We follow the traditional northern California sheep management cycle of breeding in the fall, lambing in the spring, and weaning and shearing in early summer.  Most sheep are seasonally polyestrous, which means they come into heat in the fall when the days begin to get shorter.  By breeding in the fall, we do not have to employ any additional methods or hormones to get the ewes bred. We do...

We believe strongly in providing our sheep happy and healthy lives.  We have a high standard of animal welfare, and prioritize an annual preventative health care regiment, along with providing adequate nutrition through pasture and supplements. We consistently monitor the flock for any signs of sickness or discomfort, and work with our vet as needed to alleviate those issues as quickly as possible...

We use a pasture-based system, which allows:

• sheep to exhibit their natural grazing behavior,

• promotes overall sheep and flock health (especially parasite control)

• natural vegetation management – fuels reduction, weed control, brush control

• Sheep dropping manure and trampling vegetation helps...

We utilize portable electric net fences, which are moved as the sheep rotate through a series of paddocks.  This allows the rest of the property to be fully accessible to the variety of wildlife that move through our area.  In addition, the netted fences are easy for wildlife to navigate through or over. (of course this means we have to make sure the fence stays up to keep the sheep in!)

We use multiple non-lethal...

The Millertown property was purchased in Fall 2015, and was extensively covered in starthistle that had been mowed for many years by the previous landowner.  In the fall, right before the first good rain, we used a tractor with a no-till drill to plant ryegrass and a “sodbuster” mix (triticale, mustard, bell beans, biomster peas, and vetch).  The goal was to grow pasture plants that would start outcompeting the...