The Shepherdess

Resources for Beginner Sheep Farmers, Dorper Sheep for Sale in Texas!

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February 2025 Farm Update | Raising Dorper Sheep in Texas

Hi Friends,

I have a lot to share with you this month! First, fair warning that lamb reservations are opening next week (March 10th). SUBSCRIBE using this form for email reminders leading up to the sale:

Second, I will be speaking at the Texas Homestead Conference in Waco on April 25th and 26th. An early bird discount for tickets is still available as of today! I hope to see a bunch of you there!

I will be sharing about sheep and building a how I built a diversified homestead-based business!

February is quarterly inspection month. I FAMACHA score ewes and deworm if needed. I also take time to give lambs a preventative treatment for coccidiosis. Everyone is looking great and ready for spring grazing to kick off in March!

I shared about this portable/pasture based lambing jug on social media and people loved it! It is cattle panels, held together with zip ties and lined with chicken wire at the bottom. A majority of my ewes bond on pasture without the jug, however this year several few first-time moms needed the closed-quarters to bond.

I was asked how I catch the ewe and to get her into the jug: I will pour a bit of feed on the ground, then grab her by the back leg as she is distracted with eating… then drag her by her bum into the enclosure (where her new lamb is already).

It usually only takes 24 hours for duo to bond, then they are let back out with the main group! Special credits to my mom for actually constructing this cage.

And finally, a MASSIVE thank you to the 1400+ people who joined me for my free class series in February!! It was such a blessing to experience the biggest turnout yet! Click HERE for access to a replay of the free class: “The Basics of Raising, Grazing, and Marketing Sheep”

Thank you for letting me be a part of your farms,

The Shepherdess

“…but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.” 1 Cor. 3:6-7

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January 2025 Farm Update | Raising Dorper Sheep in Texas

Hi Friends,

I am continuing my social media break through February 13th, but I have been busy behind the scenes. Here is a look at January on the farm!

But first, I am hosting 3 (free) LIVE classes for beginner sheep farmers this month (Feb 18-22nd)!!! The classes are held virtually on a platform similar to zoom. During the 1 hour livestream I am going to teach how I:

  • Raise Sheep (for above average flock health)
  • Graze Sheep (to maximize pasture and minimize feed costs)
  • Market Sheep (direct-selling lambs for $480 each)

Each class will be the same (covering all 3 topics above in 1 hour), but I usually fill up really fast so I am hosting it 3 different times. That way everyone that wants can have a chance to attend 🙂

CLAIM YOUR SPOT

We had a pretty significant amount of snow (for Texas) this month. I think it was close to 5″! It melted pretty quickly.

LIVE LAMBING PHOTOS below, so stop at this picture if you don’t want to see.

It feels like I just finished fall lambing, and here I am with my main group starting to lamb! Last year I moved my main lambing from March/April to January/February. It worked so well I am repeating it for 2025. I am often asked if Dorpers do well in freezing temperatures. Yes! The lambs are extremely hardy, as long as they get on their feet and start nursing immediately after birth they don’t seem to have any trouble.

I had a ewe that lost her lamb to a breech presentation (you can tell the lamb is breech when it’s “toes” come out pointing downward). Despite the stillborn lamb, the ewe was very eager to be a mother… so I took the opportunity to try something I have seen other sheep farmers do…

I put the skin of the dead lamb on one of my bottle lambs…

The bottle lamb wore the skin like a jacket for a little over a day and the duo bonded perfectly! It was a great success!

E-book: the Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture

Given the high cost of international shipping, I have had many requests for an E-BOOK version of my bestselling book: the Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture. Enjoy!

I hope to see you at one of my free (online) classes this month!

-the Shepherdess

“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him…” Psalm 37:7

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A RECAP OF MY $225K FARM EXPERIMENT | Farming Business Dorper Sheep Cows MICRO RANCHING FOR PROFIT

https://youtu.be/eRXoI_Wxp6I

A Recap of my $225k Farm Experiment

2.5 years ago, I made a $2,500 investment across 30 acres, hoping it would turn into a $225,000 return. Did that happen? Yes—and no. Today, I’m sharing how it worked, where it didn’t, and breaking down two key business principles that are essential for anyone starting a farm—or any small business, really.

My Journey into Farming

In 2020, I left my background in marketing and retail management and jumped headfirst into agriculture, raising Dorper sheep on 30 acres in Northeast Texas. I didn’t have any farming experience, but I had been an entrepreneur since the age of 10 and had managed a retail business straight out of high school. I understood the reality of entrepreneurship: often working twice as hard for half the pay.

With the tough economics of conventional American agriculture, I knew farming would be one of the hardest ways to earn an income. But I also wanted food security for myself and my family. Deep down, I believed that managing land and animals to produce clean, healthy food is a form of wealth that goes beyond dollars and cents. Fast-forward to 2023, and through diversifying my on-farm income streams, agriculture is now my full-time job.

If you’d like a detailed outline of the marketing steps I used to reach $100K in revenue within three years, click the link in this post, and I’ll send it to you for free along with a video explaining the process.

The $225,000 Project

When I set out to make farming my full-time job, I thought I needed more land to achieve my goals. I was already leasing 30 acres, but I wanted to acquire an additional 15 acres next door. Small acreage in my area costs between $15,000 and $18,000 per acre, meaning this expansion would require a $225,000 investment—an expense I wasn’t ready to take on.

Lesson #1: Maximize Existing Resources

When expanding isn’t an option, you have to ask, “How can I pursue increased revenue with what I already have?” Around that time, I was reading two excellent books, Quality Pasture and Management Intensive Grazing (MIG), which discuss ways to boost the productivity of a single acre. These books encouraged me that with a $2,500 upgrade to my management system, I could get the productivity of 45 acres out of my 30-acre pasture.

I invested in an electric fencing and watering system, spending a month on the installation. After these upgrades, I stocked my land as if I had 45 acres, almost doubling the number of animals I raised by introducing a mix of sheep, goats, and cattle.

It worked for a while, and we grazed through the summer smoothly. But by the end of the year, I ran into two significant issues.

  1. A Narrow Buffer for Drought: If we had even a single month of below-average rainfall, I’d quickly run out of grass and have to buy supplemental feed. This put extra pressure on the farm’s budget.
  2. Profit Margin Didn’t Scale with Production: Adding animals didn’t instantly double my farm’s profitability. I didn’t have a market ready to buy goats and cattle at the same premium prices as my sheep, resulting in lower profit margins. In fact, when I evaluated the farm year over year, I found I was more profitable with fewer animals.

This led me to the second critical principle:

Lesson #2: Establish Your Market Before Expanding Production

When I doubled my animal count without a developed market for each type, I found myself selling those animals at a lower profit margin just to keep cash flowing. I went from raising 35-40 sheep at a 50% profit margin to a 75-head mixed herd at a 20% margin. I was making the same amount of money while working twice as hard, so in real terms, the larger operation was less profitable.

Looking back, my small size was actually an advantage, allowing me to build out a premium market for my flock gradually. When I added new animals without an incremental market, I ended up with more product but no profitable way to sell it. This experience drove home an essential lesson for profitability in any business: Find your market first.

The Balance of Market, Product, and Process

To achieve profitability and long-term success, you need to balance three elements: market, product, and process.

Most startups—and I made this mistake myself—tend to over-invest in the product and the process while making the market an afterthought. The key is to establish access to your market first, whether it’s a local farmers market, an online store, or a direct email newsletter.

Here’s what this looks like in practice:

  • Farmers Market: Before becoming a vendor, visit your local market. See what customers are buying. Which booths are busy, and which are empty? This can reveal gaps in the market that your product could fill.
  • Online Sales: For premium products, try a pre-order launch. Gauge interest by seeing how many people are ready to sign up for seasonal shares, like spring dairy herd shares or autumn beef shares. This lets you know if an investment in the product and process is justified.

Where I Am Now

Today, I’ve returned to a smaller operation with a focus on higher profit margins. I decided to set aside raising goats and beef for now, redirecting my energy toward building the highest-quality Dorper flock in Northeast Texas while expanding my premium marketing channel, primarily through my email list.

That initial $2,500 investment has reduced my daily time on pasture from two hours to just 30 minutes, saving me about 550 hours each year. Time is money, and this investment has paid for itself many times over.

Looking back, I’m grateful I didn’t have $225,000 to buy the 15 acres next door. I didn’t need it to achieve my goals. This experience taught me a lesson that extends beyond farming: sometimes, the limitations in our lives can be our greatest advantage. Instead of pushing past boundaries as if they’re obstacles, consider them as guardrails guiding you toward the path you’re meant to follow.

For more details on my pasture infrastructure upgrade, watch my original installation video here:

“For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.” Isaiah 30:15

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BREEDING DORPER SHEEP ON PASTURE (My Small-Scale System)

(Click Here) PRINTABLE BREEDING-PREP CHECKLIST!

Interested in purchasing my Dorper Lambs? Subscribe to my waitlist below!

An Overview of My Breeding Program for Dorper Sheep

Welcome! Today, I’m sharing a quick overview of my breeding program for my small flock of Dorper sheep, which I manage on 30 acres.

Topics I’ll Cover:

  1. Selecting a Breeding Ram
  2. Preparing Ewes for Breeding Season
  3. Essential Minerals for Flock Fertility
  4. Timing the Breeding Season for Optimal Pasture-Based Lambing

About My Farm:

I farm in Northeast Texas, where winters are mild and summers can be extremely hot. We raise purebred Dorper sheep, primarily for meat, alongside a small number of stocker cattle for grass-fed beef. The area receives about 45 inches of rainfall annually, making it ideal for regenerative, pasture-based farming.

My farming system is simple and low-input. Beyond pasture, feed supplements are reserved for emergencies. I don’t engage in broad-based pasture planting or cover cropping. My sheep graze whatever grows naturally, and we see forage quality improve year over year with good pasture management.

I practice rotational grazing using electric fencing, moving the sheep to new paddocks at least twice a week during the growing season. This regenerative approach has been crucial in taking our sheep and land from merely surviving to truly thriving.

While we have a simple two-sided shelter for protection against freezing rain and occasional snow, I aim to keep my sheep on pasture as much as possible throughout the year. I market Dorper sheep for breeding stock to other small farms, and what isn’t sold for breeding is raised as pasture-raised lamb.

Selecting a Breeding Ram:

The ram, or flock sire, is pivotal in upgrading or downgrading the quality of a sheep flock. When choosing a ram, I consider his physical characteristics and the system from which he comes—factors like grain versus grass feeding, climate, and flock health are crucial.

