Shepherd's Corner Even with almost three years as a shepherd, there is a lot to learn.  I hope to share some of my learning experiences here as I go along in this journey.  Some initial things that come to mind ... "good quality hay" Deworming lambing supplies corraling & fencing Scrapie Program ...these are some of the things you will read about from a beginner's perspective.  So check back soon for updates!   Good Quality Hay My flock arrived Labor Day weekend 2005.  One of the first things I needed to consider was a source for their winter hay.  Everyone has told me to buy "good quality hay."  Well, what does that mean?  Do you stop at farm with a "Hay for Sale" sign and ask him if he has any "good quality hay" for sale.  I can't imagine the farmer saying, "Sorry, nothing but poor quality hay here...try the next farm down the road."  I was told that it shouldn't be wet, have mold, minimum weeds.  Grass hay is good for most of the winter, but a little alfalfa hay at the end of gestation is recommended.  Okay, that makes sense ...until you go looking at it.  We lucked out on a stop back from town one day.  A farmer had hay in barns all over town.  He must have needed a break ...or needed to sell his hay ...because he spent the next couple hours driving us from barn to barn showing us the different types of hay he had.  Most was pure grass hay, but some was pure alfalfa.  I knew we didn't want that ...too rich for sheep and can cause bloat.  So we put a few bales in the truck for the sheep to sample and told him we'd be back for more.  Well, I put some out for the sheep right away even though the pastures were still green.  The didn't touch it.  Days went by.  Not a nibble.  I knew they would eat mostly fresh grass, but thought they might eat a bit of hay.  So one day, I happened by another farm and stopped in to see their hay.  I could immediately see a difference (I was so excited that my eye for hay was developing!!).  I filled the bed of the truck with a sampling of eight bales.  I replaced the initial bale with this second sample and do you know, those sheep were all over it!  Now looking at the two different bales side by side, I could see a very real difference.  The first sample had lots of hard brown stems in it.  It would poke your hand if you reached inside the bale.  The second sample was filled with grass, still a touch green, and soft to the touch...like a bag full of Easter basket grass.  So we bought enough of the second batch (and then some!) to get us through the winter.  (More on Quantity later).  And even among this cutting, I could see some of the bales weren't as nice.  They may have been from around the edge of the field or in a certain patch.  So I learned the best thing to do is buy a bale from several different places.  Open them up side-by-side and see what differences you can spot.  Then put a sampling of each bale out for the sheep.  They'll tell you which one they like best. Lambing Supplies After two seasons of lambing, I have been fortunate not to have an emergency to deal with other than assisting in a few deliveries.  The supplies that are a must:   -latex gloves for assisting in deliveries or checking the ewes.  I like to use OB lubrication with it   -iodine & a wide-mouthed jar for dipping the umbilical cord in after it's born (do not cut!)   -Bo-Se & syringes - we give 1/2cc to the lamb at birth   -molasses - we give molasses to the ewe in her water after she lambs   -marking crayons - this year we had 3 white lambs and I couldn't tell them apart unless they were with their mom; I marked the back of their legs with a different color; it doesn't stay on long, so don't know that this is worth it.   -antibiotics are good to have on hand in case the mom had to be assisted in the labor.  This is to prevent infection.   -a scale for weighing at birth   -bulb syringe for clearing the lamb's nose at birth if necessary.  I haven't had to use this yet.   -I keep an old hair dryer to use to warm the lambs if they are born on a cold day and are weak   -alcohol & cotton balls ...there are others, but this is a good start.

Deb and Preston Hoeve 1073 Long Road Xenia, OH 45385 [Home][ Icelandic Sheep][ Icelandic Sheepdogs][ Shepherds Corner][ Our Store][ The Farm][ Photo Gallery] For site related (geek-like) questions or comments, please email webmaster@QuietThymeFarm.com Entire site © 2008, 2009 Quiet Thyme Farm. All rights reserved.