Hello from Central Cal...

[BreanneRN]

I bought my "herd" one at a time... It started when I had to put one of my old horses down (I guess I had a herd of horses until then, after that just one). I thought my other old quarter mare would now need something for company and I am in my 60's now and can't outlive another horse, so thought I would get a sheep... I had had sheep before, just to eat the weeds, they were ordinary suffolk cross sheep... I had them for about 15 years. Things happened to them, neighbors kid shot 2 after got rifle for Christmas, ram lived to be about 8, but was greedy and big, dropped dead one day in July of a cardiac event of some kind. Cougar killed 3 of them, 2 ewes left eventually died of old age. It had been kind of a pita trying to get someone to shear them (usually 4 h kids) and my daughter was in college and we had had drought conditions, so didn't initially replace them. But some years went by, my mom died, my daughter graduated, moved out, got a job, a boyfriend and a life. I retired and we had a non-drought year, a lot of grass and weeds, and then the horse! So, I was on Craigslist looking for something (don't remember what, when these cute pics came up of weanling Painted Desert Hair Sheep... They had had a bumper crop of ram lambs that year and were trying to find them homes! Hair sheep! Who knew? No more trying to find 4 H'rs to shear them! And that one was very cute! Surely he would be company for my older quarter mare? Next thing you know, I was bringing him home in a dog crate... I realized that I was no longer thinking of my mare, I was liking the little ram lamb... and named him Tuxedo. Turned out the mare did not like him anywhere near as much as I did and promptly chased him from the pasture and through the fence! If it hadn't been for my neighbor, who helped me corner him, in a ditch, that might have been the end of my herd... But we caught him, I brought him home (after thanking neighbor profusely), and now I had the problem of a ram lamb that needed company... I bought a little Pelibuey (Mexican hair sheep) she was palomino colored, very young, and weaned too early. But she loved Tuxedo. I named her Fawn. And he loved her! Eventually, I collected up quite a number of ewes from around the state, all from Craigslist. I had many adventures bringing them all home in dog crates from where they came from... Soon, I had a New Mexico Dahl sheep (Dolly), Ellie, a Suffolk/hair sheep cross (I found her living in a chicken coop with another ewe, drinking filthy water and very underweight) but she was friendly and now my herd leader, and beautiful Belle, a colored American Blackbelly. Belle came pregnant, though you couldn't tell, but she twinned with 2 solid Blackbelly ram lambs born in Feb. of 2017. They were my 1st lambs and so beautiful! I had 4 lambs in 2017, but only 1 ewe lamb from Dolly, the New Mexico Dahl, born in June. Fast forward to now! My sheep have been good producers! In the spring, I had 10 lambs from 6 moms, all my 1st time moms twinned, though 2 of my others had singles. My Dolly developed toxemia and aborted twins, but I treated her and she recovered. So, guess I have a "herd" though, I think sheep groupings are flocks. But hope I still qualify to join you... Still have my Quarter mare, and also have chickens and turkeys, cats and dogs. When I'm not here, you will probably find me on Backyard Chicken. Oh, and I'm not promoting my story as to how anyone should get a "herd", as I'm sure it is not the proper way. But I am happy to say that I was fully aware that my 2 acres had Ag zoning, which is the most important thing to have after a "stable" income (pun intended) if you are going to get a flock or "herd"!.... Since I now have a bumper crop, I must now learn how to cut down on the numbers of the herd, which is not so fun... I have butchered 2 of my ram lambs from last year (they are quite good) and will be putting some of the weanlings on Craigslist(afterall, it worked for those other guys). If anyone has any novel ideas/suggestions for marketing the weanling herd, feel free to let me know! Anyway, I love my flock of sheep and they are happy, healthy, and productive and bring me much joy. I have a relationship with each one and though it wasn't "the right way" to get a herd, I wouldn't change it...

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Hi and welcome! Thanks for sharing your adventure!

 

[greybeard]

Welcome!

 

[Pastor Dave]

from the Hoosier State!
What parts are you from? I know someone will say it, so I may as well. We like pics. Pics of animals, barns, pastures, fields, kids/grandkids, trucks, tractors. Just abt anything...

