Hi everyone.

We have some yearly cases of Myiasis, sadly. Now we cut the wool back by hand. But we've been considering about switching to a sheering machine. We thought it would go a lot quicker, which reduces stress on the sheep.

Since it would be used in the field, it would need to be battery powered. However, we have some doubts about it being strong enough to handle the moist and dirty wool.

Does anyone here have experience with using one in this scenario?

We bought a starter hard of Jacobs. I have 1/3 acre to plant feed. I can buy cheap alfalfa/grass hay from my neighbor, $60 for a 4x5 pound round bale. What should I plant in the 1/3 acre? I'm reading about comfrey, jerusalem artichoke (grown for both tubers and greens), fodder beets, sugar beets, and even field turnips. Right now, I just seeded a deer feedplot mix of various winter grains, clovers, and alfalfa. It just seems like I should go for something more energy-rich than greens since I have such limited land.

I am looking for a heritage breed sheep that is good for milking, if one exists. I was curious if anyone else had experience with one. Dual or tri purpose is a plus but not necessary.

I know sheep CAN pull a cart, I'm curious how many people have used sheep as draft animals and what your experience was? There's not much information out there. How did it go? Did you notice the average weight they could pull? A difference between breeds? Any problems or insights?

Leave some signs in the comms !

The Churra Tensina and Churra de Tierra de Campos (CTC) are 2 different breeds of sheep belonging to the Churra breed group. I was informed through many many google searches and Spanish translations that CTC is the original/traditional Churra breed group member. However, for the life of me, I am unable to find a picture of the CTC. The closest I have come to is concluding that the Churra Tensina looks almost exactly like the CTC because if you research CTC and then Churra Tensina you get pretty much the same images.

I would love if someone maybe had a picture of both or, at least, explain that they look the same or if they look different. Thank you.

Remember to hug your wooly friends today, it's hug a sheep day

like they kinda eventually lose interest as adults but as lambs they are fascinated by cats, they try to play with them, they go up to them and sniff them whenever they see one, and are overall friendly towards them

is it like.. a sheep thing or is it just our flock that does this?

Hey everyone! My team and I are working on a project to help sheep farmers with common challenges, especially during lambing season.
We’ve found that some farmers spend long hours monitoring ewes around the clock to keep them safe.
This has a negative impact on farmers, especially when labor is limited.
For those who work with sheep, do you face this issue?
How do you currently manage lambing periods?
Any tips, tech, or practices that help make this easier?
Would love to hear any insights on this or other big challenges you encounter on the farm.

Thanks in advance!

I’m wondering what publications everyone follows to keep up to date on the sheep industry. I’m Canadian and know of two subscriptions in the country, but am looking worldwide, I crave the knowledge.

USDA Sheep Data App - RuminantReport

Over the last few years of trying to time the market right for our lambs, I’ve spent some time this year aggregating available data from the USDA on their sales from 2021 - current.

I began identifying trends in this data and creating charts my own personal use. Speaking with other producers they showed an interest in a tool to view current and historical data on Sheep sales.

With that comes the launch of

ruminantreport.com

In its current state we are offering very basic features and the ability to view data in table format based on location and year.

Future features are to include configurable charts and we are hoping to add forecasting! Feel free to leave any feedback here or suggest new features.