Home: Welcome

Pertinent as my own lambing season draws near. Once it begins, it’s easy to get exhausted & have tunnel vision... fully locked in until the very last ewe lambs. I planned this season around a trip to Scotland. I’ve gotten to see many sheep & different operations since arriving a few days ago. Different methods, tough sheep & the usage of boluses & other mineral/vitamin support. What a wonderful culture that still has sheep & wool towards the center of it. Yes, I tried haggis! It has renewed my belief that we need to work together to encourage more new flocks & shepherds in the US. What I call #teamsheep ♥️

Sheep make all the sense in the world! Please continue to ask questions & to also share your shepherding experience with others. I feel too many small homesteaders, or first generation farmers & ranchers, don’t see the full benefits that sheep (both wool & hair sheep) have to offer! Okay, I’ll stop preaching sheep long enough to immerse myself in this beautiful country. Will there be Scottish sheep & some pictures soon-yes! Until then, I love this message. Fear & courage are intertwined emotions. Huckleberry was fearless to a fault!

#sheep #rams #ram #homesteadlife #homestead #homesteading #shepherdess #digitalart #courage

A few years ago, I enjoyed sharing pictures of the flock, but held back on offering guidance. 2 things changed. A shepherdess in MO, with a starter flock of mine, had her local vet retire. The closet available large animals vet was 2 hours away & charged a $250 farm visit fee. She was stranded so I started transferring notes from own lambing/flock care log to her.

The next instance involved the same friend I’ve been helping lamb the past 6 weeks. Our vet switched to only treating small animals. It was devastating to small farms & she decided to retain a small handful of farms as clients. I was fortunate to be one of them. My friend was not. This explains why I’ve become so hands on. I’m always on ‘team sheep’. I want to see more people raise them successfully. A good sheep vet is hard to come by. That’s the back story- this is the current story- Norman!

Whenever you have a sheep down it feels like a King Solomon situation. If you make this decision it might be wrong, but the exact same may apply to another decision. My friend is learning & I thought the troubleshooting we did together might help others.

To begin I am not an advocate of ‘throwing the kitchen sink’ at a sick animal. I feel the risk of contraindications & muddying the waters beyond being able to figure out the problem, much less heal the sheep, are far too high.
In the case of a 5 week lamb, I feel being conservative in treatment is even more important as their small systems are fragile.

If you remember Dec 2023, I had a case of PEM (polio) I had a really sick ewe lamb ‘little Bug’ suffering severe neurological issues. If I had dewormed her for ‘good measure’ I think I may have weakened & killed her. I walk through my own tortured trouble shooting in those posts. It was significantly harder than this one.

Facts: 5 weeks, 22 lb ram lamb. A triplet. Born weak. Couldn’t get up. Stiff gait noted immediately. 1 ml of BoSe got him up, but due to being a triplet he became a part time bottle baby.

(the rest in comments)

#sheep #lambingseason #homesteadlife #homestead #homesteading #shepherdess #lambsofinstagram #lambs #cuteanimals

I finished pre-lambing ewe checks. I’d wanted to do it sooner, but it wouldn’t stop raining. Finally we got sunshine so I went for it despite my helper being called away to work. This is me in fast forward going through all 6 steps 😂 It was a 99 seconds! Chocolate is easy to work with. She pulls away only when the CDT injection went into her armpit. The BoSe shot doesn’t sting, but the CDT does. I check BCS, check eyes, give both injections, give the 5-1 bolus & end with 30 ml of the Spring Drench with Garlic 😅 I’ll put up another post with each of these checklist items broken down & a recipe.

I’m an advocate for preventative measures so boosting immune systems & balancing minerals/vitamins is my objective. I checked 38 ewes & was really happy with the overall health of everyone. A couple ewes had a tad bit of a rasp in their breathing. I hope the selenium will help, but I made a note to watch them. I have heard zero coughing, but that rasp can shift quickly as the temperatures fluctuate. Both ewes arrived in September so it may take time to adjust.

The ewes & I always get close this time of year. I enjoy the sweetness that appears right around lambing. It’s as if their strong maternal natures rise to the surface & they have nowhere to channel that affection, other than to me, until the lambs arrive. They’ll return to being headstrong once lambing season is over, but I love the big warm ocytocin bubble while it lasts.

