What I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Sheep Farm: Vlog 126
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- In typical Sandi style, my last February FAQ is done in March.
What do I wish I knew before starting a sheep farm?
A question I get asked a lot...
Everyday, I could find another thing I wish I knew... but learning is part of the fun (most days...)
Here is a list of my big 'aha' moments.
What things do YOU wish you knew before you became a sheep farmer?
#sheep #beginner #farmer
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So proud to see a Canadian woman in farming! "Keep Calm and Carry ON" I think you are doing a terrific job!
Thanks Rebecca!!
THIS! This is why I subscribed to your channel and the reason I stay. You are so real and down to earth. There's no "keeping up with the Joneses". You give me the facts straight from the hip and I appreciate that more than I can say. You have a similar work ethic to me and I relate to you so much. Thank you for what you do! Blessings to you and your family! ♥️
I love this! Thank you so much Renee!
I totally agree with EVERYTHING she said..."The real deal, reality" is what I look for
You just gained a new subscriber! I just made it through my first lambing season (4 lambs in total)! Thank you for your inspiration, honesty, and keeping it real!
I just found your video. I am praying God will bless you with good health for you and your animals. You are truly amazing.
thanks so much Ronda!
Thank you so much for this video Sandi. After working as on a dairy farm and as zookeeper for 5 years, I'm about to start my new job at a mixed dairy farm, including sheep. Your vlog has thought me soooo much already. It is such a relieve to see that it is completely normal and ok to have the feeling of 'not knowing what I'm doing' at the start and learn as I go. You definitely calmed down my nerves. Thank you so much. Fingers crossed I and the lambs will get through our first winter lambing season in two weeks time. Greetings from Germany.
Oh Sandi, I think you have the most beautiful lambs and sheep - I really do! Their eyes are just gorgeous. AND, as a classical singer, voices mean a lot to me - and I love listening to all the different voices in your flock - they're as expressive as your voice. You are, indeed, a wonderful story teller!! Yours in Gratitude
Having just watched this, I am sooo impressed by how 'real' you are with all this. I have a small number of sheep on a small acreage property, and you've opened my eyes to my first lambing in a few weeks. I just wanted to say a big thank you, and wish you all the best for your efforts.
Thank you! We are getting dairy sheep (e fresian) on the homestead end of next month.
Sandi, you have many legit points of- if I knew.. we all have.
but don’t be too hard on yourself, you are doing a beautiful job for one energetic farmer!!
No farmer on this universe is running his flock smoothly, despite being a sheep Proffesor.
And.. it’s a stressful responsibility.
Hard to trust someone to cover for you with the intensive precise feeding, lambing, and more, so you are exhausting yourself to a mental breakdown.
You need to get a good worker, it’s part of the investment when you are reaching certain flock size.
I wish I’ll listen to myself too:)
You're so right! I have some part time help and its wonderful, but so hard when its inconsistent. Each day changes so much during lambing that I often can't even explain what I've done, and what to check for when I'm gone! I'm trying hard to fix that... Thank you!
@@SandiBrock Hello 👋
Sandi, thank you. Seriously...THANK YOU!!
Hubby and I have a small farm out here in Alberta and he’s been all gung ho to run sheep. Ours is a third gen farmland & his grandfather ran sheep, so he’s had ridiculously “romantic” and unrealistic ideas to run sheep again out here. I grew up helping with lambing, calving, and foaling and know all too well just HOW stressful and frankly heartbreaking it can all be, not to mention the backbreaking work involved. As much as I love your videos, I personally do NOT want to have lots of sheep. They’re lovely, but I KNOW the risks and the OMG stress that comes with it. Your videos have really helped to bring home reality to my husband - I have the same work ethic as you, and am not at all frightened of bloody hard work...but we aren’t spring chickens anymore and I really needed to inject some realism into his plans.😉
This and your other videos have really helped with that, but especially this one. Too many don’t talk about all these aspects of it all, and sheep aren’t all that common in west-central Alberta for good reasons! (Just trying to keep them alive and healthy in the winters here is hard enough, good grief!!)
Thank you for being so real and HONEST!! ❤️
Being a farmer isnt easy and its definitely not for everyone. Good luck with your lambs and crops this season.
Thank you!!
