Let’s break this into two parts: Our breeding cycle and our grazing & maintenance practices.

 

Breeding Cycle:
Our breeding season starts on December 1st. Rams are turned in with the ewes and stay until the end of July/beginning of August. Lambing begins in May and usually lasts about three weeks.
The ewes lamb on pasture, completely unassisted—no pens, no shelter, no intervention. Just them and Mother Nature. Absolute rock stars.
By the end of July, we pull out the original rams and all ram lambs born in May to prevent any accidental breeding. What we decide to do with the lambs varies year to year and depends on the market… but that’s a conversation for another post.

Grazing & Maintenance:
Our grazing cycle changes throughout the year. During lambing in May, ewes remain in one pasture until lambing is complete. After that, we rotate pastures once grass is grazed down to about 3 inches.
We have enough paddocks that each one rests at least 45 days between grazing to help break the worm cycle. Depending on the year and weather, we begin feeding hay around December or early January.
We do not deworm or vaccinate our sheep. Instead, we use free-choice minerals and an annual copper drench. Yes—COPPER. Exactly one month before breeding, I drench all ewes with a copper sulfate and water solution, and we swear by this practice.