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Sheep are the most lucrative livestock I’ve ever had. I started with hair sheep as it’s the most popular choice. They are less maintenence because they don’t need to be sheared. In my experience though they are much smaller and much much crazier. Either way sheep are low maintenance, easy going and good producers. They also taste good in my opinion. After my first year of having sheep I came across a homesteader with wool sheep and quickly learned about all the uses for the wool. Not just spinning yarn for making clothes and things but also insulation for buildings and nesting boxes for rabbits or houses for dogs and pretty much any animal to stay warm in winter. Speaking of winter my hair sheep freeze, they do not handle winter as well as I’d like and are better suited for someone with a barn. They are not anymore cool in summer than a sheared wool sheep either! I switched to wool sheep after all my research and went through a summer and  winter with both to compare. In the end I came to the conclusion I would stick with wool sheep because they handle winter far better, they handle summer just as good as the hair sheep, they are larger and so bring more meat and income, they are calmer and easier to work with and offer the added benefit of the wool with only one downside and it’s really not that big of a deal. Shearing only happens one time in spring and takes less than an hour per sheep. They are definitely worth that! I wouldn’t go back to hair sheep ever but sheep in general are great because they don’t really need me for anything they just graze and do their thing. They are also much easier than goats. Below is Jackson my ram before and after shearing this year.

I finally realized bandanas are not for looks. It’s 99 degrees and it’s only 11am. Too hot to be alive in my opinion but there’s something about dripping sweat that makes me feel like I’m being crawled on and itchy plus sweaty equals gross. I put a bandana around my neck to catch th sweat and I feel much better. It’s neat to know the cowboys really had reasons for wearing bandanas not just heat but also keeping dust out of their mouth and nose while riding in dry conditions. My grandfather always kept a second one for his nose too. So handy they are and not just clutter which is good for me.

There are several ways to deal with frozen water. Most people break ice or have water heaters. Of course without electricity the later is not an option without getting into expensive solar options. You can grab a heating coil and a solar panel and set up a simple water heating system but plan to spent around $250-$300 minimum. However another way to help deal with freezing water is to take plastic jugs add some water not full just a couple inches to half way, then add some salt to prevent the water inside from freezing. This weighs it down but still allows it to float. Put one in your water troughs to slow the freezing process. This works to varying degrees if it’s windy enough it’ll move around and prevent the top from freezing. If it’s still and it freezes then at the very least you can slip the jug out and there’s a hole in the ice for your livestock to drink from. My horses play with the jugs so it keeps theirs less frozen than the cows. It still works though. I will warn you that if you have dogs, like LGDs they may pull them out to play with them! So be prepared to find them missing. Lol. Remember to leave the ice in your trough to become water again later!

Let’s talk about dogs. A lot of people have dogs or want a livestock guardian dog (LGD). First piece of advice I can give is never trust a dog! After 29 years of working with cats, dogs, horses and plenty of other random critters through out the years of my life and career as a breeder, rescuer, vet tech, groomer, trainer and farmer I can honestly say that’s my best advice on dogs. I’ve had dogs tons of dogs the breed doesn’t matter age doesn’t matter if you raise them as a pup around livestock it doesn’t matter a dog is going to do what a dog is going to do. To find a dog that can be 100% trusted is pure luck. It has to be the right dog. Mostly they will surprise you, usually when your not looking by chasing livestock, attacking and sometimes even killing livestock. Even the nicest dogs that act so well behaved and are bred, raised and trained to do the job. At the end of the day they have instincts all of them and some will resist the impulse to act on that instincts but most will not. For instance Great Pyrenees are a favorite LGD breed however what most people fail to realize until it’s too late is they have a high prey drive for birds. Domestic Chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese are all easy targets. Unfortunately I see people giving them away all the time for this reason. A second favorite breed is an Anatolian Shepherd, however these dogs tend to roam around great distances which can cause some issues if you don’t own your own hundred acres. Your neighbors especially may be unhappy with your dog visiting their home or farm. I have found that a cross between these two breeds are generally an extremely good and successful LGD breed. Less intent to kill birds and less desire to wander the country side. However as I said no breed is a shoe in for the job. I’ve had great LGDs for years that have done great and then one day I catch them in the act doing something I never thought they’d do. I have set up a way for all my dogs to guard my animals and homestead without them needing to actually be in with the animals which in my opinion and experience is the best and safest way to operate my homestead. It is also costing more in fencing and taking more time to finish my homestead but is well worth it to me to make it work. Always research breeds before you buy as well as talking to people who own the breed and always more than one owner to get a full story on the breed and how they interact on the farm. No 2 dogs are alike. Breeds don’t breed true always. Dogs are never trustworthy.

So you think you want to be off grid and try the homesteading thing. I highly suggest you test it before jumping all in. People often fall in love with the idea of it and all too often fail. The average time people last is 3 months. So before you buy land and jump all in, test it out. Research, research and more research!! But also get hands on. Find a homesteader and offer to help out and test the water. See if your really cut out for it. People tend to forget what it actually means to not have running water or electricity or simply don’t know and don’t realize all the things that effects. If your not adaptable, if you like pampered and luxurious things or if bugs, blood and being on the ground or in the woods makes you cringe, then your on the wrong path. It’s ok to like camping but not want to homestead. At the end of the day most people realize they want to go home and continue having all those things people take for granted every single day. So learn this about yourself before you move forward, that’s my best and first advice to anyone who thinks they want to homestead off grid. Also learn what that means and what it entails. It’s a lot more than going to the bathroom in a bucket in the woods.

Corn silks are very healthy and great for treating inflammation among other things! It’s easy to make a tea or tinctures. Pull the healthy silk and remove the brown tops. Then you can sun dry it or dry it in the oven on a low temp until its dry to the touch. Then break it up, put it into a jar and store in a cool dark and dry place. Then you can make tea or use fresh silks by steeping with boiling water. You can also make a tinctures which is good for adults. Add silks to fill the jar 1/4th of the way full then add a high proof liquor. 80 proof minimum and organic is better like vodka. Then store in a cool, dry and dark place for 6 weeks. 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon several times a day for adults. Pregnant woman should not drink corn silk tea as it can stimulate the uterus and cause miscarriage.

Today I built a simple livestock hauler for my truck since I don’t have a trailer. I used cattle panels, wire and clips. It’s very simple and affordable and works for sheep, goats and calves. So simple anyone can do it.

Run

Most things on a homestead take multiple people. However I only have myself so I have to find creative ways to accomplish things. This is just 1 example, the other day my sows escaped and I had to push the panel against the post, hold the nail and hammer. This is what that looks like, lol.