Sheep Resources

• Sheep Primer
• Frequently Asked
  Questions
• Pasture Management
• Tips and Tricks
• References and Links

This cluster of pages will attempt to pull together a lot of really good resources and pieces of information into one easy-to-access place. We hope you will bookmark this page and return often.

However, the first and best resource any new shepherd can find is an experienced shepherd willing to help mentor the new one. We would like to publicly thank our good friend, Debbie McDermott of Stonehedge Farm and Fiber Mill in East Jordan, Michigan, for being our mentors. Always ready and willing to share their experiences with us, I doubt we would have jumped into sheep breeding without their support. I've lost track of the times we've called "Dr. Deb" to ask health questions, or the number of times Chuck has loaned equipment, helped us learn how to load hay on a trailer and stack it in the barn, and numerous other farmer jobs we had no knowledge of. We owe them more than we can say. Thanks, guys! You've been great!

So before you buy your first sheep, try to find someone who is willing to answer all your questions, both silly and smart, who can point you toward resources in your area you don't know about, who will teach you the difference between good hay and bad, etc. Try to find someone nearby, so you can visit their farm, and invite them to yours. Choose someone willing to offer his/her experience without shoving it down your throat or trying to make you believe it's the only way that works. Each shepherding situation is a different combination of sheep, land, and shepherd. What works on one farm may not on another, even just a few miles away.

With that caveat in mind, do "take what you need and leave the rest" when you look through our website. These suggestions are working today, as I write, but may not work tomorrow, next season, or next year. Do let me know if you come across something that's not good for your flock, though. I am doing my best to make sure everything on this site will generally work well in most situations.