As for someone like me who is just starting out in the sheep industry, this is so great to see. Thank you for sharing your experience with us Sandi! ❤️
Thanks Alana!!!
I enjoyed your confessions If there is a new way of dying a sheep will find it. Thanks for sharing.
What a beautiful explanation! I would have been as blissfully ignorant of issues, if not worse, if I were you. I certainly understand why they like having you as a speaker. You are open, honest, and caring. Best of luck with your farm in these trying times.
HI some advice on lambing and this is 30 years experance talking dont expect to much take what comes ,, it is what it is ..you have good days and you will get bad days ... enjoy it .. hard when you have just discoverd a lamb drowned in a bucket of water or the mum has lay down on it and killed it... i doe enjoy lambing , yes its long hours ,,, the best bit is going of for a check with my dogs and just sitting there watching a the lambs running about knowing i have done a good job... do the best you can is all you can do,, your doping ok kid stick at it
YES!! you've totally captured how I feel...
Good for you for being honest, most people will not talk about mistakes. Honesty and integrity are becoming a lost trait in farmers in general. Keep your head up! God bless
Thank you!
First off, you have beautiful teeth! Lol
2nd I love how real you are with all the viewers, farm life really sucks somtimes and sugar coating it does no one any good! Love this channel!
Wow! Thank you! after just finishing my second round of braces in my life, thats so nice to hear!!
And yes. I want to show the good and the bad. When we only show good, we start comparing ourselves to realities that just aren't attainable.
Hate that...
Yes ma’am! Well you keep doing your thing! Definitely will be watching all the adventures
Sandi, you probably would learn anything, except for the death part. You are, definately a wonder woman !! Care and loving your lambs as much as you do and responcible for everything else is magic!!!
Hi, I am amazed how well you keep the sheep, especially helping them out during lambing when they are in pain. Here in Australia the sheep are left in the open in the rain and cold and give birth to lambs all alone. The farmers are not so hands on like you. The lambs and mothers dont even have a roof over there head, the motherless lambs simply die (15 lac a year). And during autumn they really struggle for feed and starve. So I would say you are the most compassionate, caring, hands on sheep farmer I have ever seen. Australia needs to learn a thing or two from you.
Thank you! I will say, Australia does so many things better in breed improvement and efficiencies than us. They would likely look at my operation and know that the return just isn't there to capitalize as heavily as we did. But thank you!
@@SandiBrock I say good karma is the biggest return u r getting. And thats what matters the most.
This is me commenting from the future. You make it look so easy! You are gracious, humble, competent, hardworking, positive and devoted :) I'd love to come and spend a day with you in the barn!
You have a very good video and i enjoyed it. I am 67. I was raised on a farm and have raised cows, goats, sheep, pigs, turkey, geese ducks, muscovy, chickens, rabbits quineas, quail oh ya horses. And i don't care, your good, but, you can spend 100 years and still be learning an text book every day. I lost a whole herd of goats after raising goats for 50 years and never having a major problem and in 5 days all gone. Keep up the good work your flock is beautiful. Best to you and hope you don't take everything personally. Blessings from PA.
Thanks so much Ronald! And you know me well... I take everything personally. LOL!
U r very hard on yourself, u r so strong!!
Your an awesome inspiration xxx
I just started watching and I have learned more information than I think you realize you know! You're doing awesome! There are no mistakes only lessons! Thank you!
you are doing so great ! the way you are feeling about your job is the same way everybody feel about there jobs ! but you need a good cup of coffee and some dark chocolate and you will feel a good kick of positivity 😀👍👍👍👍👍
Thats my kind of positivity!!! Thank you!!!
Your doing well
Been there wrote the book.I feel your pain.You think you're doing it right then you lose a bunch of lambs.Thank God for the internet and good vets .I've learned lots and know there is more to come.I'm in my 30 year of sheep farming and this year I said I was getting out but now I look at them and know i would be lost without them.Your right you learn as you go along and just when you get it all figured out another problem comes along.Like you I've seen many tears but some of those were ones I brought back to life.Thank you for reminding me how hard it is and how rewarding at the same time.Happy lambing!!!
Thanks Shawna!!
Thank you so much! I am personally starting a flock myself and this was super helpful.
This is excellent. I have had sheep for 4 years and agree 100% on health and biosecurity. I bought many of my problems.