I recommend taking your time to find a high-quality ram, as he can significantly impact your flock. I once traveled 1,000 miles and spent around $3,000 to acquire an exceptional Dorper ram, and it was worth the investment.

Key traits I look for in a Dorper breeding ram include:

  1. Lowline Body: eg. Short legs.
  2. Muscular Build: Especially in the hindquarters, which is a prime meat area.
  3. Long, Deep Body: Ideal for premium cuts of meat.
  4. Parasite Resistance and Good Hooves: Essential in a high rainfall environment.

Ram-to-Ewe Ratio:

A good ram can service up to 40 ewes per cycle. However, I prefer one ram per 30 ewes to ensure no ewe is missed and to maintain a tighter lambing window. If you only have one high-quality ram, one per 40 ewes is sufficient.

Line Breeding:

I am often asked if you can breed a ram to his female offspring. Yes, you can breed a ram to his daughters, known as line breeding. I do this without hesitation up to 2-3 generations to enhance desirable traits. While some breeders go as far as 8 generations, I currently sell all third-generation ewe lambs rather than retaining them.

Ram Management:

When not breeding, my ram stays in a clean pen with fresh hay, minerals, and water. If you have only one ram, consider keeping a wether for companionship.

Preparing Ewes for Breeding:

Body Condition: Ewes should have a body condition score of 3 to 4 on a 1-5 scale before breeding. Poor condition can lead to complications such as pregnancy toxemia, hypocalcemia, and low milk production. It’s crucial to either cull thin ewes or supplement them before breeding.

Age for Breeding Ewes:

While ewe lambs can start cycling as early as four months, I prefer to breed them at six months, when they’ve reached half their adult weight. This simplifies management as I keep all sheep in one group.

Mineral Management:

Loose minerals should be available year-round. I recommend Redmond Sheep Mineral, available on Shepherdess.com. Selenium is particularly important, especially in high rainfall areas like mine, where the soil is selenium-deficient. Ensure your mineral mix contains at least 45 PPM of selenium to prevent breeding issues, weak lambs, and white muscle disease.

Grain Flushing?

While grain flushing can increase twinning rates, I don’t practice it. Instead, I ensure my ewes are in good condition and graze them on the best pasture available. My focus is on long-term pasture management and culling ewes that can’t twin on pasture alone.

Timing the Breeding Season:

Lambing with the pasture is the safest choice for a pasture based lambing. To “lamb with the pasture,” calculate the breeding time by identifying when your pasture begins to grow and counting back five months. In Northeast Texas, I typically join my rams with the ewes in early October for March lambs.

Breeding Duration:

I leave the ram with the ewes for 51 days, covering three breeding cycles. This tighter window reduces the risk of lambs being born in parasite-heavy months and shortens the duration of lamb watch.

Adjustments in Breeding Timing:

This year, I bred a month earlier, resulting in February lambs. This adjustment yielded several benefits:

  1. Reduced Parasite Issues: Lambs gained weight before the parasite bloom in June-July.
  2. Simplified Management: Lambing was complete before spring grazing began.
  3. Improved Ewe Health: Peak lactation coincided with peak pasture quality, and ewes had better immunity against summer parasites and diseases.

I hope this overview of my breeding program provides valuable insights. If you found this helpful, please give it a thumbs up and check out the next video for a complete look at a pasture-based lambing season on my farm:

 “Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?” Proverbs 27:23-24

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June 2024 Farm Update | Raising Dorper Sheep in Texas

Interested in purchasing my Dorper Lambs? Join my waitlist below!

Hi Friends,

This was a fun month: but definitely filled full of hot, sweaty work. Enjoy a look behind the scenes at June! Also, I finally posted a full video of my first time butchering a lamb on farm. Check it out here!

Because Dorpers are hair sheep, we only have to shear once every 3-4 years. That means this is only the 2nd time shearing at our farm. Last attempt ended with me losing a chunk of my finger, passing out at the sight of my own blood, and my brother taking over. This time was a major success in comparison. Everyone has a haircut and I still have my fingers… haha!

Before shearing.

Yes, hair sheep shed, but in my flock 1 in 4 retain some fuzz on their back strap. It builds up and needs to be removed… especially with Texas temperatures approching the triple digits. (For those who might ask: I am using Premier1’s 4000s Shearing Machine and the Apache 9-tooth comb)

After shearing: I love how shiny they are!

Do I cull for shedding? Not yet… I’m actually using a good shedding ram to breed the fuzz out. This ram sheds slick and has eliminated most of the wooliness in my lambs!

You guys always comment on pics of my grazing paddock setup. This one shows one of my favorite tools: my Tarapost reel stand!! For a complete list of my grazing/watering system supplies, CLICK HERE (or on the photo above)!

I’m always asked: “what is a sheep’s favorite grass?” My answer is: almost anything green (goatweed being the exception)!

This photo shows how they grazed out a paddock full of weeds in just 2 days!

This was such a happy moment! Lucy was the 2024 Dorper Dream Flock Grant winner! We had roughly 147 grant applications and around 90 qualifiers. I performed a random drawing on the qualifiers and Lucy was the Dream Flock winner. She is a young farmer from the midwest, doing an amazing job!

Thank you to all who applied for the 2024 Dorper Dream Flock Grant, and for those who donated extra supplies to make the winner even more successful with these sheep! I look forward to providing another grant opportunity in 2025!

Until next time,

-the Shepherdess

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9

Looking for sheep to buy? Checkout the Shepherdess Breeder Directory!

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May 2024 Farm Update | Raising Dorper Lambs in Texas

Join the Waitlist for 2024 Dorper Lambs!

Hi Friends,

Here is a look behind the scenes for May at Harmony Farms! The Dorper Dream Flock WINNER was announced (congrats to Lucy Rickard!). Regarding the livestock sale on May 30th: some of you wondered why I did not send an email about the lambs on sale day. My spring lambs were all spoken for through my website within a few minutes. I did not want to frustrate you by sending you an email with links to sold out lambs.

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If you missed my spring lamb availability, I should have a few more to offer this fall; including some more mature, breeding-ready rams for October joining! In the meantime, check out the Shepherdess Breeder Directory for farms near you!

This 5 month old grass (and milk) only ram lamb is starting to dwarf his mom!

It was such a pleasure it was to meet so many of you at the Sunny Hill Flower Farm Meet and Greet! I loved putting faces to names, hearing your stories, and talking small-scale farming/ranching. Such a pick-me-up! THANK YOU!!

I made a change this year that I am so happy about. I usually lamb in March and April. This year I lambed most of my flock in February. This allowed my lambs to put weight on before the late spring parasite bloom. As a result, they are more naturally resisting parasites and growing so well this year!

I rotate my sheep using 2 strands of poly-tape. Using poly-tape over electric netting requires that I use a 12Joule AC (AC means a wall-unit, not a solar) charger. You can see the burn-line underneath my poly-tape here!

I hope you enjoyed this update! Thank you for your support :).

-the Shepherdess

Looking for sheep to buy? Checkout the Shepherdess Breeder Directory!

“The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” Psalm 34:7

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Details on 2024 Dorper Lambs for Sale

Hi friends,

On May 28th I am announcing the winner of the Dorper Dream Flock Giveaway(8 days left to submit your grant application if you have not yet!).

May 30th Lamb Sale Details:

On May 30th I will be selling a handful of ewes lambs and rams lambs from my flock. They will be for sale through this link at 8 am CST (bookmark that link for quick access on sale May 30th). Here are some details about the sheep I am offering:

  • The Dorpers I am offering for sale are purebred. Their sire (father) is registered, their dams (moms) are commercial purebred ewes.
  • These are some of the most solid grass-based Dorper genetics you will find. These Dorpers will thrive on a well-managed pasture based system. At my farm, grain is reserved for emergency situations and is not a baseline feed for my flock. Quality pasture is our baseline!!
  • Pickup dates will be scheduled for June-July in Northeast Texas (more information will be provided directly to the buyers after purchase).
  • Rams and ewes are half brothers/sisters this year, so I do not advise breeding them together.

-the Shepherdess

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” Psalm 23:2

Small Farm Revival Tee is IN STOCK in sizes S-3XL!

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Dorper Dream Flock Grant

Hello Friends,

I want to make sure you know about my 2024 Dorper Dream Flock Grant. Through this grant I am giving one of you 3 sheep from my flock to start your own! (1 ram and 2 ewes)

I am accepting applications for 2024’s flock grant through May 28th! Tap the button below for more information on how to submit your grant application:

Dorper Dream Flock Grant

-the Shepherdess

“Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3

“Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3

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April 2024 Farm Update

Interested in purchasing my Dorper Lambs? Join my waitlist below!

Hello Friends,

The lambs are growing strong and we have more grass than they can eat! It has been an amazing spring so far!

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I have 2 MAJOR announcements at the bottom of this email. #1. Details and a date for 2024 Lamb Reservations and #2. Information on the 2024 Dorper Dream Flock Grant! Scroll and enjoy!

The Crimson Clover came in strong this year and provided protein rich feed for my ewes (alongside ryegrass, vetch, Persian clover, and more). This Crimson Clover grows naturally in East Texas, however 2 years ago I broadcast a 50 lb bag of seed on this pasture. Here is a video that shares the process!​

Aside from hand-broadcasting, I do not perform any major pasture plantings. There are 3 reasons for this: #1: Seed and the planting process is expensive, #2: sheep thrive on lower quality pasture (planting fancy grasses is not a priority), and #3 The quality of my pasture has naturally improved with good grazing management.

I have a few Pigtail Posts leftover! Free shipping on $75+ so grab a set if you haven’t already!

2024 Livestock Sale: May 30th at 8AM (online only at Shepherdess.com)

On May 30th at 8am CST I will be posting both Dorper ewes and rams for sale at Shepherdess.com. My rams and ewes are from a single genetic line this year (with exception of the Dream Flock Grant), so they cannot be bred together; however the quality is rock solid and these sheep will shine in a well-managed pasture based system.

2024 Dorper Dream Flock Giveaway (details below):

Two days before my livestock sale (May 28th), I will be announcing the winner of the 2024 Dorper Dream Flock giveaway.

