BEGINNER GUIDE TO LAMBING ON PASTURE | Dorper Sheep Farming in Texas Raising Dorper Lambs for Profit

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2021 LAMBING VIDEOS: • WHEN FARMING IS HARD |...
BEGINNER GUIDE TO LAMBING SHEEP ON PASTURE
This video is a guide to lambing a small flock on pasture, based on how I farm my sheep in Texas. I raise Dorper sheep on 30 acres in Northeast Texas. My Dorper sheep are born and raised on Pasture. This video is a recap of the 2022 Lambing season and what is involved in preparing my farm for new lambs.
I hope you enjoy!
the Shepherdess
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In this video:
Micro Ranching for profit
Sheep farming for beginners
Dorper Sheep for profit
Lambing video
Sheep giving birth
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!

[@theShepherdess]

➡➡CLICK HERE for my $100k Farm Business Plan: bit.ly/farmprofit

[@LTPottenger]

I love how you use the stuffed lamb as a visual aid. I don't have a farm, but still interesting.

[@marymccollum583]

From Ronan, Montana 🙂 I do enjoy your KZbin videos. I like how you are promoting sheep especially the black head Dorpers. I grew up with sheep and missed a lot of school during lambing. My grandma raised sheep and I learned a lot from her. I am now 61 years old and back into sheep. When we raised sheep all I knew about was just the wool sheep. I had not raised any sheep for about 30 years until a friend gave me a triplet ewe lamb Katahdin/Dorper. Then she was bred to a nice Dorper ram (this was four years ago), that was my start of sheep again. I also enjoy watching and learning from your marketing videos. I love the videos of you working sheep with your new equipment- so simple. Have a successful lambing season. Mary

[@OldesouthFarm]

I have noticed if you give the ewes Selenium and vit E. Give 1-2 cc BoSe sq and they lamb much easier. I have not had mastitis. Only had two dairy goats with mastitis. Both goats died. I did DHIR and the somatic cell count we got monthly let us know how the mammary health was doing. I do supplement moms with twins with my grain mix. No sheep feed available in Alabama. I mix oats, corn and a sweet all stock, 1:1:1. The corn is cracked. The moms milk much more and don’t loose so much weight. The lambs grow larger as well. Once the grass comes on, the feed stops.

[@theShepherdess]

Great info here!! Thank you!

[@emilybradley8197]

Thank YOU for being a part of OUR farm in 2022! You started 1 year ahead of us and we found you a couple of months before we acquired our first 20 Katahdin ewes. Your videos have been so helpful to us, your openness in sharing the good AND bad experiences is appreciated. Best wishes for a wonderful 2023!

[@cookingwithwine.9190]

Bulletproof sheep. I have been raising Katahdins for 3 years now.

[@joelmoore9697]

Great job Grace, continued success.

[@shanengivone3973]

Last Spring i got my first farm animals; 2 lambs! I noticed the teats of the ewe were bigger than usual today! I'm praying for a successful easy birth for this young mama! But preparing for whatever happens, in advance. God be with me! (I also hatched chickens and they're all doing great this 9 months or so!) Thank you for the tutelage! Blessings!

[@SteadfastTrailFarm]

We have goats and I had one last spring present only a head . Both front legs were chicken winged back! I thought for sure it was just time to save mom and get the baby out anyway I could . One last prayer of " Lord. just give me something to hold on to"... I was able to pull one leg forward and diagonally down with the head then the other leg was released! Big buck! All mine get names! I have a very small herd! Enjoying your videos! ~jc

[@theShepherdess]

Love this! So relatable! Thanks for watching.

[@Jasonofagun]

Great to hear that everything went pretty smoothly this past year!

[@whistlingwindranch1832]

Good to hear that your season went well. Thank you for the information on the bottle to teat issues that you noted, found that very interesting and will be watching for that as we move forward. Your portable lamb jug was absolutely brilliant.

[@Chasineighty]

Bring on 2023! I'm thankful for you Grace !

