I was wondering how many of you raise sheep. We have a flock of 50 here in New York. Mostly Horned Dorsets, Tunis ( all registered) and a few Romney's, both white and natural colored. We sell market lambs, breeding stock and wool yarn and wool quilt batts, sheepskins, and blankets. Am working on increasing a mail order business via my website www.sheepyvalley.com Would love to share sheep related news with other shepherds.

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), February 19, 2001

Answers

Kate, Love the name SheepyValley! I am hoping to start my flock in the next year and would love to be able to correspond with you and share experiences! I am still uncertain what breed I am looking for but am leaning toward Cotswolds. I know where I can purchase breeding stock locally. I have been looking into the breed, which I find very attractive, but I can't find out how well suited they are to dual purpose. Mostly want for meat but would enjoy learning to spin.

-- Alison in Nova Scotia (aproteau@istar.ca), February 19, 2001.

Kate please add your web addy to my site http://communities.msn.com/Countrysidefriendspictures We are just starting with sheep .A friend of mine will be shearing this year as alot of people are throwing there wool away because its not worth selling .I'm in St Lawrence county.She sends it away to be spun into yarn and can sell every bit of it .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), February 19, 2001.

Hi,

We have sheep-we started with brecknock hill cheviots and a shetland, but are also owners of some crosses-a spinners flock is what we have. We have one colored Romney as well. Our flock is at the moment 11, but lambing begins in two weeks-so we are on the increase!

We are into spinning and one day weaving, and what we hope to do is narrow down our breeds and sell breeding stock. though I enjoy the crosses so much I will probably always have a few around.

Sarah

-- Sarah (heartsongacres@juno.com), February 19, 2001.

I'm still in the sheep business, so far today. I'm the one that had the prolapse and flock wide infection with abortions earlier. As of the last count I've got 10 healthy sheep (polled dorsets for meat and wool), two more with prolapse, and one that is VERY sick and will probably die today. I've tried everything with her . . . just don't know what else to do.

The good news is I'm less than 10 days from lambing and they are looking much better than a week ago. I took one of the dead ewe's (all three that died tried to abort) to Michigan State University and 10 days after delivering the animal finally got a report that told me what it wasn't (except they did say it was a severe uterian/placenta infection and some had the starting of pnemonia, but what caused the infection I haven't a clue). Really don't know what caused the abortion storm, prolapse is probably because my ewe's were to fat, I've treated them to well. Feel like I have the situation under control finally.

I guess this goes down as a learning experience. Will not be feeding grain until less than a month before lambing next year. Any sign of illness, off feed and sluggish, the LA200 comes out. Hopefully my vet will be able to decifer something from the report from the university and help me pinpoint the cause of this very expensive ordeal. (MSU autopsy, 2 vet calls, and meds)

I really enjoy the sheep, we have become very close the last couple weeks and I think I'll try to stay in the business. I think it can be a profitable venture, if I can keep everybody healthy. Had debated the pros and cons of vaccinating, etc. and trying to stay with less chemicals but this experience has proven to me that, with sheep at least, you need to be on a strict worming, vacinating program.

Has anyone else out there had losses this season? Several people around here have had some strange illness and losses this winter.

Saved two fleeces to take to Zelingers in Frankenmuth to have made into bats. Looking forward to sleeping under wool next winter.

-- Betsy K (betsyk@pathwaynet.com), February 19, 2001.

Yes, we have lost several animals this winter, though not sheep. Seems like I found a dead pot-bellied pig every time I went outside for a couple weeks there...very depressing. I think we lost 8 out of about 20 pigs. Some were old, some got thin & died quick, others went quite unexpectedly. Seems to be over now, thank God. I think that no matter what animals you raise or for what reason, losing a number of them with no obvious cause is just maddening! It would be worse, though, losing pregnant moms. I'll be curious to find out if you ever learn what was really happening in your flock.

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), February 19, 2001.

Check out the archive - this board is a great place to talk sheep!

-- David C (fleece@eritter.net), February 20, 2001.

Hi all

I see I'm the only hair sheep producer and all you guys have woolies, which I had and got rid of. Hair sheep are great, no shearing, no tail docking,lower in fat and they're hardier, at least this gang is. They have a greater worm resistance, I deworm only once twice a year when it's needed, and they don't get any vaccinates. I do know living this far north(only 5 hr south of the Yukon border) helps control a lot of bugs and even with the cold, my animals thrive, and they are orginally from Barbados. With not having to shear or dock tails, I don't have any problem with prolapses and no stress abortions. These girls are beautiful, the meat is great, they are really low maintence. The only drawback is they are slow growing, but then with these you don't get that mutton flavored meat because they have less fat as adults, and it is hard to tell the difference between a lamb chop or an adult lamb chop(other than size). Friend raises texels, and there is no comparision, hers are meat animals in no time flat but mine are easier to care for and healthier than hers, she has to feed hers special, and vaccinate, while mine are organic. I know hair sheep is not for everyone, but they are what I want. Godd luck lambing, I have to wait for warmer weather(lambing in May)before I see little ones. Anne

-- Anne Bennett (barbados_anne40@hotmail.com), February 20, 2001.

