If you had asked me in the early 1990s, I’d have told you I didn’t care for sheep. Fast-forward to 2023, and I’ve raised sheep for 30 years, served on a breed association’s board of directors for 15 years (and now work for the association), and count fellow breeders as some of my best friends. What happened? Shetland sheep came into my life!
Having cared for commercial flocks in the past, I thought of sheep as large, pushy, and maybe not too bright. But after inheriting the rocky, hilly family farm, my husband and I knew we needed to raise livestock to keep the farm active. While I grew up with high-maintenance dairy cows, sheep, while still plenty of work, seemed a more practical choice if we both wanted to keep our “real” jobs.
I chose the Shetland sheep breed, literally by the book. I learned