[@schadenfreude191]

You are great at relaying information. Thank you for being a top notch resource

[@stephaniecavnar5290]

Absolutely agree with you about responsible husbandry!!! Congratulations on a successful year!

[@folkertvisser5294]

Good to see the colostrum strategie did so well you had a good season!! Up to the next.. thank you for the informative journey you put out on you tube i really enjoy them👍

[@Gibaskesemarfarm]

Seeing black head dorpers are onjoyable. They look cute in the same time

[@Balb23]

Great information and that’s wonderful news about your lambs and sheep. I agree about treating, assisting, and medicating in any opportunity we are present for. 😊

[@patriciabeyer8029]

The wee lambs are so cute. All you want to do is cuddle them. ❤️

[@habibijan]

Congratulations on 100% survival! Thanks for sharing the update.

[@paulcharumbira7927]

Love the scriptures at the end. Always stick around for those.

[@jeremiahchupik5845]

Couldn't agree more! If you're going to be a farmer you have to love the work that comes with it!

[@Ajaxxgopw]

i love this. Nothing could be more real. More truthful. More helpful. Thank you.

[@jorettawindham6647]

So glad I found you today. I purchased a 5 acre farm in 2022 and I'm in process of building shelter for sheep. I live in northeast Texas, too. Hopefully I'll be able to get some of your spring lambs. Looking forward to meeting you!

[@countrymudacres]

Thank you for your informative videos! We really appreciate your work.

[@theShepherdess]

My pleasure!

[@cherrybrown5476]

AWWW BEAUTIFUL MOMMY AND BABIES. YOU ARE SO CARING. GOD BLESS YOU.

[@maxmintz511]

Keep up your fantastic work.

[@lifeinthesecretplace]

SO helpful! Thank you!! Currently raising my first bottle lambs and my ewes should be having their lambs in April/May!

[@thesimplehomestead1]

Good video Grace!! "Got to love the animals!" Best sentence:)

[@angelmeza6137]

Great lambing season!

[@ladyryan902]

Oh my. You have become an expert quick.made me rethink wanting sheep

[@StarvrosMitchell]

Thank you, for this amazing and informative video. I haven't had some of these issues, THANK G-d. I raised the West African Sheep breed, it is a hair sheep, somewhat like the dorper. It is good to have the knowledge in the event. Much appreciated and remembered to keep your head up and know that G-d is with you in the Good, the Bad and Ugly. Hebrews 13:5. Shalom for 2023.

[@jimmynjogu3892]

Such an insightful video ...I subscribed 👍

[@KedeshFarm]

You for sure have to love farming due too the challenges that occur quickly. Thanks for your video and passion for farming.

[@paulajoy3495]

I just wanted to say thank you for providing such helpful information. I am researching now in preparation for starting with sheep in 2024 and I'm so thankful for everything I am able to learn about from others on this platform. All of this information helps me to figure out the pro/cons for my situation. I am so thankful you did not lose any babes this past year and hope this upcoming spring is as blessed. Again, thank you for helping others learn from your successes as well as your challenges. :)

[@rollingofarm]

Great info and footage. Definitely a video I will be recommending.

[@theShepherdess]

Thank you so much!

[@jamesmonarch3044]

Emmett Josiah Thanks Ebel was Great! Hope you saw my question?

[@rickayers3150]

All good input. Thank you

[@cookingwithwine.9190]

You should talk about how they are banning OTC antibiotics in June 2023. Serious issue. It's going to be a lot harder to raise livestock after this.

[@spdkld]

Our last lambing happened overnight, 25* weather. Saw that our sheep multiplied, gave a shrug, then made sure the lamb was dry. She was dry, and dealt with the wax plug in the teat all by herself. Really a hands-off operation. Last time, we were there for every birth, helping clear the teats and helping lambs to suck. I now wonder if we were needed at all.

[@joevinlund6041]

Nice video!