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That’s right, I am giving one of you the chance to start your Dorper dream flock, with 3 sheep from my flock! I will be selecting one farm/homestead to receive 2 Purebred Dorper breeding ewes, 1 Purebred Ram, a COMPLETE Shepherdess Supplies Kit, and a 1-1 consultation call (between the winner and I)! DETAILS to enter HERE! ​

Thanks so much for reading!

-the Shepherdess

“Know ye that the LORD he is God: It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3

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March 2024 Farm Update | Raising Dorper Lambs in Texas

Interested in purchasing my Dorper Lambs for your own farm? Join my waitlist below!

Hey Friends,

I am so excited to share behind the scenes from March at my farm. Also, mark your calendars for May 10-11th. Lordwilling, I will be in Luling Texas for a meet-and-greet! Market at the Farm is a free event hosted by Sunny Hill Flower Farm at Mercy Meadows Ranch. RSVP below!

Market at the Farm in Luling, TX is the perfect Mother’s Day day trip: U-pick flower garden, live music, food, coffee, petting zoo, games for children, local vendor market and more! I hope to see you there :).

RSVP HERE

(RSVP is free. If your schedule changes you can be cancel any time before the event.)

The very last lamb of the season was born in March! I will have more details on 2024 lambs for sale in April’s farm update! Please stay tuned.

I’m grateful for early spring pasture! I launched my spring grazing program on March 7th, one week ahead of schedule! I was definitely glad to stop feeding hay a bit early this year :).

Speaking of grazing! I found a great deal on 1000 Pigtail Posts for rotational grazing (previous owner used them to create dividers at a concert)! But I don’t need all 1000… I’m passing the deal on to you by selling bundles of 20 at almost HALF RETAIL PRICE (free shipping on $75+). Go grab some!!

I rotational graze my sheep, moving them to a fresh paddock around 2-5x per week. I use two lines of (electric) Polytape to create new paddocks. The lines are set at around 6″ and 24″. The heights make it too low to crawl under and too high to (comfortably) jump over.

With 6 bottle lambs at once, I decided to invest in some fenceline bottle racks! It is fun to watch them lineup and feed themselves!

I have been weaning my bottle lambs at 40lbs (reaching this weight by about 10 wks old). I feed them hay and alfalfa pellets (sometimes a small handful of crushed barely mixed in) so that they are ready for a full transition to solid food once they reach 40 lb.

For my regular lambs I wean them off their moms around 50 lbs. They stay in my weaning pen until they reach 60lb. In the weaning pen I deworm them and feed hay and alfalfa until they hit 60lb. It usually takes 4-6 weeks for them to reach 60lb. At 60lb, they graduate to pasture and are grazed the same as the rest of the flock. This is my 3rd year using this weaning system. Lambs in this system seem to have better parasite resistance than the rest!

I just listed my Raising Sheep Book Bundle, with the 3 books I recommend you have on hand as a beginner Shepherd. You can buy all 3 together or individually by clicking here!​

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Thanks for reading! I appreciate your support very much!

-the Shepherdess

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” Isaiah 40:8

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February 2024 Farm Update | Raising Dorper Lambs in Texas

Interested in purchasing my Dorper Lambs for your own farm? Join my waitlist below!

Hi all,

February was busy and I am excited to give you a look at it! I have had several emails asking if I have been impacted by the the Texas Wildfires. No, I am closer to the Louisiana border than the Texas Panhandle. Please pray the fires come under control within the next week. Ranchers are depending on it for spring grazing.

I have been sharing about Amos Miller case since early 2022 when the Federal Govt. filed suit against his Organic Farm. Miller Organic Farm is now being sued by the state (a second major lawsuit). This month, I left the farm to attend the Amos Miller Rally in Lancaster, PA. I obtained press-pass to the court hearing and plan to update you all with more info on the proceedings. ​WATCH MY AMOS MILLER VIDEOS HERE!​

Lambing is almost finished! I have one ewe left to give birth. I am grateful for a good season and lambs that are growing like weeds! A few of the Lambs that were born in November have already been weaned. The lamb at the front is not weaned, but is a bottle lamb so she is residing at the weaning pen :).

Despite a (mostly) smooth lambing season, I hit a snag with one of my ewes. The ewe was small, the lamb was large and poorly positioned.

After trying for an hour to deliver the lamb, I loaded the ewe into a pet taxi and took her to the vet (thanks to my dad and brother’s help)…

After a rough c-section a big ram lamb was BORN ALIVE, but not responsive!

I spent about 30 minutes rubbing, stimulating, and even giving the lamb CPR. The vet also came and gave him a stimulant.

The lamb survived and is THRIVING!! I am so grateful to the Lord for a happy ending! His mother is also recovering very well!

If you are waiting on info regarding Dorper Lambs for SALE, be watching for info in the coming month. I am focusing a lot more on meat sales this year, but may have a handful of really high quality breeding ewes and rams up for grabs.

My EAT BEEF, NOT BUGS tee is now available in sizes S-3XL!! Your purchases help support my farm and the work I share on the internet.

If you are interested in raising sheep yourself, check out my book: The Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture

Thanks so much for supporting my work!

-the Shepherdess

“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” Proverbs 24:16

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PAID TO GRAZE | Wildfire Prevention using Sheep and Goats (Southern California)

Today I am taking you with me as I visit with Dylan Boeken, who raises meat sheep in Southern California.

Dylan raises sheep and goats for a full time income in California, without owning any land. Dylan is the lead shepherd at the Shepherdess Land and Livestock contract grazing operation in the Ojai Valley of Southern California. Shepherdess Land and Livestock is owned by Brittany Cole Bush.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 45 MINUTE EPISODE!

I filmed this episode during our layover in Los Angeles on our way to Australia. This is episode 4 of 4 from my trip to Australia! The info in this video will help those who are farming with limited land resources raising meat sheep.

Raising sheep for wildfire prevention in Southern California (OJAI VALLEY):

  • WHERE: Today I am touring Shepherdess Land and Livestock, a contract grazing operation that manages thousands of sheep and goats in OJAI VALLEY, CALIFORNIA.  Ojai Valley is located in Southern California, just 1.5 HOUR DRIVE NORTH OF LOS ANGELES.
  • RAINFALL IS BETWEEN 15 AND 21 INCHES IN THE VALLEY ON AN AVERAGE YEAR.

On this tour, Dylan drives us across the valley to 3 locations where their flocks are currently grazing.  We discuss:

  • How Shepherdess Land and Livestock uses small ruminants and targeted grazing to mitigate wildfires in southern California.
  • How Cole and Dylan are actually PAID for every acre they contract GRAZE, IN one of the most expensive areas of the country to buy land.
  • How Dylan built a thriving direct to consumer forage-fed lamb business in Ojai Valley just 3 years after launching into agriculture himself.

FACTS:

When rainfall is plentiful, ranging from 30” and upward, pasture recovery is rapid; a paddock at my farm in Northeast Texas may become ready to graze in as little as 28 days after a previous grazing cycle. As I toured Dylan’s operation he cited that the growth stockpile on this paddock took 7 months to accumulate. While Dylan and the Shepherdess Land and Livestock Team are at no want for land to utilize, should someone be looking to buy a ranch and launch a forage-only operation, either the installation of irrigation or keeping stocking rates at 1 sheep per 2 acres would be what is required.

Closing thoughts: One of the biggest takeaways from my visit with Dylan was that, despite skyrocketing land prices and increasingly difficult conditions for those in conventional agriculture, the landscape is teeming with unique opportunities for shepherds who are ready to think differently, manage differently, and put in the work.  Were we to have one partnership in every county, like that of Shepherdess Land and Livestock & Boek House Custom Butchery, food shortages, erosion, and desertified urban landscapes would no longer be a significant threat to our nation. Families would have access to nutrient dense foods at a reasonable cost, rather than defaulting to chemically preserved composites from the grocery store.

“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Psalm24:1

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MARKETING LAMBS FOR $225-$480 EACH | Dorper Sheep Farming in the USA

DOWNLOAD MY (free) PDF: 3 TIPS to LAUNCH A PROFITABLE EMAIL LIST!

Marketing Lambs for $225-$480 each:

A question I often receive is: “Where do you sell your sheep for the premium pricing you talk about?”

 So today I am going to (1) tell you exactly where and how I sell my sheep for between $400-500 per head, regardless of what the sale barn prices are, (2) how long it has taken me to build this sales stream, and (3) The TOTALLY UNIQUE and different from me way my Instagram friend Darlene used to sell her first grass fed lambs for a whopping $510 each, profiting $400 per head!

About Harmony Farms:


For those new here, I run a small-scale sheep operation on 30 acres in Northeast Texas.

I started three years ago with no experience in agriculture, but I did have a pretty extensive background in marketing and using the internet to build various types of income streams.

From the beginning there was one concept I was dead-set on: I was not going to rely on sale barns (or really any middle man or 3rd party sales platform) for profitability. I was going to market my product, my sheep, direct to consumer.

I knew I needed to do this in order to garner a consistent level of profitability from my farm.

BECAUSE, If you are familiar with sale barns and conventional cattle cycles, you will know that you have maybe 2-3 really good years where you are making bank at the sale barns, 2-3 years where you are covering costs and doing ok, and 2-3 years where you are bleeding to death because the prices at the sale barn won’t even pay for inputs necessary to overwinter your breeding stock. The length of these cycles varies based on various factors, but generally that’s what you can expect when using sale barns.

So from the start I knew I could not build a business that was at the mercy of this crazy cycle.

3 years after starting out, by God’s grace, my efforts in this direct to consumer sales stream has paid off way better than I ever expected. Not only do I have a low-maintenance sales platform that I can sell my sheep through at a premium, I have a relationship with a customer base that has allowed me to diversify my income and quit my regular job in 3 years instead of 7.

Now a quick sidenote about quitting my regular job: I haven’t really quit. I have just moved it to the back burner and turned the heat down to a slow simmer. And I can do this because ALL of the income streams I am working (and have ever worked in my 18 years of earning an income) are 100% home based. Diversity is important and no smart business person will ever completely ditch a viable income stream when they have the option to simply dial it down for a season. This is what I’ve done.

————————————

Where do I sell my sheep for $400-$500 per head?:

So let’s get to the first point: Where do I sell my sheep for $400-500 per head?

Where do I sell my sheep for between $400-500 each? I sell them through my email newsletter. I began building my email newsletter list 3 years ago and for 3 consecutive years I have marketed all of my sheep through that newsletter list.

I use that newsletter list to point to my website where all of my sheep are listed once per year at a set price. People can use their credit card to check out on that website and pay for their sheep, just as they are accustomed to doing multiple times per week for other products. I pre-announce the date and time that my sheep will become available and they are offered on a first-come-first-served basis.