I also started raising sheep 7 years ago, very different level and conditions but I could relate to every thing you said. Thanks for sharing,good job, I'm going to watch more videos to try to see your dog :)
Thanks Jorge!
When starting I disaffected area the whole shed, shear wool because control lice spraying backline, vaccines use, foot bath their feet, treat pink eye, weight sheep and pening size. Yes you right about lambing n nutrients for feed. I had work in fallowing shed at piggery n work on dairy stripping teat and them have colostrum available that’s tested helps. Our family been farming for years n have change our practices when problems arise like foot bathing but does help n we now have agronomist on hand for stock health, breeding n wool sales. With our sheep been bred for meat n wool, did woolclassing n shearing course which has help post shearing in saving flock from exposed fly strike. I hope this helps anyone in sheep industry👍
Thanks Jamie! I didn't mention it on this video as it was already too long, but I took a great course for two years that helped me so much at that critical 2-3 year mark of my sheep farming career. I honestly am not sure I'd be still here without it!
I'm not a farmer but watching every single of your videos. Loving all your animals and have learned a lot from you.
Thank you for all your work. Looking up every day for your new videos in this quarantine time ❤
I really surprised that how you can manage and run this much huge fram ...i really admire your job and i hope i can work at your fram and learn from you and your experience. And one day i can start my own fram. Thanks sandy please keep making more videos...
Thanks!
Great video. We just started and purchased a Cheviot Ram. All will be on pastures and woods. Setting up a strategic health plan w great Veterinary. Thanks so much.
Sounds like a solid plan!! I have a friend who does her flock very similar to this!
I burst out laughing and died when you described the lambs as “pretzels”
Sandi, I have watched a number of your videos and I am not a farmer or sheep expert but I can honestly say that you are amazing. You are smart and always willing to learn and a hard worker so you are a wonderful, human, sheep farmer and I think you underestimate yourself-- You are a natural and I would bet that you would be a natural at anything you would take on because you are intelligent, down to earth, humane and very clever.
Hahaha. Thank you had goats for a few years, seemed pretty bomb proof. Tried sheep , lambing was heartbreaking, lost one . Syringe fed another one for 2 days every hour till it was strong enough for a bottle. Even after just one loss I'm definitely terrified of the next lambing season it was so heartbreaking
Once you realize that you have animal die no matter what you do on the farm and make the decision to keep farming knowing that it gets easier. Just went outside and a old hen dead that was fine just one hour ago. Think it was old age. She was the lead hen. Will miss her. ...but just got a new calf. Such is life.
Thank you so much for your transparency. I have sheep and love them but it has been a bumpy road as I have made mistakes and learned the hard way on different issues. Makes me feel not so alone. May God bless your hands and your ventures.
Watching your video make me learn so much, thank you Sandi.
Keep up the good work Sandi.
Thanks!
One thing I learned with foaling and calving is you HAVE TO BE THERE, and since I had a "real job" I'd have friends, neighbors dropping by during the day to at least check. They weren't animal people but they were concerned, and alert. (I need "Lerts") It sound like during lambing you should get a crew like Scouts?, 4-H, a protege, at least on stand by and learning curve, so you can alt least take a quick nap or lower your stress!!!
I don’t know anything about lambing but just watching your passion for lambing and the strength to carry on and just better your flick makes me stay with your channel and not jump around trying to get educated!!! Love watching you with your flock !!! Thanks
Learning more and more because of you. Thank you!
Oh thank you!!!
Omg, my dad has a sheep farm, I had no idea it could be this overwhelming!! They're a different breed, I had no clue. I'm not involved at all. I do remember him mentioning things like what you just said to my mom. Eg. he is now working with vets to breed or select sheep that would have 2 or more babies per birth, he didn't think about that when he started, they usually had 1 maybe 2 babies per birth; I think he is working on having them giving birth at around the same time, in batches; now is keeping track of their weight to see what works best and how they're doing, etc., he was new to all these, he is retired and started his farm to keep working and have more income, I will watch more of your videos to know more about what he is doing. I believe he has around 300 sheeps now. I find it very interesting. Thank you.
Wow! what a great way to be involved (or at least know what he's talking about! LOL) it sounds like he's on a very similar path as me!
The little black lamb is adorable.
Thanks for the info. I have learned a lot from you. I appreciate your willingness to share your farming experiences. I think the sheep do too but it's hard to tell.
