The Song and Dance of Breeding Season

posted in: Gotland sheep 2

Ask the Shepherd The song and dance of breeding season has begun on our farm! As the days shorten and the temperatures drop, ewes begin to cycle and the rams begin to pine away at the fence line. Once the rams are turned in with the ewes, the dance begins. A new shepherd wrote to me the other day asking … Read More

Pre-Breeding Routines

posted in: Lambing Season 0

  There is a nip in the night air and the color on the distant mountains is turning from green to shades of red, orange, and gold. The change of season perpetuates the rhythms of farm life. One leads into the next. Time is marked by these rhythms and routines. Fall becomes “breeding season”, winter becomes “our slow time”, spring … Read More

The Heart Work of Shepherding

posted in: Lambing 7

  shepherding ~ a person who tends and rears sheep. The past two weeks have been one of those heart wrenching times when shepherding has not been easy, when the tears flow gently. The dictionary makes the job of shepherding sound so cut and dry, so black and white. It does not talk about the heart work of shepherding-the clinging … Read More

Helpful Tips for Shepherds During Lambing

posted in: Lambing Season 5

Phew! Despite the whirl wind of activity the past two weeks, I have learned two helpful tips for shepherds this lambing season. Our lambing began on March 15, one day after our big snowstorm, and ended this past Wednesday. The day before the storm, we worked feverishly to tighten up our old barn. With lambs due any day, and wind … Read More

Sheep and Winter Storms

posted in: Sheep Antics 0

I am often asked how my sheep can survive the harsh Vermont winter storms. Yesterday our first big snow storm hit with a vengeance. We woke to swirling snow, subzero wind chills, and deep snow banks.  With proper shelter and feed, our sheep have no difficulty with these winter conditions and cold temperatures. Proper Shelter Well ventilated…protection from wind…plenty of space … Read More

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