[@jeffhuntley2921]

The main reason I continue to raise livestock is because I love doing it. Very rewarding

[@erictackettproductions28]

Exactly right, we should Love what we do while we're making money... instead of loving money while we Hate what we do.

[@normangilden3453]

Thank you for this information

[@abbyu209]

Thank you! That was interesting.

[@Digger927]

Brilliant, you're amazing Grace. Happy New year ;)

[@theShepherdess]

Thanks, Brent! Happy new year!

[@UserRandJ]

You are extremely helpful and ultra impressive. Love your heart too. Jake

[@pprspanishgoats]

Your best video yet

[@theShepherdess]

Thank you so much! Happy new year!

[@HoneyHollowHomestead]

I've not had an issue with any of my goats at kidding time, except for my dairy goat I bought bred. She had a stillborn which I believe was caused by a copper deficiency. Something you don't see in sheep. The next year she successfully gave me a beautiful set of twins.

[@jeffhuntley2921]

Hopefully you’ll make a video of some of your webinar

[@MrSegraves1]

Agreed. When we started, we never planned to make a profit. We got into farming because we enjoyed the process of feeding our family and what we sold was a bonus.

[@talkingjoseph5582]

Another good feel video

[@SteadfastTrailFarm]

Amen!!!! Totally agree!!!

[@janeburnside5105]

Excellent 👍

[@hombredeacero3131]

The right Knowledge is key

[@shawnwatson1419]

You don't sound like you're too far away from where i'm located. Lamar county (Paris area) Texas here. Excellent videos!

[@juanisgarden5356]

Really BIG thumbs up 👍, I love your passion for farming! The information you provide is so valuable! I got my calling for farming late in life, we will be starting small (2 acres), we're in the process of rebuilding the house that's in the property before we move. I feel blessed to have found your channel, you are a great inspiration! The Lord bless you and prosper you 🙏!

[@robmaviglia8568]

tnks 4 this video :)

[@michaelcoghlan9124]

Thank you, an good luck this March, if my ram was any good last September I'll be joining you in the struggle of survival,. God Bless. PS don't Know how you can doo it all in that Texas heat Take care.

[@PauloHfernandes]

I live in Brazil, at Pará state, here we have high temperatures (27 to 35°c) and we have a very humid climate. Sheep here have some serious issues with the humidity because of a fungi that spreads in their hoofs. By the other side, the rainy and hot weather allows us to produce tons and tons of grass, in the state that i live people doesn't even need hay. (Of course that a professional farm uses it for safety reasons and better management of the flock). Thanks for the videos and keep on posting, i love your content ;)

[@lauralee2514]

I name my beef cows too... wasn't easy leaving Lafawnduh at the butcher last July

[@pepekay6259]

I always administer selenium-vitamin E gel at any birth.. very good results.

[@davemi00]

Young, smart and energetic great qualities to have.

[@patriciajohnsonson8639]

I didn’t realize it was so difficult for a lamb to give birth. We have a pregnant ewe. She is just starting to show an udder. We’re not sure if our other ewe is pregnant. After watching this channel and Sandy Brock, I don’t think I am prepared for this ewe to lamb. I am fearful of all that could go wrong. I kind of thought lambs could give birth on their own. But now realize I have to almost be a veterinarian to help my ewe lamb.

[@ternakkambingmojogedang6545]

Hebat nih kambing nya, lucu lucu bersih rapi, hebat cara perawatanya

[@marylfab]

I would love to see a video specifically on breeding. Do you use a CIDR? Do you inject any hormones inducing a heat cycle? Do you breed naturally? How long do you leave ram with ewes? How do you take care of rams when not servicing ewes? What vaccines or dewormers prior to breeding or lambing do you give? I am trying to do all my research before buying my first ewes and have been gobbling up all the information I can ;) Thank you so much for all your information!

[@marylfab]

Also, docking tales and castration information... please :)

[@catelyngrace6903]

As a former milker myself, i cant imagine how those ladies felt wooo

[@kotukuwhakapiko467]

Mean sheep team 100% cared for In the Shepardess dream

[@JoeJohnson1]

Thanks for all the candid sharing of your experiences. What do you do with your ewes or lambs that die?

