Good morning!

[frustratedearthmother]

Hello from Texas!

 

[chanceosunshine]

Welcome from Indiana! We are originally from Michigan, and I didn’t think I would like Indiana, but it has grown on me.

Have driven through some beautiful countryside in Ohio.

I love Michigan! It's my favorite place to visit and we go several times a year. We're only half an hour from the border, but we trek the dunes every year and most years visit Mackinaw Island.

Indiana also has beautiful countryside!

 

[baymule]

Welcome from deep east Texas. I’m retired and have a 25 acre farm. Just bought it, sold an 8 acre farm in northeast Texas. I raise Katahdin hair sheep and have 2 Anatolian Livestock Guard Dogs. Also 1 big black Great Dane/Labrador cross. Doing fence work and painting inside of double wide.

 

[chanceosunshine]

Welcome from deep east Texas. I’m retired and have a 25 acre farm. Just bought it, sold an 8 acre farm in northeast Texas. I raise Katahdin hair sheep and have 2 Anatolian Livestock Guard Dogs. Also 1 big black Great Dane/Labrador cross. Doing fence work and painting inside of double wide.

Katahdin sheep is what we are considering in our future. We had thought about St. Croix but hear that they take longer to fill out.
We don't have fences up in our PA property yet and I'm not looking forward to that process to be honest. We have grumpy neighbors who will be sure to give us lots of flack for it.

 

[chanceosunshine]

Ignore those new member questions! You're no newbie/wannabe! I'm impressed!

Awe. Thanks!

 

[chanceosunshine]

Why would neighbors give you flack for putting up fence? Good fences make for good neighbors. I want all my animals IN and everybody else’s OUT.

My neighbors have opinions about everything and have no problem making sure I know what they are. The fence would mar their perfect view.

 

[chanceosunshine]

I'm a former pet groomer too. I shear sheep standing. It takes a few minutes more, but is less physically demanding. I use an Andis Excel 5 speed with a medium blending or 10 blade. DH uses sheep shears, but they're too heavy for me - and not faster for me either. However, the Andis blades can have a hard time with lanolin. When my son showed sheep this summer, we bathed them and wet clipped. Very easy, but doesnt work if you want to send wool out for processing. Okay if you wash/process fleeces the same day.

Sheep are very trainable and are generally easier to shave than big dogs. 😁

What do you do with the wool?

They say the wool meats taste stronger. Do you find that the case?

Nothing better than shaving an un neutered doodle that hasn’t seen a groomer in a year. Lol it would definitely give you a good foundation for learning how to shave sheep!

 

[chanceosunshine]

Welcome from Washington state

Thank you!

 

[tortoise]

What do you do with the wool?

They say the wool meats taste stronger. Do you find that the case?

Nothing better than shaving an un neutered doodle that hasn’t seen a groomer in a year. Lol it would definitely give you a good foundation for learning how to shave sheep!

The fiber mill in my area closed. I havent been willing to mail fleeces elsewhere, so I have been using it to suppress weeds or DH burns it. 🙈

I am considering getting a hair sheep lamb to grow out and butcher to see if we like it better. I only use lamb as ground, in foods with a lot of flavor/spice, like tacos. I used to be more tolerant of the flavor, but I strongly prefer venison to lamb. My lambs tend to get overly fat (on pasture!), which doesnt help the flavor situation.

Everytime I shear a sheep I laugh at my previous comparisons between shearing sheep and shaving a matted doodle. Sheep wool is only tangled at the tips, so the clippers glide right through. It takes some getting used to where sheep skin wrinkles, and to get used to dealing with lanolin on blades, but otherwise its not too hard!

 

[Finnie]

I just love Ohio. I never thought I would.

Welcome from Indiana! We are originally from Michigan, and I didn’t think I would like Indiana, but it has grown on me.

Have driven through some beautiful countryside in Ohio.