folks raising sheep these days and, since you asked, sheep are used in all manner of activities, some you’ve probably not thought of. Sheep for farm…
When you are looking to buy a sheep for meat, you’ll come across quite a bit of conflicting information regarding price. What’s the reason for all of the confusion? The problem is you are only getting half the story. What most folks are leaving out is that sheep prices vary by season and location, so…
Once you have decided to buy a small flock of sheep, the next thing to consider is daily expenses like hay and other occasional care, like deworming or vet care. What will your costs be to maintain and care for your sheep once you have them? We’ll walk through the costs you can expect to…
When you are getting into sheep, you may have come across tips or suggestions of things that you should be doing when you are around the flock, which is important information, of course. Equally important are the things you should not do when handling sheep. What are the things to avoid doing when working with…
Are you feeding your sheep hay or grass? For most sheep farmers, one of these forages is the obvious choice, with most folks going with grass, for at least part of the year. If you are fortunate enough to have both options available, which one should you pick? Sheep can and do eat both hay…
Sheep seem so peaceful and easy to get along with, yet every once in a while, you’ll hear or see something about a sheep hurting someone. Are sheep safe to be around or are sheep dangerous? Generally speaking, sheep are not dangerous. However, there are certain circumstances when a sheep can injure a person like…
When raising sheep, you occasionally get a sick one. We all know that the sooner you notice a health problem in your stock, the sooner you can start treatment and get her back into top shape. All of which starts with noticing the health problem in the first place, so how do you know if…