The Shepherdess
Grace is an entrepreneur, Shepherdess, and rotational grazing enthusiast. This eclectic mix converges here on the Shepherdess Podcast where we talk about regenerative farming for profit, raising Dorper sheep, and daily life as a small-scale, regenerative farmer.
The Shepherdess
10 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE STARTING MY SHEEP BUSINESS
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I’m pulling back the curtain on my failures and successes along my sheep farming journey in hopes that I can give you a massive headstart in your own shepherding. There are a few things I’m glad I knew before I got started, but there are many more lessons I’ve learned the hard way, often through costly mistakes. In this episode, I’m sharing practical tips, surprising realizations, and game-changing practices for beginner shepherds. Join me for this conversation to get your most important sheep questions answered!
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction and preview of content
03:04 Why I chose Dorper sheep and rotational grazing
05:10 Building a profitable farm from the beginning
06:31 A few things I’m glad I knew when starting out
06:46 Why you should invest in quality breeding stock
08:03 Ways I maximized my profits from the start
10:34 My simple but necessary farm record keeping system
11:46 Things I wish I knew before I started sheep farming
11:53 Pros and cons of raising sheep for meat
13:36 Understanding the top worm risks and appropriate treatments
15:03 Simple systems for rotational grazing and watering
17:45 The gravity of mineral deficiencies and proper deworming practices
25:36 Treating and assessing your flock appropriately
30:23 Optimizing your pasture for grazing
35:28 Farming is better with support
36:55 Lambing and weaning best practices
41:46 Failures in farming are not cause for panic
43:12 Answering questions from the audience
CONNECT WITH ME
Email: shepherdess@shepherdess.com
Patreon: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessPatreon
Blog: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessBLOG
Merch: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessMERCH
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyfarms.shepherdess/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarmonyFarmsDorpers
MORE FROM THIS EPISODE
View full show notes and transcript on the blog