Lambing 2025

For the first time in about 35 years, I shepherded over a lambing crop.  I started my livestock career with sheep, showing market lambs at the Nevada County Fair in 1977 as part of the Nevada Union Chapter of the Future Farmers of America (FFA).  I had a few ewes of my own, then worked for Bob and Margie Paasch's Donner Trail Suffolks while taking courses at Yuba College. 

While studying agriculture there, I took a sheep shearing course for a week from a New Zealand sheep shearer.  When I moved to Lake County, I built up a commercial herd of about 100 white-faced sheep and did custom sheep shearing on weekends.  This was long before the days of “mega fires” and targeted grazing.

In the early 1990's, I sold the flock.  I never thought I would have sheep again.  All agricultural enterprises are difficult, but small scale sheep production would not support itself.  Wool prices were falling, and shearing is back-breaking, smelly, sweaty work.  I remember after a day of shearing, the lanoline (a kind of grease in the wool) would permeate my jeans, making them so stiff they would stand up on their own!  35 years later, I find myself once again raising sheep.   

Having sheep is not as bad as I remember.  In fact, I really like my new flock. I bought two breeds of sheep, Dorpers and Katahdins.  Both are hair breeds, meaning they shed their hairy wool themselves each spring, so no more shearing!  I have a brown Katahdin ram and almost all the lambs were spotted this year and super cute.  Out of about 25 head, 17 had lambs, producing 19 lambs that made it to weaning time.

Because I didn't breed any goats this year and started lambing two months later in the year than I do with goats, the management was pretty easy.  The births were spread out over a two month period and my lambing facilities were not overwhelmed.  The lambs are thriving and will be part of the expanded targeted grazing "flerd" (goats and sheep together) after weaning.  With the changes that have occurred over the past 35 years, it's not that bad being back in the sheep business.