[@theShepherdess]

We have designated a distant spot for disposal.

[@michaelbenson2024]

If your ability to smile is because of your love of your animals. Both sides of family are farmers one is a serious and one is nurturing.Quess which one has the natural smile?

[@jozeff1913]

Great Infos as always. Do you use scrapie tags ? We are new in it and we'll have first lambing soon so getting ready also with tags. We are in Central TX.

[@theShepherdess]

Scrapie tags are required for resale at most public sales venues. I don’t worry about scrapie tags until it’s time to sell.

[@utmbunderground]

People online lose sight of the point of the operation -- profit. Withholding help or meds leads to death, which doesn't help the profit margin of her operation. It's always better to intervene and save the sheep or lamb...whether you decide to keep the mom/offspring long term as opposed to selling them for meat/profit is a different matter, largely dependent on why she was sick in the first place. The other thing people forget is that she is raising South African sheep in a climate that gets 50" of rain per year... they will have parasites or other problems that need to be dealt with because the breed wasn't raised for this climate... and the breeds that were might not make her operation the same money.

[@theShepherdess]

Good points here!

[@hessranch]

I agree. Animals are so honest…

[@janeburnside5105]

I agree❤🙏🐑

[@heltonrural9001]

Linda criação

[@kenyonbissett3512]

Agree

[@LtColDaddy71]

Need schmeed, you don’t let an animal suffer. It’s grounds to sell, but we doctor the sick and make them as comfortable as possible.

[@530eman]

How do you make sure the feeding tube doesn’t go into the lungs…? Thank you

[@vk33771]

Our ram broke into the ewe pasture in the summer, so we have some early lambing going on. Thank goodness this has been an unusually warm January. We had an overnight birth and made a mistake I'll never make again. We followed the usually health check of ewe and lamb but failed to notice that it was born without an anus. Watching it over the next couple of days, I suspected it was constipated. Little did I know . . .

[@fauziamukhwana5211]

Agree ❤️✋

[@marcus3457]

I totally worry about my weak stomach. I am much better than I was when I was younger, but still struggle a little. I know, it is sad. 😂

[@jamesmonarch3044]

Emmett Josiah, Trying to buy 10-20 farm homestead. Land and farm not really working for us. Suggestions please.

[@foxonthefarm7260]

What are your criteria for supplementing lambs with colostrum?

[@notsoserious0944]

If you need to relax and enjoy an evening TV show, check out Jeremy Clarkson (Top Gear host) and his attempt to farm in semi-retirement. It is hilarious, serious, and oddly touching. Watching him at lambing was unique. Available on Amazon Prime.

[@user-dh4tu8cs1q]

😍😍😍😊

[@ttellez3622]

Are you from around the Sulphur springs area

[@bickabraham2397]

You should compare notes with Sandi Brock. Just an opinion 😄

[@paigehodges2571]

Do you dock your lambs tails? Is it necessary for dorper sheep?

[@stellachroma3988]

I love the information you share!! I clicked the link to reserve a spot in the webinar, and when I click the link in the email it sends, it takes me to your products page and the webinar isn’t listed. Am I doing something wrong?

[@theShepherdess]

Check the second link!

[@stellachroma3988]

It’s the link in the email I received after I enter my email address for the webinar that takes me to products.

[@angesmith2322]

Please help me find the video on tagging and castrating lambs on this channel

[@Mogeweather]

Yay, so glad you lost no lambs at birth! Thats always so sad. BTW, seeing Barney made my day🤣🤣

[@dieseleration7983]

Are you going to consider some method of supplementing selenium for the flock? If there's one showing signs, I might wonder if there are more that are experiencing some lesser degree of impairment that's not as obvious, or that the environment might be itself developing some deficiency or lack over time. Good videos, thank you.

[@theShepherdess]

Yes! After lambing I worked the flock and everyone received a shot of BO-SE selenium.

