Resources
One of my greatest joys is helping new homesteaders like you learn how to care for sheep. I like to provide gentle, practical guidance about how you can set up your homestead’s sheep operation so that you are successful and your sheep are humanely cared for. There are a lot of details and decisions that can spell either disaster or “Happiness You Can Taste”. Indeed, that is the byline of Bah Bah Blacktail Farm.
Since fresh clean water is essential, you will want to look at the Drinking Post videos to see how you can provide that in the most trouble-free way.
Over the years my mentoring about sheep care has been recorded on dozens of videos created by Dan Ohmann of Grassfed Homestead. Many of these YouTube videos follow Dan and his son Elliot as they begin raising sheep in north Idaho. Their family started first with getting sheep just for a summer graze and fall harvest and eventually decided to select breeding stock and set up a year-round program to raise meat for their homestead. These videos provide YOU with a real education about the practicalities of raising sheep humanely, on a grass-fed basis in a far northern climate. Enjoy!
I have grouped them by topics covered so that you can find what is relevant for you.
- Tess Hahn
How Drinking Post Works
Examples and technicals
First 5 Minutes
Introducing sheep to the post and how they figure it out
Early Days of Getting Lambs
Sheep Shopping
How to find the right breeder with the same management style.
Origins of Our Lambs
Explore Bah Bah Blacktail Farm
Getting Feeder Lambs
How to select ideal flock and transporting safely in a pickup.
Getting 14 Sheep and a Llama
Includes handling a guardian llama
Breeding Sheep
Sheep Breeding Series, Part 1
How to find right breeder with the same management style.
Selecting Ewes for Breeding, Part 2
What makes a good ewe
Rent-a-Ram
In part 3, we learn about the qualities to look for in a breeding ram, ram nutrition requirements, and courting behaviors.
Sheep Breeding, Part 3
Courtship and breeding by Casper at 9:23
Managing Your Sheep’s Health and Wellbeing
Weighing and Body Condition Score
Shepherdess Tess shares why weighing and condition-scoring her pregnant ewes each winter is very important for her husbandry practices.
Shearing, Crutching & Foot Trimming
How a milking stanchion works
Fecal Egg Count
Yes, you can monitor parasites.
First Aid for Shepherds
Helpful things to have on hand
Lambing Time
Lamb birthing Process
Watch a birth
Newborns and Recordkeeping
What records should you keep
Milking a Sheep
The how to process of milking dairy sheep
Sheep Farming When Everything Goes Wrong
Part 1
Mud disaster, catch pens, head gates, creep pen setup
Part 2
Practical hints regarding lamb wellbeing, weaning, injuries.
Part 3
Types of poop, creep feed, cleaning eyes, cold lambs
Part 4
Mastitis, sharp baby teeth
Strategic Gate Placement & Duct Tape
There will always be errors and repairs
Fun on the Farm
First Annual Idaho Sheep Derby
Community Event Extraordinaire
Unintended Consequences
Tess talks about an unwanted behavior her great Pyrenees livestock guardian dog has learned from the First Annual Carewood, Idaho Sheep Derby.
Sheep Book Recommendations
Great written resources
Miscellaneous Milestones
Winter Visit by Ohmanns
Meeting the Katahdin and east Friesian breeding ewes and their newborn lambs for the first time
Lambs on loan
Prepare a receiving area for the sheep
Lambs Arrive
A dream come true
Lambs Return home
Time to bring the lambs back
Story of Inspiration about Tess and the Farm
Tess's backstory of becoming a shepherdess and starting Bah Bah Blacktail Farm
Join Shepherdess Tess through her life journey of heartache, world travels, love, healing, community, and…sheep.
The Making of “Discovering Home: The Sheep Show” by Grass Fed Media
Everyone's favorite shepherdess, Tess
Trailer for “Discovering Home: The Sheep Show” by Dan Ohmann, Grass Fed Media
From Eastern Medicine Practitioner to Sheep Farmer
Get The Book
SheepWhispering 101
This book will help you choose the right sheep for your farm, learn about grass and hay to feed your sheep and make the best use of your land.
You will learn tips for easier handling, relevant record-keeping and ways to protect your sheep from both predators and parasites.
It also covers many of the basics you need to know about breeding sheep, bottle babies and sheep’s milk. It also discusses humane harvests.
The story told in the beginning of the book is a lighthearted, family friendly way to familiarize you with homestead style shepherding. Read this book to build your understanding and your confidence.
CONTACT US
Tess Hahn
Little Blacktail Rd
Careywood, Idaho
208-597-3925