One exciting development that I’d like to share is that I’ve decided to become a North American distributor for Mayo sheep products. Mayo is located in Ireland. I have used their products & recommended them to hundreds of shepherds in the last 5 years. I honestly cannot imagine shepherding my flock without the security of the slow release mineral bolus.

I 5-1 bolus bi-annually & conduct annual liver testing to monitor the effect. I never thought I’d ever agree to distribute any product, but I believe in the effectiveness & quality of this product wholeheartedly! In the next few weeks, they will be available to purchase on our website. I’ll share a promotional code & answer questions. I’m excited!!

#ewes #sheep #icelandicsheep #homestead

Here’s to more wild heart moments. May we recognize, treasure & nurture them.

#icelandicsheep #shepherdess #sheep #wool #homestead #homesteading #homesteadlife #smallfamilyfarm #farmher #happysheep #ewes #quotes #lifequotes #digitalart #artwork #motivationalquotes #quotestoliveby #dailyquotes

The bedrock of a strong flock 🐑

#icelandicsheep #shepherdess #sheep #homestead #wool #homesteading #homesteadlife #smallfamilyfarm #familyfarm #farmher #happysheep #sheepfarm #sheepfarming #regenerativefarm #ewes #internationalwomensday #ewe

Anyone else?? All we are missing is Turkish Delight. Happy Spring!!

…. the discovery, the hope, the listening to your heart…. while having coffee with rams on a snowy morning ❄️ They consistently remind me to slow down, stay present & never forget it’s about the journey.

#icelandicsheep #shepherdess #sheep #rams #happiness #wool #woolyarn #homestead #homesteading #homesteadlife #smallfamilyfarm #familyfarm #farmher #happysheep #sheepfarm #sheepfarming #regenerativefarm #grassfed #snowyday #rurallife #countrylife

I think Anne Shirley may be the first to lamb, but it’s always hard to tell. She’s often small white whale size long before delivery. No extras, just grass hay, but there is a lot to be said for a super strong rumen! This will be her 6th lambing & I’m quite excited to meet her lambs♥️. #ewes #icelandicsheep #lambing #lambingseason #homestead #shepherdess #happysheep

We’ll get to mineral protocols soon, but I think it’s important to know WHY we feed what we do & what exactly that feed is. Understanding the difference between organic forms & inorganic forms of Selenium is KEY.

This is true not only for those in deficient regions, but also those in areas with excessive Selenium. After talking to a fellow shepherdess in WY, in a selenium rich area, she explained she needs to be careful not to over-supplement. Balancing minerals is tricky, especially without testing, because there are many environmental factors to consider: not to mention the current status of the animal, but also the form & potency of the mineral itself.

Hopefully this will leave you with a slightly better understanding of Selenium & its different forms.

#sheep #shepherdess #homestead #wool #farmher #homesteading #livestock #healthyanimals #ewes #familyfarm #animalnutrition #regenerativeagriculture #grassfedlamb #grassfed #rotationalgrazing

I thought I was a skilled, label-reading warrior… up until the livestock aisle…..!!! 😵‍💫 🫠 Anyone else???

If it makes you feel better it’s nearly impossible to figure out the effectiveness of a bag of livestock minerals without a lot of research! I promise once we’re done, you’ll see that aisle in an entirely different light. My goal is to break it all down into bite size pieces- so you can make better informed decisions for your flock. We’ll start with organic trace minerals versus inorganic trace minerals. Where they come from, how they’re different & how you can balance the use of both for a healthy animal. Our focus will be Selenium.

#sheep #homestead #regenerativeagriculture #icelandicsheep #sheepfarm #shepherdess #farmher #rurallife #selenium #feedstore #confused #homesteading #homesteadlife #familyfarm #familyfarmers #smallfarm #smallfamilyfarm #grassfed #rotationalgrazing #livestock #farmlife

I was asked recently why I take the time to do this. I stay in close contact with the shepherds who purchase my sheep & it has made a big difference in helping them grow. My sheep were going to flocks where the closest vet was 3 hours away. My husband’s parents were missionaries so when I get hassled for an emergency call, or writing late on Selenium- my ‘why’ is that I truly believe the world needs more sheep & shepherds. I don’t ’seed churches’… I ‘seed flocks’ in hopes of making the world a little calmer, healthier, more secure & balanced.

It requires knowledge & much sheep erudition has been lost. Those who hand it down generation after generation are often too busy running their own large flocks to mentor others. There are vets, many incredible, but even my vet of 15 years, admits little time was devoted to sheep in vet school.

