When I first started with Jacob Sheep almost ten years ago now, I knew absolutely nothing about sheep other than that they produced wool. Faith, Hope and Charity were three ewes that came to me from almost out of the blue - and, they were the ones who really taught me almost everything that I now know about raising sheep. They came to me bred, and I had no idea how old they were or what their past had been like. The spring after they arrived, lambing season brought huge challenges. Hope gave birth to a stillborn lamb and developed an infection when she did not drop the placenta within a reasonable length of time (for sheep, that can be an hour or so). Charity ended up having prolapse and a very large lamb who was stuck but born, eventually with the vet's help, very much alive. And, Faith lambed out beautifully on her own - a wonderful wether named Obed. Several sheep from that flock went to my friend Graham and his wife, and I ultimately sold the rest of the flock to a woman in Charlotte, Maine.
Hands-on learning has taken on a whole new meaning for me since starting with sheep. I am humbled and amazed by these critters and seem to learn something new from them every day. They are peaceful and docile animals that do absolutely no harm to any other living creature. They eat, poop, drink water and keep the field mowed. They baa - to each other, to me, and to neighborhood kids. They provide gorgeous fleeces that keep them warm as well as those who end up wearing their wool on their heads after it's knitted into hats. Simple animals and simple life. Important lessons from wise teachers and willing student. So should it always be.
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Zvookie from New Vineyard
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