LOL! Thank you!
I think I have bing watched all of your videos the one that got me hooked was "farming with my spouse and we are still married" my wife and i farm and ranch together WOW working cows together bless her little heart, explaining how to operate a center pivot safety override over the phone (our pivot repair dude doubles as a marriage counselor on Sunday afternoons)
your comment about things you wish you would have known, we started in on cows very green i've made huge mistakes that have cost me lots of money you wana crawl in a hole and cry but there are 10 more thing that you must get done before the parent teacher meeting that started ten min. ago.
the things you learn is better than a college degree, tuition can be a little high but you start learning pretty fast when baby calves are 500 each and if you can help someone else avoid or work through something you have dealt with its almost all worth it
thanks for all the videos
M
Thank you so much for this message!! You're so right. Some things can't exactly be taught in school, but learned in practice. I guess thats why I'm doing this channel... so we can all learn together!
One tip I use a cut off plastic barrel that is short enough for the ewe to see the babies but high enough the babies can't get out.Then I put two holes in it for a rope that way I pull the barrel with the rope and I don't have to walk backwards try to carry the babies
great tip!
Cody Creelman sent me your direction. We are getting ready to move. We will be 90 miles from the nearest Wal*Mart. We are looking forward to starting a flock of sheep. I have grown up around cows, but have been around sheep to know that I know NOTHING. I am thankful for your vlog! We look forward to learning and sharing our journey.
Well tell Cody Thank you for the referral!! (He's my fav...)
Good luck with your sheep journey... I too only knew (maybe still true today) that I know nothing... I guess thats why I'm sharing. So we can all learn this stuff together!!
My sheep are so different from yours. I've got a super small dairy flock and they are not flock focused. It's easy to move one on one.
Nutrition is my biggest struggle. Finding good quality feed for an affordable price around me is hard. I tried to stay as pasture focused as possible but then my flock outgrew my pasture.
Your flock looks great. I know there's are days that are hard, but you look like to see doing great.
Thanks Erika! Nutrition is so important, I hear ya! Especially dairy production... I give you credit girl!!
We are here to sheep and starting with 2 boys. One will be a ram the other a wether grow out.
This video helped ty!
great!
Sandy thank you so much for sharing - The tips are so valuable
Great!! I'm so glad they are helpful!
Learning curve....it happens to everyone dealing with livestock
What a amazing woman u r ! God bless u ! .
Here I deal with coccidiosis since this was a dairy before I sold cows. We have to use decox in mineral and a lot of bovatec in starter. Our changeable weather and mud is a huge issue. Sheep are not easy. But I love em anyway.
Hey Mindy... yes cocci can be a huge issue. We have bovatec in our creep feed and finishing pellet also as preventative.
Should I use Bovatec in a barn that had cattle ten years ago? I just got two four month old ewes.
Thank you for your advise!! I'm starting my sheep farm, I just bought my ewe with 2 lambs today :) I also started negerian goat herds and I have so many questions..
Hi..I am from India I need to start sheep farm could you give some tips please🙏+917019987463
down days give you clarity for the future, just heed your instinct. YOU CAN DO IT!
Thank you Sandra!
Thanks for posting this.
I am going to move to Montana in April 2020 and thinking about have 20 to 30 sheep on my property.
now 2022. Did you do it?
Hello from England just came across your channel and it made me smile because i know precisely how you feel at lambing time, we lamb 500 North country Cheviots here at sicklecroft farm in Yorkshire, we start lambing on the first of may every year outside on grass the flock is a closed flock and in doing so we have few health issues, also the flock receives no vaccinations. My lambing advice is this when you’re going through hell keep going ,in my personal experience people either get physically and mentally demoralised or get tremendously good at it and thrive on the pressure,100% is not enough it takes much more.🇬🇧👍
Hey Dave! Thanks so much for the message... I'm feeling much better this week, I think that first week is always the hardest. Then I push through and actually enjoy it. You're right... 100% doesn't quite cover it!
Hang in there girl your incredible and to work so hard and share so much is a great blessing. I just started in may 2018 with my first 8 ewes kathadins and 5 lambed successfully with l bottle lamb a triplet i am closer to 60 and exhausted but i love my 21 sheep and have 3 more ewes to go!
