sheep hauling 101 . . .

The drive up to Michigan to get the sheep was an interesting experience. The girls, Asher and I went and were not really sure what to expect.  All we knew was that our sheep were weaned, and we were going to pick them up and bring them home.  We have never had any experience with transporting, raising, or doing anything with sheep except looking at and petting them.  This was going to be our first experience with having sheep.  And with this trip, I can officially declare that I am a REDNECK after transporting the four sheep I bought in our 15 passenger van!

Last Friday morning, after I removed one of the back benches, I cut a washer box in half and put the two pieces in the back of the van.  I was thinking that I could put the two ewes in one, and the rams in the other for the journey home.  When we got there, and I saw how BIG the sheep were, I realized that the plan needed changing.

The White Barn Farm owners, Irv and Kim Preston, were really instrumentall in helping us convert our human passenger van into a sheep hauling mobile!  Irv cut some fencing to attach to the back of the bench and we put some plastic, cardboard, and some old hay down as bedding for them.  It only took us a few minutes to load them and be off on our trip home.  With sheep!  Before we left, both Irv and Kim gave us oodles of information about raising sheep including worming them, picking them up and calming them, and websites where we could buy blankets to keep their wool clean.  And the trip home . . . it was a little noisy.  :)  They spent the entire time bleeting and staring out the window.  And of course, making a mess in the back of the van.  I ended up having to air out the van for four days to get the smell out!

Here are some pictures of the girls and boys now that they are home at FOUTFOLK FARM.

 Praline (ewe)

Clover (ewe) 

Rye (ram) 

Pecan (ram)



I had the children name them a few days after they were born so we could have them registered with their permanent name.  We are now proud sheepherders of the Romeldale/CVM breed of sheep that it still on the critical list of rare breeds.