In my first year, I only had enough newsletter subscribers to sell 1/2 of my sheep through my website, so I advertised and sold the other half through Craigslist. It took about a month total to sell all of my sheep in my first year.

In my second year, I had built my newsletter list enough to where I sold out of all of my sheep within 15 minutes of opening the sale, and in my 3rd year I sold out of all my sheep within 4 minutes of opening the sale.

Each year I was also offering significantly more sheep than the previous year, which was encouraging to see the demand keep up with flock growth.

Whether people are buying for meat or for breeding stock, I direct them all to the same newsletter “waitlist’ throughout the year. The price for meat and breeding stock works out to be about the same: $400-500 per head.

Second point: How long has it taken me to build out my newsletter?

The short answer is about 3 years in total. On a daily basis I’d say I’m spending between 1-2 hours per day actively building up my newsletter, using the strategies I outline in that free PDF guide that is linked below.

This time quote of only 1-2 hours is a result of having streamlined a lot of processes to gain subscribers: kicking out the strategies that don’t work and zeroing in on the ones that do.

To keep those subscribers warm from one year to the next (because as it stands I have only one lamb crop and only one time per year that I sell my lambs), I send out a monthly farm update full of behind the scenes photos of the flock and the work I am doing at the farm.

The reason this is important is because if you just send out one email per year saying “hey! The sheep are ready to buy!” People are going to be like “who is this stranger in my inbox??” Because they probably will not remember the fact that 8 months prior they joined your email list to buy lamb.

But if once per month you stay in touch with truly beautiful photos, stories, and sometimes struggles from the farm, you have kept the minds and hearts of your subscribers warm throughout the year.

For me, it also provides an easy way to value-add. If the buyer can see beautiful photos of how my sheep are raised and loved, it becomes an easy, non-salesy way to elevate the value of my sheep above other people’s sheep.

EVEN BETTER: In those monthly farm updates, I regularly offer my subscriber something else to buy, items that cost $50 or less. And that diversification is what has allowed me to quit my regular job and focus on my farm business 4 years ahead of my business plan.

If you guys have any further questions they re probably answered on that FREE Newsletter strategy PDF down below, so grab that before you leave!

Finally, I am just going to read how my friend Dianne at Good Shepherd Homestead sold her first grass fed lambs for $510 each, profiting $400! (@goodshepherdhomestead1 on instagram if you want to follow her)

“I wanted to share my success in
raising my first lamb harvest. We
raised grass fed lamb, butchered 4
and sold 2 lambs in profits already.
Each lamb will bring in $510 with a
profit of $400. It could be more but
I’m selling at a price l’d pay. I hosted
a “Lamb Feast” and invited 35
people. They ate lamb for free and
brought side dishes. At the end
several purchased lamb meat and
now they are sharing with their
friends where to get lamb. I accepted
payment via cash and cash app.
God is so good.

The event went so well. we are
considering hosting it once a
quarter due to many request.
@thegoodshepherdhomestead1”

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October 2023 Farm Update

Hello Friends!
​
I am excited to share an October farm update with you! This one is fun because I had the opportunity to travel to Virginia to meet some of you! Enjoy a look at October at Harmony Farms.

I traveled to Virginia for Homesteaders of America 2023! I was super-excited to find an orange TENT for the event ;). It was a great opportunity to promote my book!

If you missed the conference, all of my tees are available (with FREE SHIPPING) at Shepherdess.com!

The best part of the whole event was meeting so many of your face to face!!

October is such a month of refreshing on the farm! The lambs are all off to processing, the weather is cool, and the ewes are ready for breeding.

This year I shortened my fall breeding window. I talk about it in this video, but I noticed that ewes that lamb after April 1st struggle with parasites more than the ewes that lamb in March. This year I plan to have spring lambing finished by March 15th, then rejoin any open ewes for a fall lambing. I’ll be excited to share how it goes!

Thank you for reading and supporting the work I’m doing!

-the Shepherdess

Are you looking for sheep to purchase? Check out the Shepherdess Breeder Directory!

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September 2023 Farm Update

Hello Friends,

This farm update is a little different… most of it is coming from Australia! I am often asked if the regenerative principles I promote work in areas of compromised rainfall. To get the answer, I visited Australia to film a 3-part series on Raising Sheep on 100% Pasture (in arid climates).

I’m not going to lie: your generous support of my book launch was part of the reason I was able to take this trip… THANK YOU. It is my goal to use the profit in a way that would provide you with more education and resources.

​Australia is the 2nd largest sheep producing country in the world (2nd to China) and also the driest inhabited continent on the face of the earth. The video series is going to be full of management strategies from some of the best farms! (launching November)

We took advantage of a layover in Southern California to film Dylan at Boek House. Dylan raises hundreds of lambs on forage only. Dylan sells his lambs direct to consumer in the Ojai Valley. The thing that amazed me is that Dylan owns no land. He has built relationships with landowners in the valley to grow his lamb operation.

The Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture is a book that will guide beginners through everything from raising lambs on pasture, to installing a rotational grazing system, and MORE!

Bellevue Grazing Company was at the top of my list to visit once I landed in Australia. Bellevue is an AWARD WINNING Dorper Stud (“Stud” is a term used to describe a registered breeding stock operation) in Queensland. They raise Dorpers on 100% pasture with no grain and little or no chemical inputs.

Bellevue hosted their annual on-farm Ram sale while I was there and it was incredible to be a part of the event!

Huge thanks to Sophie and Bellevue for hosting me and sharing about the operation!

Macyntire Brooke Lamb was another one of my stops in Australia. Sophie M. raises Australian White Sheep on 100% pasture. Sophie sells all of her lamb direct to consumer as “Fresh Boxed Lamb”. This model is incredibly resilient, allowing her to sell at a premium even as the Australian sheep market takes a hit this year.

And it wouldn’t be an update from Australia without Koalas and Kangaroos, so here you are :).

I love the little joey popping out of the pouch!!

As much as I enjoyed the travel, it was great to return to my farm in the USA. A special thanks to my family for watching the animals while I was gone!

Thank you all! I look forward to seeing you next month,

the Shepherdess

“And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8

Looking to buy sheep to start your own sheep farming journey? Check out the Shepherdess Breeder Directory!:

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FAQ’s About The Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture Book Launch

Pre-order launches on Tuesday August 15th at Shepherdess.com for: The Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture!

What is the price of this book? The Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture is priced at $46.95, but PRE-ORDER price is $41 and FREE USA SHIPPING.

Where can I buy the book? Shepherdess.com. Tomorrow at 8am (CST) is when the book launches. Shepherdess.com is the ONLY place to buy the Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture. I am not selling through Amazon.

What are the pre-order bonuses?

  • First 25 orders receive a Shepherdess tee (your choice of design)
  • First 100 orders receive a laptop sticker bundle (one of each design I have available)
  • First 300 order will receive a signed copy of the book! (thank you to everyone who is asking me to sign their copy! I am going to sign the first 300 copies that are shipped out)

What is book about? Here is the table of contents:

When do the books ship? Estimating September 6th.

Are you shipping this book internationally? Yes, however shipping is $25 for international orders. An EBOOK will be available in case you would like to bypass shipping fees and purchase a digital copy.

Have you considered writing a devotional connected to raising sheep on pasture? No, however The Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture has Scripture throughout and a few journal entries from my first year of farming. (sample page below) I share the Bible verses that encouraged me through ruts and seasons of burnout as a first time farmer.

Do you have bulk discounts for the book? I am buying for friends or to resell.

YES. I am offering three bulk bundles at Shepherdess.com tomorrow:

  • 25% off 10 books
  • 40% off 30 books.
  • 50% off 50 books.

If you have your own website or social media, you have permission to resell the books for a profit! Shipping is $1 per book on bulk bundles (USA).

This is a spiral bound prototype. The book you receive will be a professionally bound hardcover!

Thank you all! I am so excited for tomorrow!!

-the Shepherdess

“And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.” Psalm 90:17

Are you shopping for sheep? Check out the Shepherdess Breeder Directory!​

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The Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture: A Book for Beginners in Sheep Farming

The Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture: a Book for Beginners in Sheep Farming.

Buy the Book here

About the book: The Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture

In 2017, my family and I moved to the country. Shortly thereafter we bought a flock of 36 sheep. We had no previous experience in raising four-footed livestock. Our first few years as beginner sheep farmers was incredibly rough. Over the course of five years, we earned a hard and fast education on animal husbandry. We learned through losses, trial error; you name it, we probably went through it.

In 2020, I personally stumbled upon the concept of regenerative pasture management. It was a combination of an education on basic husbandry principles and regenerative pasture management that took death rate on our sheep farm from 40% in our rookie year to less than 5% three years later.

Industry average death rate for sheep farms nationwide is 15%, so this drop is absolutely astounding.

For the past six months, I have been working to condense everything that allowed us to so dramatically increase productivity on our sheep farm.

The result is a rich resource for beginner sheep farmers.

That resource is a book that I am so thrilled to announce: the Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture. What sets the Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture apart from any other book on raising sheep is that it is a photo-educational book. As much as it tells you what to do, it shows you what to do.

The pictures in this book are vivid and show you step by step how to implement the basic principles necessary to raise and rear a healthy sheep flock. What’s more is that sprinkled throughout the book are a series of QR codes. Should you choose to pair technology with the use of this book, you can scan those codes to be taken straight to videos that further expound the processes explained on the page.

While this book was not necessarily written for children, the easy to understand framework makes it ideal for a young audience. The videos that are accessible through these codes are hosted on a child friendly platform and free of third party ads.

This book is being launched exclusively through shepherdess.com and will not be found on Amazon.

Thank you all for your support to this point! I wouldn’t be doing this without you.
-the Shepherdess

“And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.” Psalm 90:17

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BUILDING 7 STREAMS OF INCOME ON MY SHEEP FARM | Sheep Farming for Profit (with PDF)

➡️ ➡️ DOWNLOAD THE TIME SAVING SUPPLIES LIST HERE!

Today I am going to walk you through seven sources of income that I generate on my sheep farm for profit. A lot of people talk about the concept of having multiple income streams, and it’s usually presented in a very abstract way. Today I’m going to take you through these seven sources of income and how I generate them without leaving the farm.

