This is where we live.  Though it is very inviting, we are not in the house much, as we spend a good deal of time outside with the animals, or working in the yard. So, if you call, please leave a message if we don't answer.  We are usually here, just not in the house.  We do check phone messages and emails often and we'll be happy to get back with you to talk sheep whether you are interested in buying or just need some information.   We are always happy to help when we can.

Our barn where all the action takes place.

The ram lambs are then moved into the ram pasture up on the hill until they are about six months old, so we can feed them until they are old enough to move into the annex pasture next to the big rams.

Our ewe lambs stay in the pond pasture until they are about six months old, then go into the pasture with the older ewes. 

Ours is an unusual shape, but we have made it work for us.  I hope this has helped you in some way or at least given you some ideas about how to arrange your farm for your animals. 

This is our barn.  I know, I know, it sure is a fancy barn for sheep. That's because we built it originally for horses.  That didn't last long because my husband got bucked off his horse, went really high in the air, then came down head first onto his shoulder.  Broke it in five places and suffered with it for twenty years until he finally had a complete shoulder replacement and is now good as new.

                                                                _______________________________________

Lone Star Farm / Barbados Blackbelly Sheep

On several occasions, we have been asked how to build pens and fences to accommodate raising sheep.  I have included a map of how our farm is setup to give you some ideas.  This may not show you what interests you in your situation, but I hope it will at least give you some ideas.

At approximately one year of age, the ram lambs are moved into the big ram pasture with the older rams. 

1.  Ram Pasture - this is where we put weanling rams.

2.  Garden Pasture - This used to be a garden.  Now this is the                 pasture that we use for rams that are six months to one year old,         or sometimes for ewes that are too young to be bred yet.

3.  Pond Pasture - this is where we keep pregnant ewes when                   they are close to lambing.  I can watch them with binoculars               from  my office in the house (marked with an H).

4.  Round Pen Pasture - after the ewes lamb, they are turned into           this pasture with their lambs until the lambs are weaned.

5.  Front Pasture - an extra pasture that we usually need during               breeding season.

6.  Catch Pen - we don't actually catch sheep in this pen.  We use it         to move sheep from one pasture to another by leading them               with a bucket of feed and closing gates behind them so they               can't double back into the pasture from which they just came.

7.  Back Pasture - This is a good grazing pasture and used when we           breed sheep.  We can divide up the breeding groups and have             plenty of room in between them so there will be no fighting.

8.  Garage Pasture - This is a beautiful pasture with plentiful grass           that we never use.  The USDA required us to  keep our sheep at           least thirty feet from neighboring animals while we were in the           Volunteer Scrapie Flock Certification Program.  We have adhered         to the practice ever since. 

9.  Annex Alleyway - This alleyway connects the five acres that I             have just mapped out, to the five acres that make up the                   Annex. It is landlocked and can only be entered through our                 property.  There is only about fifteen feet that connect one                 piece of our farm to the other.  It is divided into three pastures           with separate entry gates to each one and also gates in                       between them so we can utilize it any way that's necessary.                 See drawing.

The barn has served us well, as this pasture is the one where we keep the ewes when they are ready to have their lambs.  They raise their lambs here until they are between two and three months of age.  At that time, we wean the lambs, the ewes go into a pasture on the back side of the barn so we can watch them for any signs of mastitis as they are drying up, and the lambs stay in the "pond" pasture until the ram lambs are old enough to be separated from the ewe lambs at about four months of age. We never leave the ram lambs with ewes of any age after they turn four months old.  They are very promiscuous and cannot be trusted.  

H

Our Farm

This is where we live and raise our sheep.