We're getting sheep!

For the first time, Justin and I will start raising sheep. There was a brief time we had sheep many years ago, but it didn't go well. We rather hastily picked up two Navajo-Churro, a primitive and somewhat wild breed, and they proved too much for us to handle!

Well, we've taken a long time to consider living with sheep again, and now we're preparing their home.

We researched many different breeds. It was very important for us to find a breed that was somewhat "medium sized." Not a larger breed for sure.

I started looking at Icelandic sheep, since they're common in my area. I really liked their hardiness, history, and size. However,  I was concerned about their disposition. I read they're always on alert, prone to flightiness, and somewhat stubborn. Those area all qualities that lend to their hardiness and survival instinct, which are fantastic, but not really necessary for a live on a small and safe homestead.

The search continued.

I read about Finnsheep, which are somewhat common in my area. A friend of mine actually has a few, and I was able to meet them. They're the perfect size, wonderful wool, and outstanding lambing ability.

It was around this time that we stumbled upon Gotland sheep too. In our minds, Gotland sheep quickly became a close tie with Finnsheep. Justin is interested in working with the wool, and Gotland wool seems finer and has an outstanding, classic coloration that won us over.

After all this research, we settled on Gotlands, and we'll be bringing home a small flock very soon! It's a very exciting time for us as we're getting ready. Soon, we'll have our own flock of sheep to keep us company!