What is the most important animal to have on a Homestead?
So glad you asked!!! As someone who grew up with an unexplained obsession with sheep, I’m prepared to give my 100% professional and unbiased opinion. But hear me out. Unfortunately, as with much of the small-scale agricultural industry in the US, sheep production and breeding is in a sad state of decline. Year after year as I visit our State fair and local County fair, I am saddened by the lack of interest and the dwindling breeds presented. My mind is blown that such a spectacular creature is so underappreciated. And so I wonder…why is this? With all of the benefits and advantages to the environment and potential for multiple streams of revenue that dairy sheep provide in one small easy-to-manage package, it just surprises me they aren’t more popular here in the states. Perhaps their reputation for a strong flight instinct has us feeling a little disenchanted with the idea…like…who wants to chase psychotic wild animals around all day. Why are they so skittish, anyway? I do believe the better question in this case is this…why don’t WE understand sheep better? Did you know that making eye contact with sheep is body language for “I am going to eat you if you don’t run?” Or, how about this: Patting a sheep on the head means “I am the boss, get away from me!” And we wonder why they don’t like us very much! But back to our original question. Why are sheep so widely misunderstood and unappreciated on the agricultural landscape and in backyards of homesteaders today? When it comes to husbandry, why do we lack understanding for this lovely and complex little creature, which humans in most regions of the world--formerly and to this day--continue to depend upon for life? I could point fingers in a lot of directions (like at our public education system for failing to instill ambition, critical thinking, and impart actual skills to our children. But please, just pull me off that soapbox right now.) Do you know what I really think? It’s the commercialization of agriculture. That great opportunity, once touted for innovation and solutions to feed a growing population, now imploding and destabilizing communities after years of taking without giving back. Friends, it’s not God’s way. Oops, soap box again. But, I hope you can wade through the mire of my personal opinions to see the point…sheep are one of the few “farm animals” which are not easily incorporated into massive scale farms because they need an attentive shepherd. And who has time for that these days? How does this affect the sheep industry in the US, you ask? I’ll explain. If corporations with all of the purchase and lobbying power in our country fail to fund and approve importation of new genetics and promote the species with advertising, (think Black Angus marketing vs. Hereford) eventually they become obsolete. Fade into "Bolivian." And that is just the tip of the iceburg, if you want to know more about the role the government plays in all this, read the book "Mad Sheep" By Linda Fallace. Ever since Mad Cow disease in the US, Big Beef controls the law. Be that as it may, what about the small folks like us? There isn’t much holding us back from improving genentics and working with the fantastic breeds we already have available here. I wonder if the thought of shearing every year and difficulty in obtaining decent blood for gentle and productive sheep who don’t die constantly sort of put the final nail in the coffin for our fluffy friends. I’m doing my best to change that, to promote what I truly believe to be THE best choice for homesteaders on the wonderfully blossoming landscape of smallholder farms in the US currently. No other animal can provide such value for both the environment and us. They are one of the best tools for regeneration of fields, ours are a prime example. Sheep nourish us well with their outstanding milk and meat production, and with their small size and grazing habits impact the environment in very positive ways. The versatile income stream and food security they provide their shepherds is unmatched in any other similar species...they deserve a second look. I’ve been working toward this goal for almost 19 years now and am profoundly grateful for the way God has allowed us to keep this project going even through multiple moves and seasons of life. Sheep are such gentle animals, and tougher than they are given credit for. In general, low drama compared to goats. I love goats, their antics crack me up. But something about the way a sheep reveals a glimpse of my own personality and emotions draws me in and leaves me in awe. How they come running when I call but give little more than a blank stare when my husband or a friend does the same. Sheep get a bad rap for being stupid, but really, when they are not being driven by fear and adrenalin and are surrounded by a safe and stable environment, are surprisingly intelligent and quite capable of learning how to behave properly. Guess they are a little more like us than we would care to admit. (Cringe) It’s hard to put my finger on it, but something compels me to know them and understand them like no other creature has. And I’ve certainly tried all the things that go quack and moo and oink, let me tell you! Well, that’s all I have time for tonight, I’m holding my eyelids open with toothpicks. But look forward to pt. 2…all the reasons why we love sheep so much…coming soon!
1 Comment
Zack Blake
2/5/2023 08:11:00 pm
Wonderful article! We had sheep some time back, just as pets in our urban backyard. They were so wonderful!!! I didn’t realize they were viable dairy animals until just recently, which hs me thinking of finding one.
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HELLOI'm Lydia. Mom to one wild barefoot fluffy headed toddler, a herd of cows, flock of sheep, a group of too many chickens and a neglected garden that against all odds, survives. Married to a wonderful husband with an equal number of titles and jobs...Dad, bro, (also as in, "bro, get over here gimme a hug") hydro-electric power plant mechanic, volunteer firefighter, fixer of all things with wheels and engines. (Ya, I'm proud of him.) Farm life, family, coffee, and Jesus make my world go round. Archives
August 2023
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