Shepherding is an old world skill. It used to include a village commons grazed in cooperation. Now we turn to any platform we can find to connect with what has become a niche. Shepherds.

I begin with Selenium partially because of the difficult lambing I’m helping my neighbor with. Her ewes are having triplets, they are nutritionally sound, but mineral deficient. I hadn’t seen it first hand in a long time. It opened my eyes.

This dialogue is crucial because selenium deficient lambs will carry side effects into adulthood. These vary in severity, but are often invisible & will result in less productive sheep. Often these lambs are sold to new shepherds by sellers who don’t fully understand the deficiency themselves. No finger pointing, but we need to work together to avoid a nasty cycle, with the sheep usually being blamed! This cycle escalates into ‘sheep are impossible to keep alive’. There is a learning curve to caring for sheep, but if you start with healthy sheep & are willing to learn, it becomes much easier & requires far less investment & infrastructure than larger species.

If we learn how to balance selenium, all together, then we can make caring for sheep easier for everyone. I’ll be posting one of my tests, our mineral protocol & more on the 2 types of Selenium this week ♥️

#sheep #homesteading #homestead

You can learn more faster, cheaper, & better by observing your flock carefully when you move them than at any other time.

You can save money & time by noting which sheep are at the back.

If it becomes a pattern, then grab those ewes & give them ‘the one over’.

Decide if A. there is something wrong with them B. they’re worth giving a little extra support to C. they’re not the right fit for your flock & goals.

Simple as that, just keep your eyes open when you move them & you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble.

That was in the mid-1980s. Northwest Colorado. Some of the largest American flocks (more often called bands in the western US), still travel 30+ miles from wintering grounds to summer grazing. Today, many of these flocks are still owned by 5th generation Greek-American shepherding families.

At the time of this advice, my flock numbered in the single digits & I had finally outgrown pig tails. His flock numbered in the thousands & he’d been shepherding for half a century. I can still recall his kind earnest expression & what he said.

Watch carefully when you move your flock & maybe you’ll save enough money not to go broke raising sheep. He chuckled & started walking on.

Nearly 40 years later, that’s going to take one keen eye & excellent preparation, but one thing has held true: watching my sheep when I move them & making a note of my laggers has turned out to be excellent advice. It never fails, there shouldn’t be ewes consistently in the back unless you’re already aware of the problem (age, infirmity etc) & made the decision to stick by them.

#happysheep #icelandicsheep #ewes #ewe #grassfed #regenerativeagriculture #regenerativeag #smallfarms #familyfarm #shepherdess #sheepfarming #sheep #homestead #homesteadlife #homesteadingcommunity #homesteadliving

Some days to hope feels like an audacious act & when things don’t go as planned it’s easy to question whether persevering is worth it, but I feel that tending our own gardens, fields & flocks renews in us a hope that’s much larger then any ad campaign, or political rhetoric.

The sun is out ☀️ which means there is a TON (have you noticed in farming that term isn’t hyperbole! It’s literal truth) of work to do.

Happy Saturday to everyone, especially those dusting off wheel barrows & pitchforks for Spring clean ups!! Anyone else using the sunshine to get ahead on farm chores? 😊

#icelandicsheep #homestead #homesteadlife #sheep #bebrave #farmher #regenerativeagriculture #rotationalgrazing #sheepfarming #familyfarm #smallfarm #springtime #brenebrown #hope #springday #ewes #wool #icelandicwool

Studies indicate that ewe activity, in late gestation, correlates directly with rates of dystocia. The studies contrasted housed sheep, yard sheep & pastured sheep. Defined as:

1. kept entirely inside
2. kept in a pen or paddock
3. kept in a pasture or open range.

The ewes on pasture, with ample activity, had a lower rate of assisted births & lamb mortality.

The study showed clearly that a ewe with better muscle tone & a healthy weight would have an easier, quicker & more successful delivery.

My sheep are ‘yard based’. It is a good sized, oak tree covered paddock. About 3/4 acre. I keep 40-50 ewes. They find their favorite place, in the fallen leaves & chew their cud. I don’t begrudge them settling in for a long HARD winter, but come Spring, getting movement has made a HUGE impact on lambing readiness. Preaching Jane Fonda to my ewes, yes! 😂 but I promise it works.