[@fordguyfordguy]

I was a little panicked when I could not find your videos - then I found out I was UNSUBSCRIBED FROM you by YT!!!! Very scary in my opinion. Keep up the excellent work, and I just RE subscribed!!!!!

[@michielvanoverschelde4312]

Sorry to hear about the dead sheep, what do you do with dead sheep? Is there a company who get them and are there any laws about the process of getting rid of the sheep?

[@eddycoronado8381]

👍😊

[@adventuresingoatfarming6754]

Hi Grace When you hold your podcast I'm at work and of course the school overrides all comment on my phone , But it's a inconvenience that I can live with . But having the privilege of using their wifi I don't look a gift horse in the mouth . Any how I'll be kidding in the first week of May , got my kidding kit together . I'll tune into the webinar and lisson . Also do you fallow Sandi Brock on Sheepeshly Me . I found her to be a wealth of information . Thank you ❤🐑and 🐐

[@janeburnside5105]

👍

[@DannyCreech]

Emily, Why do people watch KZbin videos of bunnies, puppies, kittens just being cute? Because they are the star and so cute. Why do people watch KZbin videos about lambs or sheep. FOR THE SAME REASON. They are so darn cute. We love them and love to see them. Then your talking all over their cuteness and it kind of ruins it. You go on about the birth and one leg like this is a vet channel and that we want to know the proper technique for assisting a lamb birth. No, we want to see the cuteness of the lambs and sheep. So, I will just click to another channel and tell KZbin "Don't Recommend Channel". Best of luck with your non-vet channel showing vet stuff. I will go look for a cute lamb channel. 🙂

[@jeffwebber316]

How do you age a lamb

[@ceschias3733]

Your great !!! I am starting my flock in Guatemala. Have two male Dorpers and 4 BalckBelly hewes + 2 Pelihuey hewes. If you need help, I could give you hand and I can get experience in exchange.

[@scottpoet]

The really hard 1 legged births, when you are pulling you just have to wait for hip to pop before you can pull the lamb out.

[@theShepherdess]

Had one of those. Poor mom hobbled for a day or two afterward!

[@scottpoet]

​@@theShepherdess as far as I can tell, birthing problem in sheep is a breeder problem. No one is controlling for birth weight, and progressively larger lambs for normal birthing problems is causing the ewes to not be able to succeed on their own. My small heritage flock, their lambs were about 2/3 the size of lambs from my commercial flock. Small sample size but, never pulled a lamb from one of them.

[@theShepherdess]

@@scottpoet very true. I have heard of selenium and calcium deficiency, as well as overfeeding in the last trimester playing a role.

[@scottpoet]

​@@theShepherdess I guess I haven't heard that. Although differences between region to region & breed to breed complicate identifying issues with in a flock. I have no idea what selenium issues look like because we have plenty of selenium here in the soil. Calcium deficiency, I can say, you will usually be able to tell, as milk fever usually occurs just after giving birth. The ewe gets the shakes and goes down. I have trouble believing overfeeding in the last trimester causes any issue, as I'm not sure it's possible. You can feed them the wrong things, vitamin deficient or impotent grass that fills them up but lacks nutritional potency causing ketosis. Realestate in a ewe's belly goes for a premium during pregnancy. The more space lambs take up the less room there is for rumen, and the more likely it induces ketosis. If memory serves correctly, nutritional needs of a ewe are 2 times the normal in late pregnancy and 3 times normal just after having lambs.

[@barbarabrooks4747]

Compared with goats, these sheep have a lot more problems giving birth and with mastitis. I wonder if other varieties might have fewer problems. I never had to assist any of my goats, and only twice did they give birth in the pasture to stillborn offspring. Are all sheep varieties prone to these problems? If so, it seems like goats that are 25% Spanish and 75% Boers are the best since many of the offspring would have the Spanish disease resistance with the Boer meat quality. I was interested in St. Croix sheep or possibly Royal Whites, but the high rate of assisted births makes me uneasy.