I just got my first Katahdins last August and the learning curve has been STEEP. I really recommend anyone looking to start with sheep to find a mentor in their area - whether it's an extension agent or someone you're looking to buy from eventually or just someone you know who's already had a flock for a few years. There are so many questions and doubts and concerns that I wish I'd been able to take to someone with some experience, rather than trying to google frantically in the heat of a stressful situation. Also it's good to know what characteristics to look for in a sheep when you go to pick them out, and how to catch and handle them. Also: GET YOUR SHEEP VET LINED UP FIRST before you buy. When your animal needs more medical help than you know how to provide - and they will - you don't want to be calling around and finding out that very few vets in your area are able to treat sheep, and those that do aren't currently taking new clients because they are so busy. I had to haul a sick sheep two hours away to get her treated in an emergency situation, and that was not fabulous.
Of all the channels I've seen about sheep rearing, I think yours is the best. You make the videos just walking around the land, showing lots of footage of the sheep and the pasture and the land, talking frankly about the issues and strategies of sheep rearing. The concept of bale grazing while bringing up a pasture for the first time is definitely an idea I haven't read elsewhere nor would I necessarily have thought of it on my own. For someone like me who wishes to make a silvopasture with sheep in the future once I've saved up the money for it, your videos are a terrific resource. Two quick questions I have out of curiosity: 1. What kind of wildlife do you see on your silvopasture, and how does it affect/interact with your operations? Birds, rodents, native pollinators, deer, etc. 2. My dream is to grow a number of native fruit and nut trees (e.g., butternuts, paw paws, American persimmons, shagbark hickory, red mulberries) and native trees for other uses (e.g., sugar maple for syrup, honey locust for nitrogen fixation and protein-rich forage from those legume pods they drop). To your knowledge, how does mixing productive trees with silvopasture work? For instance, can the dropped fruits and seeds and nuts reduce the need for external supplementation?
You made my day. So sorry it took me almost two weeks to respond. I need to get better at this! 1. Wildlife in silvopasture. We for sure get deer that hop the fence, but I'm happy to share grass with them. Bunnies, some snakes, mice, voles, lots of birds, woodpeckers in the dead trees. We have bees on the property too, but there's loads of natural pollinators that come and go too. 2. Productive trees in a silvopasture set up. I don't know much about this, but I have heard that sheep need to be acclimated to eating fruit. We have a honey locust tree at our last place, and the sheep ate all the pods, no problem. I know that oak leaves in the fall are amazing food sources for sheep, but the acorns and most other nuts will harm them. btw, I love your mindset. Native food = resilient food. I look forward to hearing more about your journey!
Like you’ve said in other videos, the #1 thing to come to terms with is that when you decide on sheep, you have decided to be a grass farmer who has sheep to eat it. Grass and soil management / health are everything. My recommendation for anyone starting out with sheep is to spend a year getting the grass and soil right before dropping sheep on it. Would save so much time, money and effort if soil and grass were correct before adding sheep.
I started with getting fence ready, and a few (3 ewe's and 1 ram). They cleared and improved grass on rotation. I have plans to increase flocks as I get more pasture ready.
Thanks for the reminder that sheep do not need grain. I had all but swallowed the Kool-Aid from other RUclipsrs that made me feel that I was starving my sheep by not giving them grain mixtures containing fancy supplements. I went as far as buying one of those cheap cement mixers from Harbor Freight that one RUclipsr promoted. I came to my senses and now have an unused cement mixer for sale 😂
Thanks for sharing! These kinds of comments make me the happiest! No shame to anyone who grain feeds. Just different strokes for different folks. If your goals are to: 1) honor the animal's role in regenerative agriculture 2) want to save money 3) have the land to rotationally graze 4) are just looking feed your family and maybe a few others ... then there's no reason for constant grain feedings. Congrats on your journey!
