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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: [email protected]

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

Watch this episode on YouTube

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🐑 Sign up for my FREE one-hour masterclass on raising, grazing, and marketing sheep for $480 per head

📙 Order my book for beginner sheep farmers on small acreage

Whether you’re in the dreaming phase of sheep farming or already managing a flock, this episode walks through the key principles every shepherd needs to get right.  In this crash course on sheep farming for beginners, I’m sharing how I raise my sheep to maintain above average flock health, how I graze my sheep to minimize feed costs and maximize pasture, and how I direct market my sheep for $480 per head without ever leaving my farm.  I will also be answering common questions about feeding, fencing, troubleshooting health concerns, and more.  

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introductions and preview of content

00:38 Overview of my farm and climate

04:18 My unlikely story of becoming a shepherdess

07:26 The moment I realized why my sheep were sick

10:10 A thriving flock and a thriving business

16:05 Three enemies of a beginner shepherd

16:54 Enemy #1: Barber’s pole worm

24:23 Enemy #2: coccidia

27:56 Enemy #3: lambing complications

29:35 How many sheep should you start with?

31:21 How I run my rotational grazing system

39:16 Exactly how I market my sheep for $480 per head

47:18 Audience Q&A

CONNECT WITH ME

Email: [email protected]

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

Send the Shepherdess your feedback about this episode!

Support the show

🐑 CLICK HERE FOR MY FREE 1 HOUR SHEEP FARMING CLASS

Send the Shepherdess your feedback about this episode!

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🐑 ACCESS MY FREE 1 HOUR SHEEP FARMING CLASS

🔹DOWNLOAD my HEART HEALTH FACT SHEET: https://bit.ly/3FFUctz 

Send the Shepherdess your feedback about this episode!

Support the show

🐑 ACCESS MY FREE 1 HOUR SHEEP FARMING CLASS

🔹DOWNLOAD my DAIRY SHEEP FACT SHEET: https://bit.ly/3FFUctz 

Contact Lydia about her Dairy Sheep: F.FOR.FARM(at)HOTMAIL.COM

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🐑 MY FREE 1 HOUR SHEEP FARMING CLASS

🥕🍅🥬 Market Garden FACT SHEET HERE: https://bit.ly/44btdiJ

WEGENER FARM WEBSITE: https://www.thewegenerfarm.com/

MY EMAIL: Shepherdess (at) shepherdess.com

📙ORDER my book for beginner sheep farmers on small acreage HERE: https://bit.ly/ShphrdssBOOK

MY EMAIL:[email protected] 
Support my Channel on PATREON: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessPatreon 
READ MY BLOG: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessBLOG 
SHOP MY MERCH: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessMERCH
FOLLOW MY IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyfarms.shepherdess/
FOLLOW MY FB: https://www.facebook.com/HarmonyFarmsDorpers

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🐑 MY FREE 1 HOUR SHEEP FARMING CLASS

🐝 Natural Beekeeping FACT SHEET HERE: https://bit.ly/beesNATURALLY

MY EMAIL: Shepherdess (at) shepherdess.com

📙ORDER my book for beginner sheep farmers on small acreage HERE: https://bit.ly/ShphrdssBOOK

MY EMAIL:[email protected] 
Support my Channel on PATREON: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessPatreon 
READ MY BLOG: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessBLOG 
SHOP MY MERCH: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessMERCH
FOLLOW MY IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyfarms.shepherdess/
FOLLOW MY FB: https://www.facebook.com/HarmonyFarmsDorpers

Send the Shepherdess your feedback about this episode!

Support the show

🐑 MY FREE 1 HOUR SHEEP FARMING CLASS

🐐Dairy Goat CHEAT SHEET HERE: https://bit.ly/10goatFACTS

MY EMAIL: Shepherdess (at) shepherdess.com

📙ORDER my book for beginner sheep farmers on small acreage HERE: https://bit.ly/ShphrdssBOOK

MY EMAIL:[email protected] 
Support my Channel on PATREON: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessPatreon 
READ MY BLOG: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessBLOG 
SHOP MY MERCH: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessMERCH
FOLLOW MY IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyfarms.shepherdess/
FOLLOW MY FB: https://www.facebook.com/HarmonyFarmsDorpers

Send the Shepherdess your feedback about this episode!

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🐑 MY FREE 1 HOUR SHEEP FARMING CLASS

‼️CLICK TO DOWNLOAD MY NEW FARMER KICKSTART GUIDE

 In this episode I respond to a viewers email and give 3 pieces of advice for starting a farm in 2025, including: what to do BEFORE spending any money on farming, how I decided on the size of my farm, and mistakes I made as a beginner farmer.

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🐑 FREE 1 HOUR SHEEP FARMING CLASS

🔹(free) 0-$100K Marketing Outline

🌱BUY THE BOOKS (Pasture Management)

What if you could add massive value to the resources at hand to achieve your goals without a massive cash investment? This video shares a recap of my "$225k" farm experiment and what it taught me! 

MY EMAIL:[email protected] 

Support my Channel on PATREON: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessPatreon 

READ MY BLOG: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessBLOG 

SHOP MY MERCH: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessMERCH 

FOLLOW MY IG: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyfarms.shepherdess/ FOLLOW MY FB: https://www.facebook.com/HarmonyFarmsDorpers 

"Buy me a Coffee" to Support my Channel: https://bit.ly/ShphrdssCOFFEE 

#shepherding #lambing #farming #ranching 

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About this Channel: This channel chronicles my journey as a sheep farmer from the very beginning. My primary occupation is in business management. In 2020, I discovered the principles of regenerative agriculture and embarked on a journey with the end goal of building a profitable small farm on 23 acres by 2027. Thank you for joining the journey!

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