Hypothermia – having an abnormally low body temperature. Though our lambing season usually falls near the end of March, we can still have bitter cold weather until the second or third week of April. When ewes go into labor, we focus on keeping lambs warm. Hypothermia often causes death in new lambs. It can often go unnoticed and slowly takes … Read More
Ask the Shepherd: How should I have my wool processed? Should I make roving or yarn? What mill should I use? Recently, I have been contacted by several people, who have fiber farms or are first time shepherds, asking me the same question, “How should I process my wool?” Some of them have Gotland sheep and some have other breeds. … Read More
Fiber artists clamber to get their hands on the lustrous Gotland curls. Felters, doll makers, and hand spinners all enjoy digging their hands into a lovely curly fleece. As a shepherd, it is my job to know how to properly skirt a Gotland fleece. This is one of my most important tasks on the farm. Our … Read More
There seems to be an art to preparing show lambs for the ring. Go to any sheep show and you will quickly begin to realize that each shepherd has their own way of getting their sheep ready for the judge, from how they trim their sheep, condition their wool and clean their feet to how they handle them in the … Read More
We have begun to synchronize our sheep breeding season with the use of a CIDR (Controlled Internal Drug Release). A couple of years ago I had a ewe that did not get bred the previous season. A friend and fellow shepherd suggested that I use a CIDR to force her into estrus. A CIDR is a applicator that is … Read More