“Most successful family economies over history involved a mix of trades rather than just one. The village blacksmith also farmed his own land. Our first president was also a distinguished orchardist. Ben Franklin was a courier, author, publisher, statesman, and inventor. So it will be today successful enduring family economies will most likely need to be diversified and cross a range of durable trades.” (Durable Trades, Pg. 41)

Number one source of income is livestock. I run both sheep and a cow herd. The cow herd is a break-even enterprise. I sell the grass fed beef on a local level and it really allows me to satisfy my desire to produce a local food source for my community. The sheep are a profit center on my farm.

My sheep are purebred Dorper sheep. The demand for my sheep is such that all of my sheep are selling on the hoof. They are selling as breeding stock to other small farms. Managing the livestock end of my farm takes about two hours per day. I know a lot of you probably have a job that you need to keep as your primary income source and wonder if it’s possible to run a farm on the side. It is definitely possible.

Being able to finish my farm work in just 1-2 hours per day came down to having the right tools for both my grazing system and my watering system. Here is a free P D F download that lists all of those tools I use.

The second source of income for me is a result of the fact that I have more demand for my sheep than I’m able to supply with my own farm.

I launched a pasture-based breeder directory at shepherdess.com. Pasture-based sheep farmers can join this directory and I will do the marketing for them. You can check this out at shepherdess.com/breeders.

Income source number three is not tied to farming at all. It is a line of leather work and creative products that I produce myself.

This was the bulk of my income before my work in agriculture really got off the ground and started generating income. I have not completely phased the leather work business out. I understand that what I’m experiencing right now with the ability to generate enough income to support myself through agriculturally related means may not last forever.

So I have put the leatherwork/craft business on a side hustle basis. In the case that things slow down on the farm I can expand my capacity for taking orders.

The fourth source of income is Sheep Care supplies kits at Shepherdess.com. What has really made this popular is that I actually assemble kits for beginner sheep farmers.

What I found as a beginner shepherd was that there were just a few supplies that kept situations from becoming emergencies. I sell those products in kits at shepherdess.com. I run Shepherdess.com out of my garage. It is something that I’m able to do right from the farm.

Income source number five is podcasting and videos. Now, this is a very, very small income source. YouTube ad revenue is very small for me, surprisingly enough. I guess the farming niche that is a very low ad revenue generating niche, but the sheep farming videos I create for youtube generate a lot of traffic to shepherdess.com where I sell products for profit.

Income source number six really ties back to my time in the apparel industry. I really have a love for creating unique and beautiful things to wear, and so periodically I will update shepherdess.com with merch and apparel that has an agricultural theme. The neat thing about this apparel also is that my sister is an amazing artist and she’ll actually collaborate with me to create a lot of the designs that are applied to this merchandising: whether it’s shirts or note cards or stickers. This is a really fun project that we can mutually collaborate on here at the farm, and you guys have been so generous to support that.

Income source number seven is something I’m so excited to tell you guys about, and it is the launch of my very own book, the Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture. As beginner sheep, farmers going into Sheep Farming with no previous experience in four-footed livestock. Our first few years was really rough.

But we adapted management principles, which I outline in this book, and death rate went from above industry average on our sheep farm to one third of industry average within just two seasons. Pre-order opens on August 15th, 2023, and I would so appreciate your support for the launch at Shepherdess.com.

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3 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE BUYING SHEEP | Sheep Farming for Beginners

📚FREE Sheep Farming E-book
🔸CLEMSON UNIVERSITY SHEEP DEWORMER GUIDE
🌾ROTATIONAL GRAZING SHEEP PLAYLIST

BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO RAISING SHEEP on PASTURE SMALL SCALE

IN THIS VIDEO I am going to give you the 3 things you will need to consider as a beginner looking to get start with sheep. I am going to share with you the difficulty we had as a result of being under-prepared for these 3 things when sheep landed at our farm 5 years ago. Spoiler alert: we lost 1/2 of our initial flock.

I am going to call on the sheep owners watching this: Drop in the comments what breed you are running and give one piece of advice based on what you have experienced with sheep so far. I asked this question on my last video about sheep vs. goats and you guys left a GOLD MINE of information for viewers, so I hope you will share your knowledge in the same way on this video!

If you are just jumping into sheep farming I have a free 1 hour class that I highly recommend you take advantage of. It is going to take a deep dive into raising and grazing sheep. I have linked that free resource for you below.

Parasites are #1 on the list of challenges as a beginner sheep farmer.
When you bring a healthy sheep to your farm, you will probably not have a whole lot of trouble with parasites initially. Beginner sheep farmers typically have a 1-3 year grace period before a land base reaches a saturation point. What this means is that your land is initially a clean slate and untainted by sheep manure, and subsequently the parasites that hatch out and multiply through that manure. As your sheep graze across your land base, parasite loads will slowly build. Unless you are proactive with the right strategy up front, you will hit a tipping point and begin experiencing an increase in Parasite problems, even if you are running a “parasite resistant” breed.

Here are 3 ways to be proactive about parasites:

1: Put rotational grazing practices in place at the start. For parasite management it is ideal to move your sheep to fresh pasture every two days, but at minimum try to move to a new paddock once a week. I do this by using electric poly-tape to section off my 30 acres into 40-90 different grazing paddocks (one at a time, of course). Resting a paddock for 45 days will cause a majority of the parasites that are left behind in the manure to die off naturally.

2: Try to avoid penning your sheep up at night, but if you do make sure it is a dry lot and there is no way they can nibble on grass while they wait for you to lead them back to pasture. The parasites from the manure build up in that pen poses a serious threat to your sheep. I keep my sheep on pasture 24/7 as much as possible. This even means at night. I do not use a shed unless it is an emergency, or predator pressure is heavy. When I do house the sheep in a shed, I make sure it a dry lot where they cannot graze.

3 Probably most importantly: if you are going to use dewormer, be aware of correct dosage rates. The rate provided on the package is a maintenance dose and not a treatment dose. Maintenance dose is about 1/2 of what is necessary to kill all of the parasites within an infected sheep. What will happen is that you will use the maintenance dose on the package which kill the weakest worms, and leave your sheep full of blood-sucking super bugs. I am going to link the CORRECT DOSAGE RATE for dewormer down below. This chart is put out by Clemson university and backed up by Rhode Island State University and guides on proper usage for all types of dewormer available in the United States.

How did we get it wrong when our sheep were dropped at our farm 5 years ago and what happened?
We had no rotational grazing system in place.
We housed the sheep in a shed.
And we had no clue about proper dosage rates when it came time to deworm.

What happened: 18 months into sheep farming we hit that saturation point I mentioned previously. We faced the devastating loss if 1/2 of our adult ewes and most of the lambs from our first year. We finally got it under control and brought our death rate from way above industry standard to way below industry standard through good grazing and good deworming practices

I was very recently reminded of how critical that rotational grazing management is for sheep. This year I took a 6 week break from my grazing program in peak parasite season. In the 6 weeks that followed I lost 9 lambs… more than we have lost in one season since launching our rotational grazing program in 2020. While I’m not proud to admit that, I want it to resonate on how important it is to move your flock to fresh pasture as frequently as possible… I have a dozen videos about grazing sheep, and I will link the playlist below so you can binge watch once you are done with this video :).

Containment is #2:
Sheep are difficult to contain. Not as bad as goats, but way worse than cows. 5-strand barbed wire is not effective for containing sheep. At our farm we overlayed our existing 5-strand cattle fencing with 6” woven Wire field fencing as a perimeter fence. We bought this field fencing at our local farm store on 330 foot rolls. And Within this perimeter fence I use polytape to create the small grazing paddocks for my daily rotational grazing program.

If you cannot afford this expensive perimeter fencing upfront, don’t let it to keep you from getting started with sheep, but I would strongly advise the use of portable electric netting over electric poly tape or poly wire.

When I give this advice, I have Greg Judy followers call out the fact that he runs his sheep on a single strand of electric fencing. However what needs to be kept in mind, is the fact that Greg Judy is working on hundreds of acres in a relatively unpopulated pastoral area. In such a setting, a sheep will jump out of the paddock and enjoy 50-100 acres of grass before becoming a nuisance to anyone.

When farming on small acreage with neighbors close by, your sheep will likely jump out of that paddock into either the neighbors yard, or onto the highway. Best case scenario: you are driving your neighbors nuts, worst case scenario you get the sheriff up your driveway because your sheep are on the highway (don’t ask me how I know that, but it’s true).

Keep that in mind and make your own decisions accordingly.

How did we get it wrong 5 years ago?

We thought 5-strand barbed wire was enough. And it was for about 30 days, until the grass was greener on the other side. Which happened to be our neighbor Debbie’s yard. My apologies Debbie.

Our sheep were perpetually in her yard or on the highway causing us major embarrassment within the community.

We also had a lot of predator losses because coyote and wild dog could slip in and out of the barbed wire.

We ultimately upgraded our fencing to the field fencing I showed you. We did it in small sections as our budget allowed. Perimeter fencing was the biggest and best investment we made for our small scale sheep farm. If it is maintained it will last for 50 years or more.

Predators are #3 on the list of things to have a strategy for before you buy sheep.

Predator pressure is going to vary from farm to farm: but it will be an issue. Whether from wild predators, or the neighbors German shepherd.

Livestock guardian dogs are the gold standard for flock defense.

That said: I myself do not. Have a livestock guardian dog. I mentioned the perimeter fence. Once we installed the tight fencing, our losses abated. We have two large pet dogs that roam the perimeter of our property and bark at anything that approaches the fence line. We have only had one predator loss since we installed the fencing, and it was due to a hole in the fencing.

Predators are pretty serious, so have a defense plan in place.

Watch this video next where I walk you through the 15 things you need to start a sheep farm with cost for each:

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Raising SHEEP vs GOATS: WHICH IS A BETTER HOMESTEAD ANIMAL?

➡️FREE Sheep Farming Masterclass
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Interested in purchasing my Dorper Lambs for your own farm? Join my wait-list below!

One year ago I purchased a small goatherd to add to the farm. The does were French alpine (a milk breed) and the billy was a Boer.

I bought them knowing there would some differences between sheep and goats, but assuming (even if I didn’t admit it) that they would be basically the same as sheep.

One year later I am going to share from my perspective

If you are trying to decide between sheep or goats for your farm or homestead am going to share my opinion on a situation in which goats are a hands-down a better for your farm or homestead and a situation in which sheep are a hands down better choice for your farm or homestead.