We just got two Katahdin rams last week and when we were "shopping" for them one farm told me they do not associate with their rams at all because of how dangerous they can be. Do see that as being true? Ive seen videos of rams knocking people over but doesn't seem common. And so far these are these are the easiest animals on the farm to deal with.
on the same vein as moldy hay, ive been feeding haylage to sheep for years no problems, so they can have that, witch is different than "bad hay", also watch out with feeding too much alfalfa pellets to rams, can cause urinary tract blockages
I've been on my farm a few years now, I'm getting ewes with their lambs this fall. I'm not buying them though to instantly start breeding, I'm getting them to help work my land. Future breeding and male lambs for meat is just a happy by product. Kind of like laying hens. We sell their eggs they pay for all their food, happy by product. Just got to start slow and steady and enjoy the little wins in my opinion!!
My ram died a week ago from a urinary blockage. He was grassfed with minerals and vitamins. Occasionally I'd give him a handful of alfalfa pellets but knowing what I know now, don't even do that. Diets high in alfalfa can kill a ram. Keep your pellets for your ewes. In our case, the vet thinks it was just bad luck and not anything we did wrong but still, a lesson to carry forward is to keep your rams to only hay/pasture grass.
Much appreciated advice and I’m sorry for your loss. Our sheep are strictly on hay and pasture. We’ll give our ewes supplemental pellets 5 weeks prior to lambing. Our ram has recently lost some of his body condition and I’m assuming it’s because we’re keeping him in with the girls so we may remove him if that continues. Any thoughts? We’re all new to this…
Sheep can have all kinds of things happen to them. Parasites and sickness are common. Could have been a lot of things. When was the last time you gave them dewormer?
I am in SE TN. Had our first lamb two days ago. Started with 2 ewes. We quickly ran out of fenced pasture so now I walk them daily which helps identify if anybody isn't acting proper. More time in walking them..... But what's time to a sheep
Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that. I can't believe I missed this almost two weeks ago. So sorry for the loss. My vet has said that alfalfa is a problem only for wethers, not intact rams. Good to know it can be both. I've always fed my rams alfalfa hay through the winters and never had an issue.
@HighMountainHomestead I've done some reading on it and it sounds like alfalfa hay is fine as long as you keep the protein level under 16% of their diet. Storey's Guide to Raising Sheep 5th edition has some really good information on it if you feel like reading it.
We have very soft pastures so our sheep’s hooves grow a bit long and curve under. We’ve trimmed twice in 1 year but now our sheep are too big to catch and flip. We’re looking into building a small catchment with turn table but it seems difficult…. The people we got our sheep from never even look at their hooves, much less trim them so I wonder if we’re overly concerned and shouldn’t worry about it…?
Heidi gave some great advice. Soft pastures can cause some long hooves, but I've literally only had it happen with one single sheep... So I've just been lucky I guess (fingers crossed).
I prefer loose minerals to a block. But mineral blocks can be fine provided you keep them out of the rain. Some of them will fall apart in the rain, which means wasted money for you.
I've never tried it. But a vet once told me to avoid it for sheep. On the other hand, I have heard that when you cut it with another hay, or you use the hay as just a supplement (starting slow) then it would be fine. Good luck!
I would assume so. However I've never raised them, but they are similar to my Dorpers in build and features, maybe a little smaller, and more mild in temperament.
I just got my first Katahdins last August and the learning curve has been STEEP. I really recommend anyone looking to start with sheep to find a mentor in their area - whether it's an extension agent or someone you're looking to buy from eventually or just someone you know who's already had a flock for a few years. There are so many questions and doubts and concerns that I wish I'd been able to take to someone with some experience, rather than trying to google frantically in the heat of a stressful situation. Also it's good to know what characteristics to look for in a sheep when you go to pick them out, and how to catch and handle them.
Also: GET YOUR SHEEP VET LINED UP FIRST before you buy. When your animal needs more medical help than you know how to provide - and they will - you don't want to be calling around and finding out that very few vets in your area are able to treat sheep, and those that do aren't currently taking new clients because they are so busy. I had to haul a sick sheep two hours away to get her treated in an emergency situation, and that was not fabulous.
Very good advice! I know first hand what it's like trying to find a vet who will treat sheep. Local mentors beat any other system.
