Time for breeding sheep:

Now that school has started, it is time to put the ram in for spring lambs and get ready to welcome fall lambs. This is our first year having fall lambs and we are SO excited! One of the many positives of dorper sheep is that they have the potential to be bred any time of year. Typically, sheep and goats are seasonal breeders (only ovulating/ coming into heat during fall and early winter). With our ewes that are lambing in fall, it is more likely we will see more single lambs than the twins we see during spring lambing. Our farm is also VERY excited to see our new ram (“Durango”) bring his Australian based Dorper lines to our primarily Karoo south African ewe flock. Stay updated on our social media to see if we are successful at our attempt for October lambs!

Time for training dogs:

Fall is also when we start making detailed plans for winter sheepdog training. With the help of mentors, other handlers, and clinics we look at our border collies and where they are in their training. What are areas of weakness? How is the dog’s mental state when working? Are they in shape? What jobs do they like to do and which do they not like? What are the end goals for this dog (farm only, trials)? This year we will have the addition of “Lad” (DOB 8/8/21) who will start his more serious training this winter. We are already very pleased with Lad’s temperament, drive, and willingness to please (biddability). We will be updating his journey along with Jess’s and other training pups this winter on our social media. On another note, although we do not have any planned litters of pups, we have created a section of our website with each dog’s information and accomplishments to make it easier to share.

Thank you for reading this update on our farm’s journey! ~ Heather P.