4 ways that goats have been a more pleasurable animal for me than sheep than sheep, and 4 ways that goats have been a less pleasurable animal for me than sheep and what role they will play on my farm from here on out.

If you are trying to make the decision for your homestead, this video should be chock full of info. Please note there will be exceptions and caveats based on breed, etc so I would like to ask goat owners to leave a comment below with their breed and how their experience has differed or been similar to mine over the past year.

This video is brought to you by shepherdess.com, where I provide beginner sheep owners with the resources they need to get off the ground, including sheep supplies kits and free ebooks and articles. The unique thing about sheep and goats is that there are so many similarities in the healthcare arena that the supplies and resources I offer for sheep crossover into the goat arena.
I’m also going to be launching a book in August that I want you to be watching for: the Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture: a photo-educational guide to raising and grazing sheep on 30 acres or less.

First up, when we think of bringing an animal back to the farm it is really important to define your goals for that animal. This is going to help you to avoid burnout when the challenges associated with that animal present themselves.

When people talk to me about raising animals on a homestead they are raising them for one of twos reasons: self-sufficiency and food production or Land management

If I am speaking to the self-sufficiency, food production homesteader, I would advise sheep.

Here is why:
At my home, I would a tremendous amount of difficulty convincing my family to make goat milk a regular part of their diet. Lamb, however, slips into the menu and replaces beef in most of the recipes we use it in. Lamb is very easy to integrate into already established eating habits. Until we are starving in some apocalyptic situation I will have to find a secondary use for my goats milk: feeding it to pigs or chickens, or making soap.

Another primary difference between goat and lamb is in the eating experience (should you raise meat goats). Lamb has the capacity to marble and create a similar eating experience to beef, whereas excess fat stores in goats does not become marbling in the meat. Instead it centralize around the vital organs and abdominal wall, and not in the meat. This makes goat a very lean eating experience. This isn’t bad, just different and something that would prove a bigger adjustment for my family at least.

If I am speaking to the homesteader who is managing a very brushy or poor quality forage resource: Goats win.

Goats are extremely aggressive browsers. As I watched this goat herd eat, I at one point watched them work together to tip over a small evergreen tree and then proceed to peel the bark off with their teeth and eat it… all while there were acres and acres of pasture grass at their disposal.

Sheep are 50/50 in their grazing-browsing habits. They are a hybrid between a goat and a cow in that they will eat weeds and brush, but if there is open pasture in front of them, they will opt for it first, then eat away at the brush.

If you have extremely brushy land and very little grass, goats are going to make amazing use of that. The interesting thing I have heard about goats is that within about 5 years they will eat themselves out of a habitat because the brush that they go at so hard is really not used to such heavy grazing impact and will eventually die out of a pasture, making room for grass.

Ok here are 4 ways goats have been a more pleasurable experience for me than sheep over the past year:

Prolificacy: The twinning rate on my goat herd was better than my sheep flock. My goats were supplemented with feed and my sheep were grass only. So please note that could have had something to do with it.

Personality: Goat kids have a way better personality that lambs. The two are equal in cuteness… but goat kids will literally hug you… it’s weird. And it is literally one of the most fun experiences to take your coffee out to the goat pen in the morning and watch them use anything as a gymnasium. Lambs re adorable, but goat personality wins. (Sorry sheep)

Commodity value: Consistently here in the DFW area, goats are pulling stronger prices at sale barns and public auction houses.

Browsing ability: I mentioned this before, but if your land base has more weeds than pasture, goats have an advantage.

4 ways that goats have been a less pleasurable experience for me than sheep over the past year:

Containment: This is the biggest challenge. I had really gotten a good system in place with my sheep. I operate on 2-strands of polytope and a 12 Joule AC charger. This keeps my sheep in at a rate of 90% (which is good enough for me). The goats pretend the fence doesn’t exist. They are super agile and can either jump or muster the bravery to slip through. As I’ve watched them get hit with the electric shock of the poly tape, their instinct seems to be to continue bounding forward, rather than to retract, so whether they are hit with a shock or not, they leave the paddock. I’ve discussed the issue with other goat owners and the concession is that electric netting is the best portable fence option for goats, so invest in a set of that and. You are good to go.

Copper: Goats need more copper than sheep. This isn’t a huge deal, but something to be noted. Twice this year I have administered a copper bolus in the back of the throat for each goat and that was all they needed.

Climbing: It may be the breed, but my alpines climb-climb-climb in ways that my stalky Dorpers never could. They climb out of my handling system and I have to chase them around the corral and manually provide their drenches and treatments. In fact last year they collaborated with the sheep. They climbed to the top of the hay pile, and kicked several bales to the bottom, where the sheep feasted heartily on what was supposed to be winter reserves.

Hooves: I was treating more goat hooves than sheep hooves this year. Now it was an abnormally wet year so I am not certain this is a fair estimate, but I’ll include it anyway and let you agree or disagree in the comments section with the point that goats are more sensitive to hoof issues than sheep.

I noted they were about the same as sheep with respect to parasites… However I did not loose any goat kids to parasites this year and I did lose a few lambs, so they did gain the win there. However I was raising a lot more lambs than goats this year, so it’s not really an even match.

So what am I going to do?? Will goats stay on my farm. Yes, they will. I have been told by my little sisters, who adore the goats, that I must keep them. They will not be a for-profit enterprise.
I am going to keep 2 does for personal enjoyment. One of the does I am keeping is a great milker and allows anything to nurse off of her. I believe she will come in handy for orphan lambs.

I hope this video helped you and please give it a thumbs up if it did. I look forward to seeing you in the next one.

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Running Hoof Care for My Sheep and Goats

🔹HOOF TRIMMING PDF

This video outlines my annual hoof care process. I cover two ways that you can care for the hooves of sheep or goats: manually or with a handling system. I share some of my favorite hoof care supplies for sheep and goats, as well as what hoof trimming day looks like for me at my farm.

Thanks for watching!
-the Shepherdess

*Minor correction, the grass-fed yearling did have a small grain ration during the winter following 2022’s drought. Very short term.

🔹FOLLOW THE FARM ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyfarms.dorpers/
🔹FOLLOW THE FARM ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/HarmonyFarmsDorpers

🔸FREE 1 HOUR CRASH COURSE on Sheep: https://bit.ly/Sheepx3Webinar
🔹Join my NEWSLETTER: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessNWSLTR
🔸FREE SHEEP FARMING WORKSHEETS: https://bit.ly/FarmWorksheets

In this Video:
Sheep Farming
Sheep Care
Hoof Trimming
Goats
Foot
Hooves

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HOW I BUILT A $100K SHEEP FARM BUSINESS IN 3 YEARS (Sheep farming for profit)

“11 QUESTIONS” Business PLANNING WORKSHEETS

In 2020 I decided I wanted to become a farmer for profit. I had no idea what I was up against, I just knew I wanted to generate $100K per year off of my 23 acre sheep farm with a net profit minimum of 30%.


I had:

  • no farming background.
  • no industry connections.
  • no land.

But what I did have was knowledge.


I knew:

  • Our food system is broken.
  • Our farmers are dying.
  • We need more people growing groceries.

And I knew how to market…
While I had never built a farm business, I had built and marketed several other business… mostly in the retail apparel industry.
So I shoved everything I knew from marketing shoes and clothes in the direction of marketing sheep:
Branding, content creation, email marketing, live launching, product stacking, and diversification.
It’s all I had, and gave it all I had.
1000 days after launching my farm business, it earned just shy of $100K within one calendar year.


WITHOUT:

  • Youtube Ad Revenue
  • Sponsorship deals
  • Course sales
  • Speaking fees

In a year by year format I am going to show you exactly how I built my farm brand and a concept that rapidly increased gross revenue. We are talking going from $10k to $100k within just a year. That $100k gross is split between three distinct products that fit within a similar category and all appeal to the same person.
What I am getting ready to outline transcends industries, so no matter what business you decide to build you will more than likely pull something out of this video.
I know this because the same methods I used to sell sheep were the same methods I used to sell shoes.

HOWEVER, while this pattern is simple (if you are like me)… the hard part of the whole process will be sticking with it and not quitting.
Here’s why:


Year 1, I worked about 1000 hours to build my farm business and grossed about $0.


Year 2, I worked another 1000 hours to build my farm business and grossed about $10,000. That’s like a dollar an hour.


Year 3, I worked about 1000 hours on my farm business and grossed about $100K.

There were a lot of times I wanted to QUIT. It was very discouraging to work so hard without any immediate return.

If you are in it for money you will quit, because there are thousands of easier ways to make this kind of money. You have to farm for deeper reasons.

Here is a year by year look at the marketing that went into building the Shepherdess Brand:

Year 1:
I set a solid foundation. Mindset and otherwise.

  • I decided I wanted to make $100k per year farming 23 acres, with a minimum net profit of $30k.
  • Decided I was going direct to consumer. No sale barns, no middle man, whatever farm goods I sold would be sold through my own website or straight from my farm to you.
  • I penciled out a business plan with beef. I couldn’t achieve a net profit of $30k with beef on 23 acres. Even with the fanciest beef I could only pencil out about $8,900 on 23 acres.
  • I pivoted from beef to sheep as my primary enterprise. I still run beef, I still sell sides of grass fed and finished beef, but just in a much smaller ratio to sheep.
  • I built my website (Shepherdess.com). I published 3 long-form, SEO optimized articles to the website that would rank in Google search.
  • I setup a newsletter.
  • Created a solid brand name, logo, and slogan.

Year 2:
I worked ahead of time to build my newsletter list with people who might be interested in buying my sheep.

By the beginning of year two my flock was lambing and I was almost ready to sell my first lambs. 6 months before launching my first sheep sale, I doubled down on building my newsletter list.

I used social media to find people for my newsletter. I chose Instagram and Youtube to find people for my newsletter. I chose Youtube because Youtube and Google are both search engines. I created videos with the goal of ranking in Youtube search engine in the same way that I wrote the blog posts. With my videos I answered specific questions about sheep farming.

In prep for my first livestock sale, I listed some small merch at shepherdess.com. My sheep weren’t ready yet, but I offered Gateway products: Stickers and shirts. I didn’t make a lot of money off these products, but it was a way that people could connect and purchase something small to support my work.

I held my first livestock sale at Shepherdess.com on August 11, 2021. I advertised my sheep through my newsletter and sold all of them through either Shepherdess.com or through Craigslist.


I did not make a ton of money in year 2 at all… but I had prototyped all of my ideas on a small scale and found viability.