Of all the channels I've seen about sheep rearing, I think yours is the best. You make the videos just walking around the land, showing lots of footage of the sheep and the pasture and the land, talking frankly about the issues and strategies of sheep rearing. The concept of bale grazing while bringing up a pasture for the first time is definitely an idea I haven't read elsewhere nor would I necessarily have thought of it on my own. For someone like me who wishes to make a silvopasture with sheep in the future once I've saved up the money for it, your videos are a terrific resource.
Two quick questions I have out of curiosity:
1. What kind of wildlife do you see on your silvopasture, and how does it affect/interact with your operations? Birds, rodents, native pollinators, deer, etc.
2. My dream is to grow a number of native fruit and nut trees (e.g., butternuts, paw paws, American persimmons, shagbark hickory, red mulberries) and native trees for other uses (e.g., sugar maple for syrup, honey locust for nitrogen fixation and protein-rich forage from those legume pods they drop). To your knowledge, how does mixing productive trees with silvopasture work? For instance, can the dropped fruits and seeds and nuts reduce the need for external supplementation?
You made my day. So sorry it took me almost two weeks to respond. I need to get better at this!
1. Wildlife in silvopasture. We for sure get deer that hop the fence, but I'm happy to share grass with them. Bunnies, some snakes, mice, voles, lots of birds, woodpeckers in the dead trees. We have bees on the property too, but there's loads of natural pollinators that come and go too.
2. Productive trees in a silvopasture set up. I don't know much about this, but I have heard that sheep need to be acclimated to eating fruit. We have a honey locust tree at our last place, and the sheep ate all the pods, no problem. I know that oak leaves in the fall are amazing food sources for sheep, but the acorns and most other nuts will harm them.
btw, I love your mindset. Native food = resilient food. I look forward to hearing more about your journey!
We live on an old strip mine in southern WV. We are trying to rebuild the soil and establish a thriving homestead.
Very informative video on keeping sheep. I like the idea of starting with a few rams to be sold for meat. Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks!
Like you’ve said in other videos, the #1 thing to come to terms with is that when you decide on sheep, you have decided to be a grass farmer who has sheep to eat it. Grass and soil management / health are everything. My recommendation for anyone starting out with sheep is to spend a year getting the grass and soil right before dropping sheep on it. Would save so much time, money and effort if soil and grass were correct before adding sheep.
Where were you BEFORE I started raising sheep! You are 100% right, grass health is EVERYTHING for a sheep farmer.
I started with getting fence ready, and a few (3 ewe's and 1 ram). They cleared and improved grass on rotation. I have plans to increase flocks as I get more pasture ready.
Thanks PJ for your awesome videos. They are very informative.
Glad you like them!
Thanks for the reminder that sheep do not need grain. I had all but swallowed the Kool-Aid from other RUclipsrs that made me feel that I was starving my sheep by not giving them grain mixtures containing fancy supplements. I went as far as buying one of those cheap cement mixers from Harbor Freight that one RUclipsr promoted. I came to my senses and now have an unused cement mixer for sale 😂
Thanks for sharing! These kinds of comments make me the happiest!
No shame to anyone who grain feeds. Just different strokes for different folks. If your goals are to:
1) honor the animal's role in regenerative agriculture
2) want to save money
3) have the land to rotationally graze
4) are just looking feed your family and maybe a few others
... then there's no reason for constant grain feedings.
Congrats on your journey!
Do you do concrete work? I could use a pad😂
We just got two Katahdin rams last week and when we were "shopping" for them one farm told me they do not associate with their rams at all because of how dangerous they can be. Do see that as being true? Ive seen videos of rams knocking people over but doesn't seem common. And so far these are these are the easiest animals on the farm to deal with.