Remember, nothing happens in isolation. Worth noting that my mineral regime is dialed in due to extensive liver testing, we’ve improved pastures, cleared silvopasture & selected for hardy genetics. These factor in, but a ‘walk-about’ has still been KEY.

What does it look like it? I have a gate at the end of their winter paddock. It leads through a short stretch of woods & into my largest pasture. I’ve stopped mowing that in late summer.

It took some time, but they know the routine well & are easily guided. My recent arrivals from California are still learning. It takes time, but it’s worth it.

How much time does it take? Training the flock took longer initially, but now it takes 5 minutes to put them out. It takes 5 minutes more to call them in. This is aided by me filling the hay feeders while they’re out. They come running, after about an hour or so, when I call them back.

Can it be modified to fit different farms? I think so. You’re looking for a secure space they can wander in. If you don’t have access to permanent fencing, & using electronet isn’t an option, then I think 10-15 minutes of following you around will pay dividends. Use treats.

How often do you do this? I aim for 2-4x week. Any movement helps!

#sheep #icelandicsheep #ewes #grassfed #homestead

The ewes always know 🐑 It’s official. Spring is coming!☀️

#happysheep #icelandicsheep #springiscoming #shepherdess #wool #homesteadlife #homestead #homesteading #homesteadingmama #sheep #sheepofinstagram #lambs #grassfed #regenerativeagriculture #rotationalgrazing #silvopasture #grassfedlamb #springtime

Matriarch: a woman who rules a family, group, or state especially : a mother who is head of her family and descendants.

Mothering. A trait that can make or break a flock. A good mother is a gift to her offspring. A matriarch is a gift to the larger system; whether it’s a family, flock, or community.

Each year I watch many ewes raise lambs. I select carefully for good mothering. It’s the bedrock of a flock. I learned quickly, circa 1985, sitting at a 4-H meeting wearing a 2nd hand Snuggly with a rejected lamb tucked inside 😂 that poor mothers are work.

Yet there is a tantamount difference between a mother & a matriarch. Matriarchs are rare. These ewes raise outstanding daughters & keep them close: generation after generation. In the summers, they can be found grazing together, enjoying the same shade, & moving as a family. I’ve seen matriarchs collect their errant grand-lambs & great grand-lambs. I’ve seen them provide care when they’re crying & lost until the mother returns.

I’ve only had a few of these ewes with their own orbit. It’s a special trait. Jezebel is young, not yet 5, but after 4 lambings, I believe she may deserve the crown. 5 out of 7 of her lambs have been ewes. Dillon, Blackberry, Sylvia & Plath are never more than a few feet away. I only let one go. A grey ewe, named Anne. Her shepherdess adores her.

Jezebel gave me Amadeus, Huckleberry, & Whitman daughters. She is bred to Alder Creek’s Dragonfly & I’m excited. She is strong, hefty, hardy, protective; with ample milk.

Yet she isn’t a pushover. She often has RBF & is stubborn if her family is in danger. One of the most protective ewes I’ve ever meet. My shearer loathes her. He accidentally took off a big piece of her lamb’s ear. Big, as in split in half, copious blood. The next spring that ewe, Dillon, at 12 months, bolted through an opening to avoid the shearer.

This set off a round of retaliation worthy of a dark Pixar film. A line of ewes versus a grumpy shearer. He swears they don’t remember him. He couldn’t be more wrong. Don’t ever underestimate a smart ewe..

As usual, my story runs on.. I’ll have to do Jezebel, the Matriarch, Part 2 😊

#ewes #animalstories #icelandicsheep

Big healthy looking sheep. Great body scores. Hefty appetites. Nutritious foliage & feed. Everything looks good.

Lambing season draws near, or as I usually visualize it, the rollercoaster car you boarded in Autumn is finally climbing the steep ascent, one lurching day at a time, before plunging down the drop on the other side. No matter how many times you lamb, this sensation never entirely abates.

This is wonderful & sobering at the same time. Everything, when done repetitively, year after year, grows mundane, right? Not lambing! This is partially due to each season arriving with new & old challenges.

One of the toughest challenges, especially for new shepherds, can be minerals. Those same sheep I referenced above, the big healthy ewes being fed well, they can take an unpleasant turn based on mineral, or vitamin deficiencies. But you ask, HOW? They are in supreme condition outwardly!

