Mainely Ewes Farm at Last

Our big surprise is we can now truly be called Mainely Ewes Farm. It has taken a lot of time and work but we are here. We thought that we would be able to get sheep last fall, however, that was not a truly realistic expectation. We were not ready as far as housing and fencing goes. The Maine winters are very harsh and the animals have to have appropriate housing. We put off getting our girls until we were ready. Hallelujah, we have sheep! Drum roll please.......... Meet our girls. We have 2 black yearling ewes, 1 white yearling ewe, and 1 black 2-year old ewe. They are Icelandic sheep. The Icelandic sheep are among the most primitive (most closely resemble the earliest ancestors of sheep) breeds. They have naturally short tails (no docking), thick double coats of true wool (not hair sheep), can tolerate extreme cold (Maine) live in the fields, lamb very easily, and do not require sophisticated pasture. Icelandic sheep are small and easy to manage, are multipurpose being used for wool, milk and meat. They fit in here on our farm. We will be naming the girls later as we get a feel for the personalities.







We purchased our sheep from Rising River Farm in Pownal, Maine. Patty is the owner/operator and comes with a wealth of information. She was so helpful and made the loading of the girls easier on them and us.

It was a long drive home. They tolerated it very well. They were happy to finally get into their pasture. The girls are a bit skittish now. Hopefully they will become well adjusted and love their new home. We have to keep in mind that they have never had chickens in their pasture, nor had to share it with 3 goaties.

They took a nice leisurely stroll around checking out the hill.

Checked out the fence line to see if we had forgotten anything that would allow for a quick escape. We will be installing electric fence this week to keep them safe.

The goats were appropriately impressed. They took one look and decided that the grass was truly greener on the other side of the fence.

That is all for now. We are very excited and having such a wonderful time watching them graze. Much love and many prayers from Mainely Ewes Farm (at last).

Kelly