We think of our farming year beginning in October, as we prepare for breeding. We pull the sheep off pasture in mid-October. In our area, a most important consideration is Giant liver fluke. Valbazen used on our vet’s recommendation, kills the adult liver fluke. The ewes are wormed as they leave [...]
There is a vast difference between “guardian” dogs such as our Maremmas and “herding” dogs such as our Border Collies. Both do a specific job and are trained to be trusted working members of our farm operation. We are not raising show dogs or pets. Our dogs are raised and trained with [...]
Merino sheep originated in North Africa descended from a strain of sheep developed during the reign of Claudius, from 14 to 37 A.D. They spread via the Spanish and French royal families to northern Europe. The original Merinos were a wool sheep, who sheared a very heavy, fine fleece. They were [...]
We determined very early in our experience with llamas that we would train them to be handled by humans with the least amount of stress possible for both ourselves and the llama. We live in the southeastern part of the country amongst a heavy white-tail deer population, so it is imperative that [...]
This article will focus on 7 main areas to consider in developing a successful show strategy. Each topic covers basic tools and ideas that are working for us as we show our llamas in at least half a dozen or more shows across Western Canada.
Why Would You Want To Show Your Llama?
There [...]
From the Northwest part of the Scottish Highlands comes one of the oldest and possibly purest breeds of cattle known today. Scottish Highlands were first brought to the USA in the second half of the 19th century and are the oldest registered breed in this country.
Introduction:
The association of man and cat goes back approximately 5,000 years. Originally found in Europe, Asia, and Africa, the origin of the domesticated cat is controversial. Early associations of man and cat are cloaked in legend and myth. Every country has references to the cat in their literature, [...]
“Is that a GOAT?” I hear this all the time when I’m out on the trails, as people are amazed by my method of backpacking. The truth is out; goats make great trail companions and relieve their owners of a lot of work. They enjoy the out of doors and hiking just [...]
The alpacas certainly do their share. They spend 365 days grazing on pasture, nibbling at grass hay, and munching on a dinner of rolled corn, just to grow fiber and relax in our sunshine. They are able to grow about 5-8 pounds of fiber, lanolin free, during the year between shearings. Breeding [...]
History
The American Blackbelly sheep is a hair sheep, originally developed by crossbreeding programs involving primarily Mouflon and Barbados Blackbelly. Resulting hybrids produced poor horn growth that interfered with the animals’ faces. Repeated back crossing on the Mouflon improved horn growth to the extent that the hybrid attracted the attention of trophy [...]