I’m watching a friend, a new shepherdess, go through this currently. A flock of big beautiful British breeds: Cotswolds, Blue Faced Leister, Romney. It’s not just my assessment that they’re nutritionally sound. Currently they’re at a 50% triplet rate. These ewes were flushed well, fertile & maintaining good condition all winter.

So why is dystocia high, the lambs not standing quickly, toxemia presenting, the milk slow to come in & overall, despite the high fertility, the flock is not flourishing? Lambing season is turning out to be hard. It is taking double the diligence that it should. There are always multiple factors, but the one main answer is short: mineral deficiencies.

After riding shot gun with this flock for weeks now, I feel the need to talk minerals. I try to avoid giving too much direction on this matter because environment plays a big role. Your location is KEY so take that into consideration, but I’ll share some different testing strategies, as well as the cost efficient, effective strategies I’ve come up with for my flock. I think in the last decade, I’ve tried just about every fancy mineral protocol that is out there! Please let me know if this resonates with anyone & we’ll start a mineral dialogue.

#icelandicsheep #homestead #sheepofinstagram #sheep

I’m re-reading James Rebank’s book, Pastoral Song, & contemplating the ways we raise food & how dramatically it has changed in only a 100 years. I’ve also been immersed in discussions regarding the rapid expansion (explosion) of generative AI. I clearly see the parallel: efficiency, cost-cutting, bigger profit & labor savings.

It’s the last one that makes me pause. Labor savings. It’s a good thing, but when does it leave us feeling hollow? In 2000, an average farmer in England was producing 12x the food of the generation before. This number has been hurtling forward for decades. Food is cheaper, & there’s more of it, a good thing, but we’re now seeing that the system is not sustainable: for the planet, or our health.

As importantly, pride in our labor has plummeted as we’ve stripped away a connection to the land, a respect for our animals, & the quiet pride that comes in knowing our labor, no matter how humble, was done well.

Beauty is not residing only in art, poetry or destination locations. It resides on farms, where people live simply in order to steward the land, improve herds, & raise families in communities they love.

I know many small homesteaders are working to build this from the ground up & I know how much labor & love it requires. The end of February is often when I hit a psychological wall & it can feel heavy. The hay loft is dwindling, the snow is still on the ground, the boots are leaking, the overall’s zipper is broken, & the anticipation, also trepidation, of lambing season begins.

I suppose all the uncertainties & what-ifs, the budgets & expenses, all sneak under the covers with me at the bitter cold end of February.

But, I know the leaves will be unfurling soon, the joy of new life will fill the pastures, & there will be a sunlit day where I’ll be silently observing the flock; the quiet pride of a job well done, a job that almost breaks me somedays, will be sitting lightly on my shoulders & I’ll breathe easily, enjoying a connection to the soil beneath my feet & the content animals grazing before me. Beauty is something we do.

#icelandicsheep #lambsofinstagram #homesteadlife #homesteading #smallfarms #shepherdess #tonimorrison

Captures from a bitterly cold week that didn’t rise much above -1 windchill. Black & white images seemed to fit February perfectly ❄️

- Ingrid, the tea cup lamb, delightful with a beautiful fleece.
- I love this book. A highly recommended winter read.
- Quixote, our Karakachan, in the crisp late afternoon sun.
- The only way NOT to lose a hat found in the snow, twice!
- A successful polar vortex lambing that could be my only one ever… & I’d be happy! Blossom a 1st time mother.
- Croissant. The most comical looking ewe of all time.
- Aslan (bred to Croissant) enjoying the morning sun.
- My son, maintaining his cheerfulness, while plowing our excess ice & snow in the dark.
- A full circle moment. A cherished sheepskin returns to the hearth.

#icelandicsheep #rurallife #ruralphotography #ruralliving #polarvortex #farmher #shepherdess #sheep #sheepofinstagram #ewes #rams #flockofsheep #wool #wintertime #homestead #homesteadlife #homesteadinglife #karakachan #sheepskins

It’s amazing how you can forgot that it feels like 13 degrees when everything goes right. My friend & neighbor has one ewe I’ve liked since she arrived at 6 months. Blossom. A thickly built, low to the ground, sweet natured Cotswolds cross, with signature curls & a big forelock covering her eyes, just like a nursery rhyme sheep.

In the wee hours, Blossom delivered a gorgeous ewe lamb & went to work cleaning her up. An hour or so later, no 2nd, or contractions. The ewe lamb was large & appeared to be a single. The lamb was nursing & in the barn. It was frigid. The shepherdess went in for tea & fell asleep.

