I have recently found you and become completely obsessed. Your content is so informative and kind of homey if that makes sense and isn’t creepy 😂 Thank you for posting!
Thanks Elizabeth! I was so glad it was one of our more tame ewes. It took some time, but bottle babies take A LOT of time so it was worth it. Plus, mamas milk is always better when it’s available. 👍🏻 Thanks for your support! -the Shepherdess
Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts. Appreciate your commitment to God. Praying for your safety, strength, health and success. Blessings to all your efforts in serving Our Father. ☝️🙏🙌👉...
In my area there is a long wait to get an appointment with slaughterhouse. You may want to consider booking some appointments now for this fall. Good luck.
Very true on that front. I may be forced to go with my plan of overwintering these guys for spring processing. Thanks for putting the bug in my ear! -the Shepherdess
We had a first timer that wanted to kill her lamb, and we put her in a jug with her lamb on a halter. Still had to hold her once, but the lamb wore her down trying to nurse and now they're bonded. 16 foot hog panels are good inexpensive jugs. We just bend them. Nothing fancy. Learned it from a good neighbor.
This is a great tip. We’ll probably use it for future lambing. We were fortunate that this was one of our gentler ewes... we have some in the flock that probably would need the jug setup. -the Shepherdess
I like the new pasture plans. The 3 day rotation sounds like less work moving the flock and the paddock near cover and close to the house is definitely convenient. I have a similar setup near our barn. It has an adjoining barn yard with good grass. My 5 cows are the same way when calving. When you see one missing, you know to go look for a cow in labor off by itself. ps.. loved the "Lambpede" haha.
Yes! Every 3 days is much more sustainable. I was edging towards burnout with the 24 hour shifts. 😅 The lambpedes have only gotten better since the rest of the flock dropped... better than TV most nights. 😂 Thanks for your support! -the Shepherdess
Thanks Ivan! Won’t give any spoilers, but I am super excited for the way lambing ended. 😍 Hope to post the concluding vid with all my stats next week. -the Shepherdess
Lambpede rofl I love that. Good job Grace, they all look great. I hope ewe meet your goals, 😆. Building the flock numbers takes more patience than I have. I started with 14, currently at 29 so I'm adding 40 more in August. 2 new guard puppies coming in here in a few days in preparation for a larger flock. Goal is three to four hundred eventually. I'll get there sooner or later.
200 has me beat! 80 quality breeders by year 7 is my goal. Gotta find some more land, so it’s slow and steady for now. 👍🏻 Thanks for your support. The lambpedes have only gotten better since the rest of the flock dropped. 🙌🏻🐑 -the Shepherdess
I have one that the mom rejected this week. She wont let it suck unless I'm in the pen with her. When they go out to pasture she has nothing to do with it. It's a tough game. But it has 4 days of first milk, although I had to hold the mom down while the baby sucked.
That first 4 days is going to really help! We had a lamb that was rejected and did NOT get enough of that. Died pretty quick once on pasture. -the Shepherdess
Not yet, but it certainly has been more nerve wracking with so many little guys on pasture. We have a pretty tight 6”hog panel perimeter fence and 3 dogs (1 full grown and 2 up-n-coming guard pups). Praying it’s enough to get these lambs grown without trouble. 🙏🏻 -the Shepherdess
I know you've talked about how originally you looked at starting the farm with beef cows but went with sheep because it makes more financial sense but did you run the numbers for any other animals? If so, which?
Pork and chicken would offer a much faster cash flow than sheep. I ended up going with sheep because I not only see a huge amount of marketability in the meat and live animals, but I also really love being a shepherdess. I think to be in it for the long term it’s important to enjoy the animal that you are sacrificing normal life for. 😂 If I was to go purely for quick cash flow I’d definitely do broiler chickens and pork. At some point I may stack those items into my farm for diversity of income, but sheep will be my main enterprise. Thanks for commenting! Hope this helps. -the Shepherdess
No, I consider it bad genetics if the growth rate is slow. However I do not retain rams with bad markings for my breeding program. Thank you for the comments! -the Shepherdess
💞 Good morning.
The wee lamb is so sweet. It's so good you took the time with the lamb. Have a blessed day.
He really has become a favorite... and is really thriving! 🐑😍
Have a beautiful day, Patricia!
-the Shepherdess
@@theShepherdess thank you. You as well.
I have recently found you and become completely obsessed. Your content is so informative and kind of homey if that makes sense and isn’t creepy 😂
Thank you for posting!
Today my mind not good but your videos see some happy now at this moment
I am very glad to hear it. 👍🏻
-the Shepherdess
Thank for your reply comment
Boss now you online at this time
🇧🇩🇧🇩🇧🇩👍👍👍wish/congratulations from Bangladesh
Yea boss
This is an excellent example of training the ewe to be his mom.
Thanks Elizabeth! I was so glad it was one of our more tame ewes. It took some time, but bottle babies take A LOT of time so it was worth it. Plus, mamas milk is always better when it’s available. 👍🏻
Thanks for your support!
-the Shepherdess
😊 have loved watching your channel grow. Happy to be your first Patron 😃
I think you believed in the channel before I did! 😅 thanks for your support, means A LOT and has kept me going.
Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts. Appreciate your commitment to God. Praying for your safety, strength, health and success. Blessings to all your efforts in serving Our Father. ☝️🙏🙌👉...
Thank you very much, sir! Your prayers are so greatly appreciated.
-the Shepherdess
Great job adjusting your plan based on the observed needs of the ewes and lambs. Lambs are so so so cute. God bless you.
That ram lamb close up was great, he's quite the hunk. Great update, well done!
Thanks very much! I was pretty excited about that guy... and barely a month old. 👌🏻
Appreciate your support!!
-the Shepherdess
In my area there is a long wait to get an appointment with slaughterhouse. You may want to consider booking some appointments now for this fall. Good luck.
Very true on that front. I may be forced to go with my plan of overwintering these guys for spring processing.
Thanks for putting the bug in my ear!
-the Shepherdess
Thanks for watching the ewes’ response to lambing. You be doing good!
God’s grace and your encouragement getting me through one day at a time! Thank you, Sir, as always!
-the Shepherdess
It does take a community to accept and teach us.
We had a first timer that wanted to kill her lamb, and we put her in a jug with her lamb on a halter. Still had to hold her once, but the lamb wore her down trying to nurse and now they're bonded. 16 foot hog panels are good inexpensive jugs. We just bend them. Nothing fancy. Learned it from a good neighbor.
This is a great tip. We’ll probably use it for future lambing. We were fortunate that this was one of our gentler ewes... we have some in the flock that probably would need the jug setup.
-the Shepherdess
I like the new pasture plans. The 3 day rotation sounds like less work moving the flock and the paddock near cover and close to the house is definitely convenient. I have a similar setup near our barn. It has an adjoining barn yard with good grass. My 5 cows are the same way when calving. When you see one missing, you know to go look for a cow in labor off by itself. ps.. loved the "Lambpede" haha.
Yes! Every 3 days is much more sustainable. I was edging towards burnout with the 24 hour shifts. 😅
The lambpedes have only gotten better since the rest of the flock dropped... better than TV most nights. 😂
Thanks for your support!
-the Shepherdess
It's looking great. Hopefully you'll meet your breeder numbers and have the flock growth you're looking for. Awesome!
Thanks Ivan! Won’t give any spoilers, but I am super excited for the way lambing ended. 😍 Hope to post the concluding vid with all my stats next week.
-the Shepherdess
@@theShepherdess awesome, excited to see how the season stacked up.
Lambpede rofl I love that.
Good job Grace, they all look great. I hope ewe meet your goals, 😆.
Building the flock numbers takes more patience than I have. I started with 14, currently at 29 so I'm adding 40 more in August. 2 new guard puppies coming in here in a few days in preparation for a larger flock. Goal is three to four hundred eventually. I'll get there sooner or later.
200 has me beat! 80 quality breeders by year 7 is my goal. Gotta find some more land, so it’s slow and steady for now. 👍🏻
Thanks for your support. The lambpedes have only gotten better since the rest of the flock dropped. 🙌🏻🐑
-the Shepherdess
@@theShepherdess Slow and steady has its advantages.
Good stuff! Excellent info!
Thank you very much! Appreciate your support. 👌🏻
-the Shepherdess
Doing a great job Grace! Keep on keepin' on, friend!🙌🏻🌱You really are a good sheep- mom😅🐑
Lol! I love it. These sweet little guys make me forget all the difficulty that came before.
Thank you Jandre!
-the Shepherdess
I have one that the mom rejected this week. She wont let it suck unless I'm in the pen with her. When they go out to pasture she has nothing to do with it. It's a tough game. But it has 4 days of first milk, although I had to hold the mom down while the baby sucked.
That first 4 days is going to really help! We had a lamb that was rejected and did NOT get enough of that. Died pretty quick once on pasture.
-the Shepherdess
Hi did you happen to be in Lampasas today?
Great job. You continue to amaze me. Keep up the good work.
Any problems with predators?
Not yet, but it certainly has been more nerve wracking with so many little guys on pasture. We have a pretty tight 6”hog panel perimeter fence and 3 dogs (1 full grown and 2 up-n-coming guard pups). Praying it’s enough to get these lambs grown without trouble. 🙏🏻
-the Shepherdess
I know you've talked about how originally you looked at starting the farm with beef cows but went with sheep because it makes more financial sense but did you run the numbers for any other animals? If so, which?
Pork and chicken would offer a much faster cash flow than sheep. I ended up going with sheep because I not only see a huge amount of marketability in the meat and live animals, but I also really love being a shepherdess.
I think to be in it for the long term it’s important to enjoy the animal that you are sacrificing normal life for. 😂
If I was to go purely for quick cash flow I’d definitely do broiler chickens and pork. At some point I may stack those items into my farm for diversity of income, but sheep will be my main enterprise.
Thanks for commenting! Hope this helps.
-the Shepherdess
Are you seelling the lambs as breeding stock or processing them?
Selling breeding stock! Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter if you are interested.
-the Shepherdess
👍
When your Dorpers have weird coloring do you take that as bad genetics or is it not?
No, I consider it bad genetics if the growth rate is slow. However I do not retain rams with bad markings for my breeding program.
Thank you for the comments!
-the Shepherdess
SHRIMP!!!