Anne, I tried to e-mail you regarding your hair sheep. I have Romney and Romney cross, only 3 ewes at this time. Am hoping to get some baby girls, have two little boys so far. I was interested in cost of the hair sheep. I have not seen any around here, I live in Knighttown, IN. I finally found someone, beside me, to shear my few at a reasonable cost. It takes me forever and he zips through in no time at all. Please drop me a line.

I do like my sheep and I think I am lucky with my ram in that he is a big pet and the only time I have any problem with him is breeding season. In fact he is a big help, if my miniature bull is acting up, JB butts him. . . sort of my protector. (Thankfully my bull only get frisky once in a while, but I always keep an eye open when working among any of my animals. My girls have not had any problem with having babies so far, knock on wood. . . hope I'm not overdoing the feed! I did have a bottle lamb last year. Thought maybe mom did not have enough milk so that is why I have been giving the grain. Mom is due again in a few weeks, I'll know then.

-- Phyllis Warman (phyllis.warman@twcable.com), February 21, 2001.

Hello sheep lovers! We have 20 ewes which are lambing right now. Four have lambed so far.Twins and triplets too. We had one prolapse and the twin lambs did not survive. Also, have 7 bottle lambs. Most of these are dorset/polypay/suffolk crosses. We raise mainly to market the lambs as feeders. We live in NE South Dakota brrr... We both work fulltime jobs in town and then come home to work on the 59 acre homestead we purchased three years ago.

JoAnn

-- JoAnn (jonehls@excite.com), February 21, 2001.

We sold off almost all our sheep when we moved last fall but I miss them! I was just thinking today that if I could only have one animal on the homestead I think it would be sheep. We've raised them for 6 years. Mostly Clun Forest with some crossbreds to various other breeds (Dorset, Southdown and Cotswold). We currently have two Southdown ewes and one ram. They lambed yesterday and today and now we have three ewe lambs. Nothing cuter than a Southdown lamb! As soon as we are settled on a new farmstead (which we are in the process of trying to find) I'll be wanting some more Cluns. They're the breed for me. Becky, I hear Frankenmuth woolen mill does a nice job. Do you live near them? Am I remembering right - are they in WI? I'm in nw IL.

-- Amy (gshep@aeroinc.net), February 22, 2001.

There are two woolen mills in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Zelingers is the one I use and they have done a fine job. If your curious about prices their web site is http://www.zwool.com. Will be taking a couple fleeces there this spring to have made into bats for coverlet and mattress pad. Frankenmuth is about 1 1/2 hours from me but they go to a lot of the fiber festivals around the state. I like to support them because they are really supportive of the sheep industry in Michigan.

-- Betsy K (betsyk@pathwaynet.com), February 23, 2001.

Does anyone know where I could get my wool made into blankets? Bartlettyarns in Maine takes it in trade for blankets, but they are from another mill, not your own wool. I have had comforter batts done at Zeilingers...very good job. I saw, several years ago, an article of a young man buying his grandfathers abandoned blanket mill in Pennsylvania snd starting it up again, but can't find it now. Any other leads to his or any other mills that do custom work would be appreciated. I want to do about 200 lbs with this years clip. Wool prices are again depressed this year.(Too much wool stockpiled from New Zealand and Australia) Last year, when our wool pool was not held (for first time in 30 years) due to very low prices, I made a major investment and had lots of comforter batts done at Zeilingers.

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), February 23, 2001.

Allot of people are throwing there wool out because of prices. A friend of mine has hers done into yarn and can sell all of it plus ! She is shearing this year and will no doubt get a bunch free.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), February 23, 2001.

The place in Pennsylvania I believe went under. I corresponded with the man about having some blankets done but it was going to cost me $3000-4000 to have them made and although I would have lots of blankets I just did not have that money at that time. That was in May of '97 and in Sept.'97 he was no longer accessible. I have had some blankets made in PEI by Maccauslands and I like them very much. I want to try Eldorado in Texas next.I have approximately 200 sheep of leicester, icelandic, shetland,finn and lincoln breeding. I am presently going into the Scottish Blackface and have registered stock. I am looking for a black Cotswold ram. I think the most beautiful wool I ever seen/had is Finn/Cotswold although Borderleiseter is very close.I also have colored and white angoras and cashgoras. I was more active in fiber affairs 3-4 years ago but because I am finishing a degree as a family nurse practioner I am lucky just to be able to take care of my flock and stock with my husband.I have two Newcombs Weavers Delight flying shuttle looms I bought several years ago. I have never used them and one is in excellent condition and the other needs work. Has anyone woven yarn on one of these? The brochure talks about felting wool and cutting it into strips and using it as a warp. Anyone out there had any experience with this type of loom? Thanks for this site. Love to hear from any of you. By the way, yesterday I was at the feed store attempting to buy tetracycline eye ointment for my kittens and the man there thought I needed it for my goats and sheep and recommended Today (cephapirin sodium)intrammary infusion to use . He said that some goat raisers swear by it for eye infections. It is in a petroleum base and much ,much cheaper than the above mentioned. I am going to try it if,the Lord forbid, I get eye infections in my stock. ---Terry Lipe

-- Terry Lipe (elipe@fidnet.com), May 25, 2001.