When I dropped in midday, the lamb looked great, but there was no placenta in the stall. Once 12 hours have gone by, this term may apply. RP: Retained Placenta.

I put together some notes on RP that might be good to tuck away in a lambing notebook.

… back to my neighbor’s ewe, considering previous losses & potential selenium deficiency, there were two options for peace of mind. Call the vet to perform an ultrasound, or check the status of her cervix. The vet is an hour away, it is Saturday & cost was an issue. I reluctantly agreed to check the cervix.

There is one important thing to mention here. Be certain not to introduce bacteria or muck! I mention this because my sheep are short tailed, but this ewe has a long wooly messy tail. I needed a bucket of sudsy water & a wash rag to prepare her. I use anti microbial lube. You absolutely want to avoid doing more harm than good!

Thankfully in this case, everything worked brilliantly. The cervix was mostly closed, but within a minute of me slowly removing my hand, the ewe turned & the placenta dropped out in its entirety. It most likely would have found its way out by the 24 hour mark. Keep in mind you never want to pull on a placenta. You risk a tear, hemorrhaging, or worse. The body must expel it.

So thankfully, this series of events falls under the ‘alls well that ends well’ category. The relief on my friend’s face when her ewe expelled the placenta was priceless. There is nothing worse than worrying about a ewe that just delivered you a beautiful lamb ♥️

#ewes #shepherdess #homesteadingfamily

We’ve tried both: breeding ewe lambs & waiting until they’re yearlings. Both systems have merit, but both require a different set of parameters & diligence. It’s important to evaluate your long term goals, management style & infrastructure to decide which is best for your flock. If you’re just beginning then please take a look at my post on different flock configurations. There is not one perfect way to do it. There’s a perfect way for your farm or ranch & it may be different from your neighbor, or even the person you’re buying sheep from.

2 of the ewe lambs in the pictures above lambed on other farms last year at 11 & 12 months old. Both singled. The ewe with an experienced shepherdess & a more forgiving climate raised her lamb just fine. The second ewe with a new shepherdess & a hot, humid climate, lost her lamb to parasites at the end of July. Thankfully both ewes are fine now. I’d say the second ewe is slightly smaller, but may catch up.

Of the ewe lambs in the photos, 6 more are on other farms in IL, MO & ME. This will be their first lambing. I’m fortunate to have my sheep with wonderful forthcoming shepherds who generously share updates. This alone lets me see a bigger picture that’s enormously helpful. Shepherding in community has so many different upsides & opportunities for learning.

Hopefully all these new mothers will follow in the path of their own great mothers. Superb mothering instincts are at the top of my list. Poor mothering can make an enormous amount of work for shepherds, but on that note, it’s always good to be aware that management strategies can set ewes up for success, & also failure. We’ll talk more about that as lambing season draws close. I’m beginning to catch lambing season fever…. but grateful not to be lambing my flock on frigid days. I’ll be thinking of everyone who is battling challenging conditions. ( @sisuacres @hardystockheritagefarm you have girls in this mix ♥️🐑 )

#ewes #icelandicsheep #woolyyarn #sheepofinstagram #sheepfarm #shepherdess #homestead #homesteadlife #farmlife #farmanimals #farmher #sheep #sheepoftheday #homesteading #wool #lambs #lambsofinstagram #lambing #lambingseason

Miracles come in all forms. Lambs born in the falling snow always feel like one to me! Triplets, born in the snow, with two delivered breech… ♥️ I am feeling beyond grateful for happy endings right now. Not technically ‘my flock’, but it’s amazing as a shepherd, how all sheep feel like yours in those difficult moments. #icelandicsheep #lambsofinstagram #sheep #sheepofinstagram #cslewis #cslewisquotes #miracles #lambs #homestead #shepherdess

Aslan in his own little snow globe. 🥶 but so beautiful! Meanwhile… I’m making ice sculptures by forgetting the hose running ☹️

#ewes #rams #icelandicsheep #woolyyarn #sheepofinstagram #sheepfarm #shepherdess #homestead #homesteadlife #farmlife #farmanimals #farmher #sheep #sheepoftheday #snowglobe #snowyday #homesteading #wool #woolforspinning #forgetful #absentminded

Sheep: the first animal to be domesticated by humans sometime between 11,000 - 9,000 BCE. Since then there haven’t been a lot of secrets on farms & ranches!