Awesome! Thank you!
Oh my goodness...this is me and my goats. Cattle farmer for life, but I got a wild hair to raise goats. I feel ya. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Heidi!
"Heidi" and "Goats" a hell of a combination...
Awesome video.
I appreciate why you made this video, and I will now find something else to do with my land.
Thanks.😉
Best vlog yet! So honest. I strongly agree to buy a small group of ewes from a health tested herd first n raise your own ewes from that healthy herd. Then u can start to cull for the traits you want to improve from within that closed flock. Get rams from the same type of healthy herd. If u r crossing the breeds u can get a lot of yrs out of the rams before u hv to replace them because of inbreeding. This keeps your herd the healthiest because they are mostly a closed herd. Unfortunately the downside of intense operations is little time in between lambing to disinfect. Also u can’t disinfect wood properly. If building again I’d use only steel for my feeders because of disinfecting problems.
Let’s face it, we all think it won’t happen to us. We know what we should have done, we just get excited and impatient. In livestock farming u have to be in it for the long haul. Many sheep farmers aren’t serious and are in it for only a few yrs. I applaud you for being in it for the long haul! It does get better ... the change to Glanvac n strict culling will help. Hang in there. You hv a lot of people rooting for you and no judgement. We’ve all been there with something we regret doing or not doing. You’re helping a lot of people with your vlogs.
Thank you so much for your kind words!! I needed that this week...
You are admirable the way you handle situations especially feeding and lambing. Congratulations
Hi Sandy. I am wanting to get two or three sheep just to Gray's down a half an acre of land that is fenced in and also to keep my donkey company. I don't want to breed him them, I just need grazers and Company. Goats are too much trouble and donkeys contrary to popular belief do not eat weeds. They don't eat clover they only eat grass. I have heard that Dorper Sheep do not need to be shorn, and sheep and eat Clover (true?) which is 90% of what's in the back area. Can you perhaps answer just these few basic questions 1. Ewes or whether. 2 I understand they cannot eat horse food because of the copper so the donkey will be eating either chicken pellets or sheep pellets. And since these are basically just backyard pets what shots would you recommend and should I get Lambs at what age or adults. Thank you very much and if you live in North Texas you're welcome to some free eggs because I farm chickens and Doberman puppies LOL
So you are right! Dorpers are quite popular because they don't need sheared, they shed naturally... As for donkey feed, you're also right to check for copper levels if the sheep could possibly be in contact with it. As for the shots, I would encourage you to discuss with your vet as each farm is different and carries their own unique bugs... If they are grazing, you'll likely need to talk to a vet anyway to discuss a potential de-worming strategy...
I'm way out of my element discussing grazing as my ewes are indoors...
But good luck and all the best!
@@SandiBrock no the donkey's feed requirements are grazing also. They are probably a lot alike in the feed aspect. You only give them concentrates if they cannot maintain condition on grazing alone. But donkeys are very versatile as to what they can eat you have to be careful on how much you give them not because they'll gain too much weight, but because they will colic. So thanks for the reply and I guess I won't hesitate to get a couple and just see how it goes. Good luck with yours. DG
I raise Katahdins and Katahdin/Dorper crosses and I have a hard time getting them to eat clover. They are picky eaters, and they waste grass and hay. We have cattle to clean up after them.
Thank you for this video
Just found your channel this week. Up until 3 weeks ago I had zero interest in farmers But now there are 6 channels on YT that I follow and 4 of them I am binge watching. Rather than start at the beginning as I usually do, for the farming channels I am starting About 1 year in the past and watching every video until I am up to date. Then I will decide whether to go back to the beginning which in some cases is over 7 years ago !
With your channel I think I started at vlog 115 or so and so far I am enjoying it a lot. My other farmers are corn/bean, hefers with farming for feed, dairy cows with farming for feed. You are the only sheep so far. Looking forward to learning everything you have to show us. Thanks for inviting us into your farm and letting us watch what you do.
(I am not noticing any videos associated with your channel. You really should add some ads and generate a few Canadian rubles for your lambs)
You need help WE are proud of you to keep up the great work you do.
Thanks so much David!