 

[BreanneRN]

Ok, here are some pics, I am from the central valley of California! Here are pics of Dash in June of 2018, 1 1/2 years old, beautiful Belle with her lambs, Scamper and Dash, Dash is on the left side, April of 2017, last (but not least), Tuxedo at about 4 mos, June of 2016

 

[Latestarter]

Greetings and welcome to BYH from NE TX! So glad you joined us. I didn't know there was a right or wrong way to become a herd owner... Sounds like you did it just right for you! Thanks for sharing the pics, sure looks dry (& hot) where you are. Very nice looking animals as well. There's a wealth of info, knowledge and experience shared in the multitude of threads. Browse around and see what interesting stuff you can find. By all means post away when the desire strikes you, especially if you have questions (provide as much detail/info as possible and pictures truly help)... With all the great folks here, generally someone will respond in no time at all. Please make yourself at home!

 

[Latestarter]

Oh... also, PLEASE put at least your general location in your profile. It could be very important if/when you ask for or offer help or advice. You know, climate issues and such. I recommend at least your state as most folks won't be able to figure out where if you put anything more specific (county, town, street, etc) by itself. Old folks like me will never remember & look there first. To add it, mouse hover over Account top right and a drop down will appear. Click on Personal Details and scan down. You'll see the spot for Location. Then go to the bottom and save changes. Thanks! Hope you enjoy the site!

 

[BreanneRN]

Well, you have heard the story of Tuxedo, but not all of the story of Belle... I was searching for a colored American Blackbelly, and answered a Craigslist ad (that's how pretty much all the storys start). But I didn't connect right away, there was some phone tag that went on... I didn't make it up to the Fresno area (2 hr drive) until January of 2017. The seller was a pretty nice guy, by then had a lot of lambs on the ground and most of the other ewes were heavy in pregnancy... He was hoping to have one with triplets. He wasn't too eager to sell, really. He told me he didn't worm them, didn't vaccinate them, didn't do any of "that stuff" and if they didn't twin by the 2nd year, he sold them. His lambs were active and lively, but seemed small in size. He didn't keep a ram around except at breeding time. But the Craigslist ad from the fall had had a picture of the Blackbelly Ram. Most of the ewes were crowded around the feeders, but off in the distance I could see Belle... Standing in profile, like a fashion model, she was thin, with tufts of shedding hair sticking up from her somewhat bony hips... but taller than the others. I thought she was beautiful, like a deer, and her coloring was gorgeous... I said "What about that older one, way out there, that is so thin? She doesn't look like she will have any babies any time soon?" He replied, "Well, come to think of it, that one has been around here for awhile, what will you give me for her?" I said $150, and got out $160, but he had no change, so he gave me $20 back... He caught her and loaded her into the large airline crate in the back seat of the Buick and I brought her home. I still think she was the best sheep he had... I brought her home and fed her lamb grower and chopped alfalfa with oats and sunflower seeds... and weeds from farmers fields... and in February, mid-month, she surprised me one morning with 2 beautiful ram lambs, just 6 wks later! They were small but healthy and began to eat within 2 days, like they knew they would need too... I kept food in front of them all the time and left them in a pen where they would not have to compete for food. I can't say that Belle ever got fat, but she did fill out quite a bit after the twins were weaned... And this year in March she gave me 2 beautiful ewe lambs!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Ahhh, good choice. Belle sounds awesome!

 

[BreanneRN]

Greetings and welcome to BYH from NE TX! So glad you joined us. I didn't know there was a right or wrong way to become a herd owner... Sounds like you did it just right for you! Thanks for sharing the pics, sure looks dry (& hot) where you are. Very nice looking animals as well. There's a wealth of info, knowledge and experience shared in the multitude of threads. Browse around and see what interesting stuff you can find. By all means post away when the desire strikes you, especially if you have questions (provide as much detail/info as possible and pictures truly help)... With all the great folks here, generally someone will respond in no time at all. Please make yourself at home!

I don't know if there is a right or wrong way either, but on the way to the introduction page, I thought I was there and wound up posting under some poll about everything you should do before you acquire a herd. By the time I figured out I was writing this in the wrong place, I had written quite a bit... So I revised it a little to make it fit the situation, then today I copied and pasted it from there to over here, because I didn't want to write it over... Thanks so much for the welcome! I appreciate all the support! And yeah, it is dry and hot here in the summer, we don't get any monsoonal rains to speak of. Spring comes early, grass is dried up without irrigation by May. My place is very sandy and the sand is 10 feet deep so hard to keep things watered here. I have really good drainage, though. It is good carrot ground, and they grow alfalfa around here, too, watermelons, potatoes, tomatoes. But you have to water the heck out of it.