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Felted Flock Heading into Year Two

Quiet watchfulness at the feed line with the Felted Flock.

The Felted Flock is still here and still growing. During my recent hiatus from social media I managed to do a fair bit of work on the Felted Flock – mainly making more sheep, which is what needs to happen if the project is to finish. This is the second year into the Felted Flock project and I aim to finish up with it this year and let it go where it may.

I’ve been at this project for over a year and lately the urge to just get it done constantly interjects the desire I have to work deliberately in order to create a unified body of work with a story line. The project mimics farming in a slightly eerie way.

Big projects, like big flocks, take patience and a willingness to slow down, think your way through the hiccups and enjoy all the nuances. There is no need to push so hard; I’ll get there, I know I will.

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To the Sheep and Back Again

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”The ewes are now well accustomed to heading to the bed ground for the night. The only time they might still be out at nightfall and need incentive from a stock dog is when the weather is fine and warmish which it hasn’t been of late. Since I can expect them to be at the bed ground, most nights I walk out to them rather then starting a vehicle.

The walk is across a small paddock and winter winds have created a firm snow pack now. The walk is easy for now and not terribly far. The two youngest guardian dogs who are in the vicinity of the yard most days often meet up with me and run out in front.
” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:16|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_single_image image=”2744″ img_size=”large”][vc_custom_heading text=”At the far side of the small paddock I step cross a second fence line on a snow bank, skirt a rather enormous snow pile and drop down into the bed ground. It’s like a small, well protected coliseum and it’s not difficult to stay here for a few minutes and wait on guardian dogs to eat. Sheep mill nearby, some already lying down for the night. Feet are always tucked up underneath their wooly bodies and the ewes lie very close to each other on the colder nights. Dog houses are situated on the perimeter. Some dogs use them, some do not.

When I leave the ewes I head back the way I came but then continue past the yard and head up to the sheep building where the rams and our old Anatolian Shepherd are spending the winter. A short repeat here to feed the fellow and wish him a good night.

It’s a very basic evening chore routine, made more so this winter by the decision to walk. Even on the evenings when I feel annoyance about having to do chores in the cold doing a very basic activity shifts my thoughts and the walking settles the incidental worries of the day. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:16|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Why Sheep?

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A recent article in our local forage newsletter listed four labels for us agrarian types: homesteader, farmer, rancher and agribusiness owner (I know which one of these I am not).

It does my heart good to know there have been enough people returning to the land to grow their own food and raise their own animals that homesteader is now back on the list. Many of these homesteaders are woman, or have women who are driving the dream; which means sheep are a more common consideration when it comes to keeping livestock.

Two very related questions I have been asked over the years: why did you get into sheep and how did you get started?

Homesteading was not a trendy movement twenty years ago and while I share some of the aims I can’t lay any lofty claims to that being my reason. And I’ve been at this too long to be called a homesteader now. No, the very first sheep I bought were for my Border Collie. I had it mind to train a stock dog. That’s it. No more fancy a story than that. I got into sheep with the aim of working a stock dog; the guardian dogs were an unexpected bonus. Now the dogs are my partners in the work of raising sheep to help this prairie thrive.

When I started I knew nothing about sheep and what I knew about livestock wasn’t much more than that. What appealed to me was the size of the animals, the wool and the ability to train a dog with them. The grazing and the grass management were items on the radar but not in place yet. Even still, I know that I never got into raising sheep dreaming about how good a carcass I would raise and how fast I would produce it. That was never a reason and I suggest that these are not viable reasons to get into livestock of any kind, although the entire industry will do everything to convince you otherwise. But if you’re here reading this blog it’s very likely you’re interested in something deeper than intensive carcass production.

As for how I got started…
I started with five ewes. A year later I moved up to thirty ewes I bought on shares (a share of the lambs produced each year went to the seller which allowed me to pay the purchase price of the ewes over time).
That flock of thirty grew in size for a few years just by way of keeping replacement ewe lambs.When I felt I had a handle on this sheep thing I made the decision to purchase a flock of two hundred animals. Then grew from there (and it was still a big learning curve).

Right from the get go I knew I wanted to raise sheep on grass (not artificial milk and grain). I knew I wanted this endeavor to be about the natural purpose of grazing animals – to keep grassland ecosystems in good health. To that end I rear this flock in as natural a manner as I can on the parcel of land I have. You can do this with sheep, you can do this with cattle, with pigs, with chickens….. the Homesteaders are doing it and I applaud them. It’s so good to know the movement is here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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