Just wanted to tell you how much we enjoy and have learned from you video's. Mostly appreciate your down to earth personality, as you relate to us the things that have caused you to stumble at times..............and we experience the same situations our selves. You make us see that it is not only us, but there are others such as your self, much more experienced than us, which helps us to see maybe we aren't alone. What an operation yu have there, and what a worker bee you are............Keep it up with the video's~! The wife and I both love to watch you various video's on sheep, but we can't always listen with microphone on, and must a lot of times listen with the close captions on, where they misspell so many words, it is easy to miss what you are actually sayings. We are only in our second year of sheep farming hair sheep, in Montana, and so you are a great help to us. And your wonderful smile no matter what you are involved in. Thank you.....Duane
Thank you so much Duane!! I guess thats why I started the channel... to connect with others experiencing the same things, frustrations, and feelings! Sometimes its nice to know we aren't alone!
Thanks for the info! we bought our first sheep in 2017 and are still learning. Good luck to you.
Thanks Angella! All the best!
I lost alot of kids this year because of the weather. It seems like no matter what you do, stuff always finds a way to go wrong. Finding animals that fit your management doesnt get pushed enough to beginners. I think alot of beginners dont even grasp that, at least i didnt. My thing is intensive pasturing my goats. I use 3 strands of polywire and move them alot. I cant have escape artists and troublemakers in my herd, and ive found that a good lead doe/matriarch is invaluable when its time to move them.
Thanks Bo! I totally agree! I've heard that having a good leader is very valuable in an outdoor system!
I live in South Africa, planning on starting up with sheep farming & super excited! I love that I discovered your channel just now - lots to learn... thanks!
I think you need more exposer. we Hispanics are always looking for good Sheep.
Awesome video Sandi. You are helping others avoid some of the challenges you had through these videos.
I hope so! Thank you so much Anita!
Hi Sandi your smile is awesome like you also your 🐑 is very healthy
Thank you!
If a sheep has too many colostrums, you can take that colostrum, freeze it in the freezer and then dissolve it and heat it to other less colostrum lambs.
You are awesome. I hope someday to be as successful as you with sheep farming.
What a multi-tasker you are. Great job
You’re Adorable Days Continue with more Mama’s giving Birth to New Bundles of Joy. ALL you can do is your Very Best but so many things are out of our control. GOD Continues to Run the Daily Show. You’re doing Great and it’s Very Clear you Love your Furry Creatures. 👍 GOD Bless! 🙏
What do you do with all the soiled straw from the barn? Is this the stuff that is turned into sheep manure compost
and sold in bags?
I can understand why people start up too fast. Costs money, look at the balance sheet, but the reality is infrastructure
costs a lot of money so profit is not seen for a while.
I've been watching more recent videos but am going back now to see the early ones.
Thanks for sharing your experiences , especially with lambing. We are 3 years into breeding a small flock of Icelandic sheep. One of the reasons we chose them is their supposed feral nature and ease of lambing. Let's just say, our first two lambings (once/yr) were "rough." Even our friend who's been breeding them for almost 30 years, confirmed we had way more than our fair share of bad l luck. However, this year is going much smoother. Again, thanks for your hard-earned wisdom.
Thanks Michael!! Sounds like you will also be a wealth of knowledge! Sometimes these hard starts prepare us quicker and keeps us from becoming complacent. (silver lining for the bad times?? LOL)
@@SandiBrock ...and now one of our founding ewes (3 y.o.) just died, 2 days post partum. Took her to the ag dept for necropsy. That came out of nowhere.
@@SandiBrock FWIW, ironically, the prelim necropsy looks like bloat with "copious corn in abomasum." I was really kicking myself in the butt about this, one but your video reminded me that it can happen to anyone, anytime. Thanks again for sharing your good and bad experiences. We can learn form both sides.
I have goats and did 4-H and even with my small herd that would have 2 to 3 goats kidding per year it is still a complete love hate relationship. When there are new people start out and are so excited for there first kidding season I always step back and smile at how blissful unsuspecting they are of the stress of trying to get the feel of when you should jump in and help or when you should wait and then trying to keep the babies alive in the first 24 hours especially.
Tbh i have considered haveing a farm with many animals on it dairy goats being one of them I honestly would probably be like that one overprotective parrent reading 500 thousands books and articles of how do to what needs to be done lol but oh god Lord knows the momant i have to step in is gonna be stressfull just like any pregnancy you would have to step in for
One tip get Welsh texels you barely do anything but check them and leave them on the field they lamb themselves !