I heard it said that when, starting a new business, the hardest money you will ever make is your first $1000. If you can survive that process, know that it won’t take much more effort to make $100k.


I have found that to be true.

Year 3:
Go big or go home.

My newsletter list was growing really strong around the topic of sheep farming. I hosted my 2nd livestock sale in April of 2022, marketed it through that email newsletter, and sold out of all my sheep at shepherdess.com within 15 minutes.

I was elated… And then I thought: “Wait, that’s all my sheep for the year… what else can I sell?”


There were two FAQ’s that came to me again and again.

1: What books did you read as a beginner in raising livestock on pasture?

2: What kind of supplies do you use to take care of your sheep?

So I took these questions as cues and put the 5 books I read as a beginner in livestock at Shepherdess.com.


And I worked super hard and acquired distributorship for the 32 products I use to take care of my flock on an annual basis. It was something I had never done before, but the Lord opened doors.


I made both of these things available a Shepherdess.com, and by God’s grace, revenue tripled overnight… Because I found more than one way to meet the needs of the people I had spent two years connecting with…. through my email newsletter.


And that is the secret sauce. Listen to the people. Take your mind off of what you want to sell and listen to what they want.

I hope this summary helps you market your own farm!

-the Shepherdess

“So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” 1 Cor. 3:7

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61 JOBS THAT ChatGPT WON’T REPLACE? | Durable Trades Interview With RORY GROVES

In a world where ChatGPT is pushing millions of jobs into obsolescence, Durable Trades is a roadmap for establishing yourself in a job that will last.

Durable Trades outlines 61 occupations that have stood the test of time and technological advances.

(Spoiler: Shepherding is #1 on the list!!!)

Shop the book →

AI JOB REPLACEMENT

The AI Revolution is taking the world by storm, with the release and rise of ChatGPT on November 30th 2022.

ChatGPT is a first of it’s kind Artificial Intelligence chat-bot made available to the public.

In the 5 short months since ChatGPT was released it is positioning itself to replace the jobs of millions of coders, data analysts, software engineers, paralegals, teachers, accountants, graphic designers AND MORE.

Conservative estimates cite that 300 million jobs will be replaced by Artificial Intelligence software such as ChatGPT.

For perspective, the United States population is 331.9 million. This means that by the very lowest estimations, the equivalent of the entire US population will be without a job, thanks to this revolutionary AI technology.

But are there AI-proof jobs that we can establish ourselves in right now, to avoid obsoleteness in an onslaught of the Artificial Intelligence?

This is an interview with Rory Groves, Author of Durable Trades. Rory Groves is a software developer who saw the merit in diversifying his portfolio with a 10 acre food production enterprise.

The book Durable Trades outlines 61 occupations that have stood the test of time and an era of technological advances.

Enjoy the interview, and as a spoiler: Shepherding is #1 on the list of the world’s most historically durable trades.

JOIN THE GROVESTEAD NEWSLETTER HERE

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DREAM FLOCK WINNER!

After reviewing a huge number of entries there were nearly 60 qualified farmers! From these farmers I drew the Dorper Dream Flock winner!

The winner of the Dorper Dream Flock Giveaway is:

LISA BURTON

The Shepherdess Livestock Sale is on Wednesday at 8 am! The sheep will be sold at a fixed price (this is not an auction). It will be first come, first served. The genetics are color-coded. Be sure to choose alternating colors in the ram/ewe for a breeding pair that is suitable!

Bookmark the following link. 2023 starter flocks will be available for purchase through this link at 8am on Wednesday Morning!

2023 Sheep For Sale HERE

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Why I Used Sheep (not silver) to Avoid Inflation

In this video I am going to give you 5 reasons why I bought sheep instead of silver, why 3 years later I am glad I did so, and #3 I am going to tell you why I am going to spend the next few videos encouraging you to find alternative means to the USDollar of storing your wealth.

In 2020 I was debt free with 6 months worth of expenses saved back and $11k leftover to invest free and clear.

I was watching as the government began to print it’s way out of a national crisis.

Within just 3 months, our national debt increased by $3 TRILLION, a previously unheard-of spike in such a short period of time.

Stimulus money flooded the nation to “rescue” a flailing economy, but it does not take a genius to understand that that was not free money, it is a dilution of existing wealth… but only for those who chose to keep their wealth stored in the form of US dollars.

So I seized a window of opportunity to escape that fate.

While it was not a lot, I began to search out ways to invest this $11,000, and invest in a way that would not only hedge its value, but increase it.

Long story short, instead of silver. Precious metals, or some up and coming tech stock, I spent $11k on sheep and began the intensive process of learning how to care for a flock in such a way that would enhance the health of the soil they grazed. (( BTW )) If you are looking at sheep as a means of hedging wealth… please know that if all of your sheep die you will lose all of your money. It almost happened to us, so I want you to click the link below for free beginner level training that covers some of the mistakes we made at the beginning that cost us A LOT of money.

Here are 5 reasons why I bought Dorper Sheep instead of silver:

  1. Livestock is a dynamic asset, silver and precious metals are static. What this means is that in addition to appreciating and cycling in value as silver does, sheep also replicate themselves at a rapid rate. If you put two sheep together, given the correct gender, you will have 4 sheep next year, 6 the year after that, and 10 ands so on….
  2. Sheep are among the top 3 most Historically Durable forms of wealth: Land, Livestock, and precious metals have since the beginning of time been a consistent measurement of personal wealth. To take it to ancient, Biblical history, the wealth of the most prosperous men was measured first in terms of sheep, followed by various forms of livestock and in some cases precious metals. It is important to understand that many of the things we measure wealth by today did not exist 100 years ago. Whether it be crypto currency, tech stocks, etc. These things that we attribute value to on such a high level are exceptionally fragile. They are a blip on the radar of world history and I believe we will ultimately revert to what has been most historically durable. (Burned by the Curley headed guy. Silicon Valley crash)
  3. Agricultural investments are severely undervalued. Agriculture is in shambles, and those who can enter the arena with ingenuity, and an emphasis on the restoration of soil health, will be future corner pillars of an industry we rely on for 3 meals a day.
  4. Soil is among the most undervalued assets in our culture today. Soil health is a barrier between a nation and starvation. Civilizations have risen and fallen in relation to the capacity of the soil to produce a viable food source. Sheep well managed are a tool to increase soil health acre by acre, thus compounding the wealth building component of your investment, should the land you are grazing belong to you.
  5. Bullion (gold and Silver) is heavily regulated. Nearly every piece of precious metal you purchase is registered and reported to the government by the brokering agency. The reason this is significant is because 90 years ago during the Great Depression, President FDR signed an executive order that made the ownership of **any form of gold over $100 illegal. Citizens were required to turn in all gold coins, certificates, etc to the federal government in exchange for US dollars, and they did so at a volume that totaled $700 million in 1933… or $16.3 BILLION in today’s money. To think we are past such a confiscation in 2023 is not wise, especially considering the fact that bullion is regulated and tracked to an even greater extent today than ever before. I do not by any means negate precious metals as a valid way to hedge wealth, and should we hit something like we saw during the last Depression, you will receive fair dollar exchange for your gold, but given what we have seen historically, precious metals are more vulnerable. What’s more is that in times of true economic crisis bartering becomes a thing. Practically speaking, 10 sheep are more barter able than one gold coin.

Since I made the personal decision based on #1 prayer and #2 the realization of these 5 facts, economic leaders have begun pushing agricultural ETF’s, localized food systems have gained traction, and there is rumor that the BRICS nations (which are the eastern nations of the world) are formulating plans to launch an alternative currency that is backed by gold, rare earth metals, and… wait for it… SOIL. While this alternative currency is still just a rumor, the fact that soil is listed among precious metals and rare earth elements further exemplifies its value as a legitimate commodity.

Sheep instead of silver is not going to be everyone’s answer.

A lot of you watching this with a back ache from working sheep all day and you are going to make the accurate observation that this is by no means a passive investment. It takes work, and sometimes it takes more work than is fun. You have to be ready and able to put in the work.

A lot of you are also going to how about both sheep and silver? Which is is a great option as well. Diversity is my anthem.

I am not really here to tell you what you should do

But I do want to bring awareness to the fact that it is critical to find alternative means to hedge and grow wealth if you have it.

Since 2020 alone the cumulative rate of inflation has been 15.1%, meaning that should I have left that $11,000 in the bank it would only have $9,500 worth of buying power today. Instead, that $11,000 went to work. I have flock that is twice the size of when I bought it and I have consistent income through the sale of excess lambs. (Which, by the way, I am selling my 2023 lamb crop on April 26th, so check the link below for info on starting your own flock with lambs from mine).

I am convinced that the USD is on death row. In the coming videos I am going to present the facts that will tell you why… when they are available, I will put those videos right here… until then diversify, and be watching your flocks.

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(Final Notice) Giveaway + Livestock Sale Details!

Flock Giveaway:

To qualify for the Flock Giveaway (1 ram and 2 ewes) you must fall under one of these categories:

You have completed the course Raising Sheep 101 with a score of 85 or higher on all 5 quizzes. In addition to this, you need to provide proof that you have land suitable to raise 3 sheep and the lambs they produce (2+ acres recommended).

or

Successful sheep owner for 12 months or more. You must have experience with at least one lambing on farm and an annual mortality rate of 15% or less. Winner to be announced on April 24th!

​

April 26th Livestock Sale Details:

  • The sheep sale is ONLINE at Shepherdess.com. It will be first come, first served at the website. Local pickup will be scheduled after purchase.
  • Genetic sets will be color coded (orange and yellow). Make sure you have selected a ram that is the opposite color of the ewes to have a set suitable for breeding.

Reply with any questions!

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Dorper Dream Flock Giveaway (and 2023 Sheep sale details)

Hello Friends,

I have TWO major things to share with you in this post. Info on the April 26th Shepherdess Livestock sale (starter flocks!!) and the Shepherdess.com Micro-Flock Grant (aka the Dorper Dream Flock Giveaway)!! Scroll for info on both!!

One more reminder: I am on the speaker lineup at the Louisiana Women in Agriculture Conference! I hope to see you there on April 14th! You can buy your tickets here.​

Starter Flocks:

Lord-willing, on April 26th at 8am CST I will be posting both Dorper ewes and rams for sale at Shepherdess.com. I will have 2 genetic lines available, meaning you can purchase ewes and a ram that are suitable for breeding together (complete starter flock).