The ‘birds & the bees talk’ just can’t compete with the ram & the ewe conversation… 🐏 🐑 For some of the flock, lambing starts in a few weeks. Happy Valentine’s Day! 💘

#ewes #rams #icelandicsheep #woolyyarn #sheepofinstagram #sheepfarm #shepherdess #homestead #homesteadlife #farmlife #farmanimals #farmher #valentines #ewe #farmkids #ranchkids #ruralliving #ruralamerica #countryliving #countrylife

Such a beautiful day. The temps say it feels like 4 but the sheep are loving it. The sun is shining, the snow is fresh & the shaking of the last remaining dried oak leaves keep sending sparkles into the air.

Naturally the sheep are in high spirits & most of my photos are of curious close-up eyes, but we appear to have one ewe who at barely 9 months can turn everything into a photo shoot.

Selene 🌙 She’s named after the Greek goddess of the moon, twin sister to Helios. She shines & seems to have every angle down! Thank you @aldercreekranch1 she’s a beauty.

#ewes #icelandicwool #sheepofinstagram #icelandicsheep #sheep #sheepoftheday #shepherdess #lambs #wintersunshine #shepherdess #sheepfarm #homesteadlife #homestead #winterday #snowday #ewe #wool

Anne Shirley & Katniss.

It’s hard to believe they’re turning 6. They are half-sisters whose South Dakota sire has a long line of progeny. Impressive horn set, wide bodies & a golden look to them. After a year in WY, they arrived here at 15 months old, with lambs by their sides. In hindsight, I believe the 1st year took a toll & it took effort to get them back on firm ground.

At first, their lambs didn’t match their potential, but as the ewes got healthier, it slowly happened. It took longer for them to warm up to us. Katniss had the fiercest stomp of all time- hence her name!

I can’t say they’ve been easy, but I can say they’ve been worth it. Each ewe passes down a trait I’m chasing.

Katniss is the most remarkable lamber I’ve ever seen. The only fitting description is a Nordic goddess. She doesn’t bother with light contractions, doesn’t lie down. With 2-4 solid pushes, the lamb falls out. Katniss stops shortly to lick the face, then with a couple more powerful pushes, the twin arrives.

This past year, I was foolish enough to see her start circling under a tree & went to grab my nearby jacket. I turned around to find both lambs starting to stand. Typical Katniss. My Nordic goddess setting records. This trait is important because I lamb outside in inclement weather & 30 minutes between lambs can be too long. Whenever I’m present I note the time lapse. After 3-4 years, I can see a ewe’s pattern, if there is one. It’s a trait that is very beneficial to weave into my flock.

As for Anne Shirley, it’s her ability to grow fat on sparse pasture. She raised 2 nice ewes, that I kept, on the leanest grass during a drought. I prefer sheep that thrive on a low input system & work to weave that trait into the flock.

I’ve spent plenty of time groaning over these two, whether it be their slow start, or their initial wild antics, but I’m glad I stuck it out. Zeroing in on traits I desire is always a good feeling & I’m looking forward to meeting their lambs!

#ewes #sheep #icelandicsheep #ewe #shepherdess #homestead #homesteadlife #smallfarm #sheepofinstagram #lambs #lamb #grassfed #wool

Do you remember Solstice? She fell out of our naming pattern because we didn’t know who her sire was 🤦🏼‍♀️This did NOT happen on my watch 😂 2 years ago, about now, I attended my grandfather’s funeral in late January in Seattle & left the flock with my husband.

When I returned, he offhandedly mentioned ‘you had a ewe lamb get out & she ran straight for the rams’. He went back to brushing his teeth.

‘What? An unbred ewe got in with rams?!’

‘Yes, but it was only minutes & nothing happened’.

Hmm, now my husband appeared to be an expert on how many bases my ewe lamb cleared in 5 minutes? At the time there was nothing I could do & truthfully I forgot about it until June 21, 2023. The summer solstice.

I went out on a bright summer day, a week into what would be a harsh drought, to find my sweet young ewe, Brydie, patiently standing for a tiny white ewe lamb to nurse. To say the lamb was clueless, or Brydie was the epitome of patience, would not cover it. She was an extraordinary mother at 13 months old.

