Sheep

When you think about raising sheep, what’s the first thing you think of? If you answered “wool,” you aren’t alone. That is indeed their most iconic commodity, but it isn’t the only thing that they produce. Sheep are a true utility livestock breed, capable of producing wool, of course, but also plenty of milk and […]

One of the most important but also most challenging skillsets to develop when taking care of animals is learning how to read their behavior. Most livestock species exhibit specific behaviors that are associated with their mood or actions, and if you know how to interpret them, it can make your job a whole lot safer

Sheep are some of the most versatile livestock animals that you can keep. Compared to cows, they’re much smaller, cheaper, safer, and easier to handle, and you can raise them for a variety of products. Sheep, with few exceptions, also tend to be quite healthy and easy to care for. But like all animals, they

Deciding to bring any animal onto your homestead is always a big one. There’s a lot to think about, and a lot to prepare for. And of course, there’s no small amount of excitement! Even though they are a lot of work, animals are a whole lot of fun, and some of them are super

Livestock lingo is something that confuses plenty of people, sometimes even folks who have worked with these animals for a little bit. For instance, let’s look at sheep. There’s no doubt you know what sheep are, and you certainly have heard the term lamb used before. But do you know the real differences between lambs

When it comes to managing your flock of sheep, accounting for lambing and subsequent birth rates is part and parcel. Sheep are relatively easy to manage overall when it comes to reproduction, but it is critical that you understand about how many lambs you can expect during the breeding season, based on how many ewes

No matter what sort of livestock you keep, diarrhea, also known as scours, is bound to be a problem at one point or another. Sheep, unfortunately, seem to suffer from it more than most. Aside from being terribly nasty, it can spread disease and parasites, resulting in dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and even death, especially for

Sheep have been domesticated for a very long time, and as with every domesticated species of animal, humanity has developed many different breeds. Each of these breeds is optimized for a specific purpose, a specific environment, or just for greater productivity, but when it comes to sheep in particular there is one major difference between domestic

If you’ve ever stopped to watch sheep meandering around a pasture, you’ve probably noticed that the adults and the lambs from time to time will rear back and headbutt each other… Sometimes they might even give the people trying to take care of them a good whack! It sure looks funny, maybe even a little

Sheep are herbivorous grazers, and that means they subsist entirely on a diet of plant matter, and mostly on grass, hay and things like that. However, sheep can eat fruits and vegetables, and even a few things that might surprise you. How about chocolate? Chocolate is made from cocoa and that comes from plants. Can