Great video, very helpful
Glad it was helpful!
on the same vein as moldy hay, ive been feeding haylage to sheep for years no problems, so they can have that, witch is different than "bad hay", also watch out with feeding too much alfalfa pellets to rams, can cause urinary tract blockages
I've been on my farm a few years now, I'm getting ewes with their lambs this fall. I'm not buying them though to instantly start breeding, I'm getting them to help work my land. Future breeding and male lambs for meat is just a happy by product. Kind of like laying hens. We sell their eggs they pay for all their food, happy by product. Just got to start slow and steady and enjoy the little wins in my opinion!!
Sounds like you are doing it right the first time! Ha! Wish I did that 😂
My ram died a week ago from a urinary blockage. He was grassfed with minerals and vitamins. Occasionally I'd give him a handful of alfalfa pellets but knowing what I know now, don't even do that. Diets high in alfalfa can kill a ram. Keep your pellets for your ewes.
In our case, the vet thinks it was just bad luck and not anything we did wrong but still, a lesson to carry forward is to keep your rams to only hay/pasture grass.
Much appreciated advice and I’m sorry for your loss.
Our sheep are strictly on hay and pasture. We’ll give our ewes supplemental pellets 5 weeks prior to lambing. Our ram has recently lost some of his body condition and I’m assuming it’s because we’re keeping him in with the girls so we may remove him if that continues. Any thoughts? We’re all new to this…
Sheep can have all kinds of things happen to them. Parasites and sickness are common.
Could have been a lot of things.
When was the last time you gave them dewormer?
I am in SE TN. Had our first lamb two days ago. Started with 2 ewes. We quickly ran out of fenced pasture so now I walk them daily which helps identify if anybody isn't acting proper. More time in walking them..... But what's time to a sheep
Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that. I can't believe I missed this almost two weeks ago. So sorry for the loss.
My vet has said that alfalfa is a problem only for wethers, not intact rams. Good to know it can be both. I've always fed my rams alfalfa hay through the winters and never had an issue.
@HighMountainHomestead I've done some reading on it and it sounds like alfalfa hay is fine as long as you keep the protein level under 16% of their diet. Storey's Guide to Raising Sheep 5th edition has some really good information on it if you feel like reading it.
Great video content!! I haven’t ever heard you talk about hooves. What do you do when it comes to trimming hooves?
We have very soft pastures so our sheep’s hooves grow a bit long and curve under. We’ve trimmed twice in 1 year but now our sheep are too big to catch and flip. We’re looking into building a small catchment with turn table but it seems difficult…. The people we got our sheep from never even look at their hooves, much less trim them so I wonder if we’re overly concerned and shouldn’t worry about it…?
Heidi gave some great advice. Soft pastures can cause some long hooves, but I've literally only had it happen with one single sheep... So I've just been lucky I guess (fingers crossed).
can you raise a lamb with a dog companion or does it absolutely need another lamb?
If one were to grow some hay for the winter time (Oct - April) how much space would you need to grow for 2 baby doll sheep?
Where you located ?
Clean water
Is there a need to castrate rams like with cattle?
Not really. I don't castrate any of my males.
Do you also need a mineral block for just two grams or no
I prefer loose minerals to a block. But mineral blocks can be fine provided you keep them out of the rain. Some of them will fall apart in the rain, which means wasted money for you.
What about peanut hay?
I've never tried it. But a vet once told me to avoid it for sheep. On the other hand, I have heard that when you cut it with another hay, or you use the hay as just a supplement (starting slow) then it would be fine. Good luck!
Is this advice good for Jacob Sheep?
I would assume so. However I've never raised them, but they are similar to my Dorpers in build and features, maybe a little smaller, and more mild in temperament.
Hi! Where in NC are you located? My husband and I are in NC and we’ve been wanting to get into sheep
I'm near Chapel Hill. Sheep are great!
@@homesteadingwithPJ do you sell any of your flock? If so, we’d like to buy some from you whenever you have some available!
you gave him some nice fat boys. good job! looking forward to see what you start over with. could they possibly be *gasp* Katatin/Dorpers?!?!?! :P
I'm actually picking up five Katahdin ram lambs tomorrow morning! I'm excited to be starting over with some young rams.
These are really good tips but do some of them don't work in different areas
Sheep walks into a bar and says, “Hey bartender.”😂