Mamas don't care what color their babies are. Mamas normall love all of their lambs :) Thank you for sticking it out Sandi. You are good at this.
You are so loved, thank you for all you share🐑💜
Respect for you! I raise goats and still experience much of the same problems....
thank you!
Arcott and Chev X are awesome mothers and give multiple lambs. I had purebred Suffolk for many years and omg what a fight or problems. I had sheep for over 20 years. It was fun while it lasted but I haven't felt so free since I sold them all.
I bet!! They are a lot of work for sure!
@Sandi Brock SOMETHING ELSE you wish you could have known ahead of time... Time Traveler from 2022 here... Hang in there! Soon you will find a wonderful young woman named Carissa who will be your dependable “First Officer” and will be your light at the end of the tunnel. You will be able to go on vacations, and grow your RUclips channel due to being able to have time to edit! She will be someone you can trust with your flock, give you time to sleep, and time to eat, and will help you grow your business and get your life/time back. Good things are coming to you Sandi - don’t lose faith! Thousands of people all around the world will wait for you to post to your videos each time, and cheer you on as you do your daily routines and invite us to join you. You’ve become a teacher and a friend. You’ve changed a lot of lives, and encouraged thousands of people every day as you go along on your journey (By the way - you now have 550,000 subscribers and are growing at an amazing rate) Wipe those tears away kiddo, and smile - you are loved for just being YOU.
Stomach tube rather than bottle is the easier way to feed newborn lambs colostrum. You are correct about testing teats of lambed ewes but the more important thing is to check udders at weaning for those that have hard udders and lines in the middle of the teat. Generally not economic to have vets anywhere near sheep when you have experience
Great points!
Hi Sandy, your views on "new people joining farming" both difficulties vs income and initial investment vs break even point, I mean if everything goes well. Thank you and appreciate your work
Great vlog, thank you🙏🙏🙏
Thank you. Good luck!
Thanks!
my mom loves her catotons they have vary resistant to diseases and vary good easy lambers out of the 30 ewes we only had to help one and ended up bottle feeding 5, 3 because they were triplets and 2 because there mom rejected them. but mom has been vary selective in what she keeps after each year not just for space reasons but because she wants the good genetics and good moms to help the stressful lambing season go as smooth as possible
You're mom is a smart lady!!! Selecting moms to ease the stress of lambing is a key strategy. Well done!
Thank you for putting this out! I’m looking at putting together an agricultural business development plan and this sort of information is really helpful!
Thanks heaps for the video. :D
My pleasure!
Great vlog, you've taught me so much, thank you! First time lambing starting in 2 weeks. I'm shitting bricks.
LOL!!! Well, if you're ever feeling discouraged, you can watch any of my stuff and realize you're doing pretty awesome!!
That why I’ll stay with bees we had show lambs and they was a job
Wow glad it is not just us 😂😂😂😂
Definitely not just you!! LOL
I just found your channel and I am so interested! Thank you for putting all of this information out there. I really appreciate it!
Write a book about Lambing and what can go wrong: best seller possibly....may selling in Ag and Vetrinary schools too
LAMBING When One head comes out at the same time another's lamb's hove comes out. YIKES Your the Queen of Lambing Sandi
Keep pushing good luck 💪💪
A fellow shepherd told me to have more sheep than you think you will need because they die. We had a small abortion storm this year and it was hard. We had never vaccinated for chlamydia or vibrio because we hadnt had issues but we vaxed the remaining ewes to try to save the rest of the unborn lambs. Losses slowed after that. I've had some hard moments this year, a case of ringwomb that ended with the loss of an expensive ewe and her twins. I picked myself up and moved on. I don't think you ever stop learning when you raise sheep. I'm finished lambing except for one ewe due in two days on Easter, she looks to have twins.
Great sharing! And this has happened to me also... Thank you!
Sandi Brock thank you for the videos! I really enjoy watching them. My operation is not on your scale, although we are planning to get up to 200 ewes in time. The trouble is, the sheep are mostly my responsibility and I'm not sure if I will be able to handle that many sheep by myself. When we get to 100 ewes I will probably reevaluate and see if I want to keep expanding or stay there. My husband helps when he can but day to day is all on me and I pretty much lamb by myself.