Farming Dorper Sheep in Texas

Availability is limited, so I recommend showing up early. I don’t know what to anticipate in 2023, but in 2022 I sold out of my lambs in 15 minutes. If you are interested in pricing info, you can see 2022’s lambs. ​

Dorper Dream Flock Giveaway:

In October of last year the Lord opened doors for me to acquire Shepherdess.com. Since then, I have been working to build out an all-inclusive resource hub for beginner sheep farmers. At Shepherdess.com I have free training, extended training, and sheep f​arming kits!!

Shepherdess.com has everything I wish I had as Beginner Sheep Farmer… all in one place!

To celebrate the GRAND OPENING of Shepherdess.com, I am giving one of you the chance to start your Dorper dream flock! I will be selecting one farm/homestead to receive 2 Purebred Dorper breeding ewes, 1 Purebred Ram, a 30 Piece Shepherdess Supplies Kit, and a 1-1 consultation call (between the winner and I)! DETAILS​ HERE!

I am accepting grant applications through April 22 and will announce the winner on April 24th! Please share with friends who might qualify!

Thank you so much for reading!
-the Shepherdess

“Know ye that the LORD he is God: It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3

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Cost of Building a 10 Acre Sheep Farm From Scratch.

PDF RESOURCE LIST

Today I am going to walk you through what I would use to make 10 acres of raw land suitable for raising and grazing sheep. I am going to outline what you need to install and give you a ballpark figure of how much this infrastructure will costs. I will explain the various options for water and electricity, even outlining some options for land that has neither water nor electrical access yet.

Fencing:

Fenceline Clearing: $500-3000

In my area of Northeast Texas, a forestry clearing machinery kit can be rented for $3,000 per week. For light brush, a brush hog costs about $500 per week to rent.

Perimeter Fencing Material: $3824

I would install the same fence that is on my farm right now. This fence is a woven wire field fence and costs $478 per 330 linear foot. The cost covers a 6×6″ woven wire field fencing that comes on 330ft rolls. You will need to factor in the cost of corner braces if you do not have the lumber from clearing the fenceline to do so.

Corner Braces: 5 each 8’x6″ treated post ($30 each). $150 per corner post x 4 $600.

Gate: $313

2 Gate hinge kits at $18 each

1 Utility Tube Gate for $217. Two 8’x6″ treated post for either side of the gate = $60

Fencing Total: $4,637-7137

Water:

If you already have a spigot access point, you can simply take water to your paddocks using a 500′ length of UV resistant Poly-tubing. That’s what I do. The 500′ length of pipe cost me $200 and I have water in all of my paddocks.

#1 Pond: In my region, it costs $1200-3600 to dig a small pond. That said, I would not dig a pond, but haul water instead. Sheep drink very little water. On the hottest days I observe they only drink 1 gallon per head per day.

65 Gallon Tank: $280

Sheep drink about 1 gallon of water per day, so if you are considering a flock of 20 sheep on 10 acres, a 65 gallon water tank will service your flock for 3 days.

Water total: $200-$3000

Housing/shelter:

There are a lot of options when it comes to sheep shelter! Feel free to leave yours down below.

I am currently working with a company to purchase a 10×20′ structure that will be a miniature replica of the 2-sided structure that I currently have.

With the modifications this structure will cost around $2,200.

A 2-sided shelter is all I have ever needed here in Texas. The closed side is facing the north, which is where the cold wind blows in from. As long as there is plenty of dry bedding, the sheep are just fine in this shed!

Shelter Cost: $2,200

Rotational Grazing Infrastructure:

Charger System:

Assuming no electrical access, I would utilize a 5 joule solar system for 10 acres. $800

Total: $800

Rotational Grazing Supplies:

Here are the supplies I would keep on hand for rotational grazing:

6 reels. $90

6 rolls of polytape. $240

40 Step in Posts. $87.60

2 sets of tri-jumper cables. $20

2 Reel stands with brackets: $250

Total: $687

Buffering for Incidentals:

I would put a $1,500 buffer into my budget for this project for incidentals. This will cover the cost of the unexpected. If you don’t spend it, you can put it toward the cost of breeding stock… but it is that it is better to come up with extra than to fall short.

How many sheep on 10 acres?

In a good rainfall area (40″+) with land that has 70% grass cover or more, 2-3 sheep per acre is possible.

That said, I would start with 1 sheep per acre. Buy 8-10 of the highest quality ewes you can find and pair them to the best ram you can afford. Starting small is my anthem. It will keep you from burnout: both financial and emotional.

What’s more is that sheep reproduce really fast. Within 8 months your flock size will double. You can save back your best ewes every year to increase your flock size from 10 to 20, and so on.

Please share this article with a friend if it helped!

-the Shepherdess

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish…” Luke 14:28

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BASIC SHEEP SUPPLIES I USE | Deworming, Tail Docking, Shots, and more!

DIY Sheep Chute

Lakeland Handling Systems

I am going to show you what kind of products I use in my Dorper Sheep flock with detailed info why I use them.

I am going to address how the new regulations on livestock antibiotics affect my sheep farm.

I am going to talk about how I keep records on my sheep flock.

I am going to talk about handling systems for sheep.

Where to find the products I am using:

With exception of the prescription only products, all of the products I use to work my flock are part of the Shepherdess Complete Starter Kit at Shepherdess.com.

What you will also find at Shepherdess.com is a HUGE amount of free training for beginner sheep farmers, in fact I would highly recommend you start with my free 1 hour class on the basics of raising, grazing, and marketing sheep.

Every 30-45 days I will give the flock what I call a “quick look”. I’ll check eyelids for anemia and, if someone is limping, I’ll figure out why. This typically takes an hour or less and I will just pile them all into the nearest small or use some of the portable Lakeland panels to create small enclosure wherever the flock is grazing.

Today, however, was one of my biggest working days of the year, which only happens 2-3 times per year. I performed about 7 different tasks… and those tasks are as follows.

Tasks I Performed Today!

  • CDT: Vaccine (vet only). CDT is a vaccine for sheep and goats that you can purchase through your vet. It guards against tetanus and overeating disease (bloat). I avoid giving the shots to the meat wethers that I raise, but prioritize them for my breeding animals. The two issues they guard against are ones you will likely encounter if you are grazing. Clover dense pasture can cause bloat and tetanus is a risk where rusty fencing, or horse manure is present. (yes, horse manure carries tetanus)
  • Cydectin: Dewormer for Barber’s Pole Worm. I treat the Barber’s Pole Worm with Cydectin.
  • Toltrazuril: Dewormer for Coccidia. I use Toltazuril as Coccidia prevention and treatment. Coccidia is another parasite that eats holes in the gut of your lambs and can stunt growth. For the most part rotational grazing and culling has taken care of this problem in my flock, but I don’t mind running the occasional treatment, especially if it has been a really wet month. Symptoms include a pot belly, slowed growth rate, and/or persistent diarrhea. This treatment works really quickly. Lambs under 8 months are most vulnerable. This coccidia treatment is available in the Shepherdess Essentials Bundle!
  • Vitamin B and Anem-x 100 Iron Supplement: Immune Boosters for Stress. These two supplements are something I’ll give to mature ewes that seem stressed. As an example of why I used it here: 3 of my ewe were stressed and/or in poor body condition from lambing In December and raising lambs in sub-optimal conditions. These two supplements and the needles you need to administer are available in the Shepherdess Essentials Bundle!
  • Ear-tagging: New lambs and moms that have lost there eartags throughout the year will receive a fresh orange tag. You need 3 things to eartag: A non-fading eartag marker, an eartag applicator, and of course the tags. You want to make sure the tags are small for sheep. These eartags are not in the Essentials bundle, but are available separately at shepherdess.com For the new lambs I will put the name of their sire (dad) on the back as well as their dams (moms) number. The fact that I can look at a lamb and know which mom it belongs to betrays the fact that I spend way too much time with my sheep. Another way to keep record on moms and babies is simply to eartag on pasture shortly after the lamb is born.
  • Roll Call: With the help of my mini-shepherdess I ran a roll call on the entire flock. My flock is not huge, but it is growing and with them spending a majority of time on pasture, I wanted to make sure no-one had escaped the farm, or was abducted. Thankfully everyone was present, accounted for and looking great!
  • Weighing: I weighed a cross-section of the flock to get an idea of where everyone was at, and to keep tabs on some of the ewes that had lost condition due to lambing in December. The scale I am using is also from Lakeland.
  • Tail Docking and Castration: The same tool is used for both tail docking and castration. You have the castration pliers and a small rubber band. You just have to stick different parts through this rubber band and leave it there.

How do the new regulations on Livestock Antibiotics affect my farm?

They don’t. I use antibiotic maybe 3-4 times per year. I have a relationship with my vet, so will buy a bottle when I buy my CDT. It stores it in the fridge and keeps for the whole year. I’m sad that there are more regulations in place, but this one is not affecting me too severely.

Handling System:

Deluxe Handling Package for Sheep and Goats by Lakeland

What I actually use to do the bulk of my sheep work is a Lakeland Farm and Ranch handling system, which I love. It takes the muscle out of working sheep and is allowing me to grow my flock as a single female owner/operator who is 5’3′ with sheep that outweigh her. When I did not have this sheep handing system, I needed 2 big guys to help me on days like today. With this system, I can work the flock by myself with the help of two little girls who I can pay in cheeseburgers and cherry limeades rather than $20 per hour.

When our flock was smaller, we would just use a small pen and a homemade chute, which I will link below to that DIY chute. Just make sure it is a small pen and the sheep are tightly packed together. Do not leave any room for them to run from you… or it will be a very long day.

Simple Record Keeping for the Flock:

I use a simple Google Sheets to keep tabs on the flock. I create a column for each year and file the ewes according to the year they were born. Our flock goes back to 2017, so I have 7 columns.

On that Google Sheets I will create new tab down below for huge working days like today. I have a 10 year old secretary on site to write down notes for each ewe with respect to what kind of treatment she received, how much she weighed, etc. Once we are done, I will take that piece of paper and add notes to my Google sheets for each animal. I do know there are services that help with flock record keeping, I just have not taken the time to jump into any of them yet… maybe someday!

We are almost finished with lambing, and I actually timed my lambing to be earlier this year. I did this for several reasons, but one of them was so that I could do this kind of flock maintenance in cooler weather. It is really uncomfortable to work sheep when the Texas temperatures kick up in may.

I hope this walk through a day of working sheep helped you!

-the Shepherdess

“Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3