A Year of Shepherding

[Bridgemoof]

It has been a little over a year since we got our first sheep. About 13 months to be exact. We have gone from 2 sheep to 36 in that year's time. We also now have 23 goats.

In the past year, I have experienced just about everything there is to know about sheep (and goats).

Lambing
Bottle baby-ewe rejecting her lamb (Lily and Lottie, Jacobs)
Twins, one stillborn (Polly the Tunis)
Aborted lamb at 3 months (Po the Cormo)
Trouble positioning during labor, had to pull the lamb (Dolly the Tunis with Mac)
Surprise births! (LaLa with Patches)

Injuries
Leg sprain (Lottie)
Limping

General Internal Parasites
Tapeworms (Lottie)
Meningeal (Dipsy)
Lice (Lots!)

Bloat (Vera the Goat)

Hoof scald/hoof rot (Tunis and goats)

Weak Pasterns (Beastie and Snocap) resulting in having to be out down

Abscesses (Patches and Mac)

Unexplained death of lamb (Urinari calculi? or ulcer-stress?)

Head butting ram (Uriah )

Inverted eyelids (goats)

I've dealt with Prima Donnas and Love Bugs

On the bright side, I have also:

Learned how to spin
Learned how to shear
Learned how to weave
Learned how to wash and dye a fleece
Learned how to needle felt


And I love my sheepies more than ANYTHING! That's a lot to learn in a year, isn't it? All well worth it!

 

[bonbean01]

Wow...that is a lot in one year! Sometimes these critters put us on the learning curve in fast speed

 

[RemudaOne]

LOL, accelerated On The Job Training, for sure . I think it's awesome that you're doing so much with the fiber as well, really neat stuff!

 

[Bridgemoof]

Yep it was a lot to learn firsthand. Thank goodness there are so many kind, knowledgeable people on this forum that are willing to give advice. I have needed it quite a few times! Thank you everyone.

Well and the fiber has been the motivating factor to keep my sheep alive, vs. sending them to market. It is a means to justify having them. If I can sell enough wool products to make as much money as I would sending them to slaughter, I am going to do as much as I possibly can. Plus it's SO FUN!