I stood at the fence feeling off kelter. Midwest summers are hard on sheep, with the high heat, humidity & parasites it’s not ideal for a young lamb. I usually find the lambs born earliest in March do the best, but here was a sweet lamb being born at the end of June. Not exactly in my master plan.

When I shared her arrival with you all, I cautioned you not to get too attached! Lambs are fragile & midwest summers are brutal, yet lo & behold, Solstice did it. She not only made it through the long hot, dry summer, but she became one of the sweetest ewes in the flock. After DNA testing, it turned out she belonged to Whitman, which was wonderful news then, but particularly now. She’s midsized & not quite as large as some of my other yearlings, but she makes up for it in sheer friendliness, beautiful soft wool with a light crimp & I’m hoping mothering & milkiness that will match her own mother.

She’s a good reminder that sometimes the unexpected & unplanned do work themselves out. ☀️ Late born lambs in hot summers are do-able, they just may require a little more attention or support. They may also need that extra time to really catch up.

#icelandicsheep

Hypocalcemia: Milk Fever. I don’t want to be doom & gloom, but recognizing symptoms can make all the difference. As I’m watching my friend & neighbor learn how to observe her pregnant ewes, pre & post lambing, I thought reviewing a few common ailments might be helpful. I absolutely adore my ewes so being able to spot any problems, before they become dire, is something I work hard at.

Hypocalcemia, often called milk fever can arise before & after lambing. It’s easily treated with good results if it’s diagnosed by you quickly, but also one of those ailments that can sneak up on you if you don’t recognize the symptoms. Something to file away in your shepherding notebook to help prevent the chances of finding yourself fighting a losing battle. This is a quick rundown of ailment, causes, symptoms & treatment.

I try to condense these into a 5-10 minute read & easily printed notecards.

#ewes #icelandicsheep #sheepofinstagram #sheep #ewe #homestead #flockofsheep #shepherdess #animalcare #homesteading #homesteadlife #sheepcare #lambingseason #wool

.pro-gallery-wix-wrapper {display: block !important;} .pro-gallery-wix-wrapper .gallery-item-container {opacity: 1 !important; display: block !important;}

Follow us on Instagram

@fireflyhollowfarm

WELCOME

to Firefly Hollow Farm & Studio. A place where time slows & the focus revolves around a special flock of sheep. A space for celebrating all they have to offer; learning, making & growing together.

Icelandic Sheepskins

Firefly Hollow utilizes a natural, chemical-free tannery in Wisconsin to craft lamb and sheepskins that can become treasured heirlooms. Our Icelandic fleeces feature a staple length of 7"-11", compared to the typical 2"-4" found in most commercial breeds, resulting in a remarkable difference. Icelandic sheep yield a variety of uniquely soft and luxurious fleeces, ensuring that no two are the same. This makes our sheepskins a distinctive statement piece, perfect for enhancing any style as a rug, interior accent, or fashionable wearable.

100% GRASS FED ICELANDIC LAMB (CURRENTLY SOLD OUT)

Firefly Hollow Farm's 100% grass fed Icelandic lamb is antibiotic, GMO and hormone free. Our lambs are raised entirely on herbicide & pesticide-free pasture and hay we grow ourselves. It is lean, tender and flavorful. Gourmet chefs consider Icelandic lamb a delicacy & our experience is that even non-lamb eaters enjoy it due to its mild flavor. Our lamb is USDA certified & vacuum sealed for freshness. A variety of cuts are available including: chops, leg roasts, steaks, kebab, French rack, ground and more. Currently we do not ship, but delivery & pickup is available in the Chicago area.

Icelandic Wool

Firefly Hollow uses a local fiber mill in Northern Illinois to produce roving, corespun & yarn in an array of natural colors. Icelandic sheep wool is famous for its blend of thel and tog. The dual coated fleece is highly desirable to hand spinners and best known for creating the trademark Icelandic sweaters: Lopapeysa. We also sell limited quantities of skirted raw fleeces in the Fall especially for handspinners. So, whether you are looking to felt, spin, knit or crochet we have the perfect wool for your creative project.

All Natural Skincare

Firefly Hollow Farm, in collaboration with The Sheep Tallow Company, provides a product line of Icelandic tallow balms. Sheeptallowcompany.com is currently being redesigned to meet demand. Please join us to learn of all upcoming product drops! We look forward to sharing our line of handcrafted all-natural skincare.

Want to learn more about our Icelandic flock, products, and events? Get in touch!

Home: Contact

​