Beginning with Sheep

Hosts Kathy and Val share a warm farm update: heavy snow, a growing dog, lambs on the way, and difficult decisions about selling or butchering rams (including Patrick and Archer), plus vet care for horn trimming and the realities of farm losses. They also discuss marketing strategies for a small heritage sheep farm—finding your audience, using social media and local channels, defining your product...

Welcome, everyone, to Beginning with Sheep, Season 2, Episode 1, January 2026. Hosts Kathy and Val catch up on farm life, celebrating hens that have started laying and an unusual January thaw that has made the fields muddy. Kathy gives a farm update—several ewes may be pregnant and lambing could start early, she’s registering her first Jacob sheep, weighing options for selling or butchering excess...

Hosts Kathy and Val share a cozy farm update—cold weather, the first snowfall, playful lambs, and Kathy’s recovery progress—then dive into a beginner-friendly wool-washing experiment inspired by Mary Egbert’s book, “The Art of Washing Wool, Mohair & Alpaca.” The episode covers practical tips for skirting, water temperature and pH, soap-to-water ratios, avoid...

Hosts Kathy and Val recap a Jacob Sheep Breeders Association webinar with the Livestock Conservancy, covering what defines a breed, differences between U.S. and U.K. Jacob lines, conservation-minded breeding strategies (line-breeding vs. outcrossing), and the importance of registration and monitoring inbreeding coefficients. They also share farm updates — managing rams, a growing livestock guardia...

In this episode we share a wintry New England farm update: Jubilee is in heat, rams caused barn damage trying to reach her, and the team is rearranging pens and planning repairs while monitoring whether she’s been bred. We discuss seven-week-old ram lambs due for vaccinations, limited hay and pasture management, a growing puppy, arriving rat boxes, and upcoming educational events and product plans...

Hosts Val and Kathy share a quick farm update: early snow on the mountains, a finished electrified pasture, tagged lambs, and a new dryer-ball DIY project made from fleece. They also discuss shearing plans and upcoming Jacob Sheep Breeders events. The episode focuses heavily on tick problems and solutions — from plant-based repellents and safety for dogs to local tick-borne diseases like Pow...

Hosts Kathy and Val catch up on farm life, sharing light-hearted updates about a new guardian puppy, fencing progress, and the everyday rhythms of sheep and chickens. They discuss tick prevention, pasture and ram-lamb decisions (including Hescock-line Jacobs), shearing concerns, and the practical joys and challenges of keeping a small flock.

Episode 14 brings a concise farm update: a Komondor livestock guardian pup is thriving, lambs are enjoying their first time out, and the Blue Cochins won’t start laying until next year. The hosts discuss ram safety concerns, plans for a ram shield or rehoming, and arranging butchering and transport. Predator pressure is a major theme — bears, coyotes and bobcats have been active — so the episode c...

Episode 13 covers a week on the farm: weather and pasture struggles, a new guardian puppy learning to signal, broody hens, and fence work to separate rams and ewes. Kathy also updates listeners on two three-week-old ram lambs (including one with fused horns) and managing them in the flock. The main topic is CD&T vaccination: what the vaccine protects against, typical dosing schedules, and upda...

Episode 12 brings a full farm update: the host is healing from a broken ankle with help from friends, expecting the first eggs soon, dealing with a rat problem (considering rat boxes), and babysitting a playful puppy. On the sheep front, ram lamb Patrick is being aggressive and may be sent for processing, Jubilee's twins are thriving and receiving CD&T shots, and the host considers options for...

Today’s episode covers a full farm update: a finished roof with skylights, reopening stalls, and plans to install feeders and waterers after construction. Kathy describes a surprise set of twin lambs — one healthy and one possibly blind — including emergency tube-feeding, concerns about missed vaccinations, and decisions about docking and castrating. We also hear about puppy training and messy adv...

In Episode 10 Kathy and Val catch up on life at the farm: introducing Sam, a growing livestock guardian puppy undergoing training, ongoing barn roof repairs and new breeding flocks, and concerns about regional drought and hay supplies. They also discuss watching Common Ground, a documentary on regenerative agriculture, and reflect on practical farm challenges and solutions.

Host Kathy shares a lively farm update: bringing home a new Komondor guardian puppy, progress on barn roof repairs, and daily life with free-range chickens. She also explains her breeding program for endangered Jacob sheep, how the approved conservation breeding plan works, the challenges of sourcing genetics, and the importance of preserving hardy heritage breeds.

Kathy gives a brief solo farm update: increased coyote activity led to ordering a livestock guardian puppy, she hosted a busy spinning demonstration at the town fair, and barn roof repairs are underway after finding more rot than expected. She also reports a smaller second hay cutting, chickens with upset stomachs from too many cucumbers, and teases next week's episode with Val to discuss breeding...

The hosts share a weekend farm update covering roof repairs, recent predator activity after losing a dog, and decisions about getting a livestock guardian dog. They discuss sheep care—shearing schedules, a ram whose horns need trimming, and calling the vet for safety. They also touch on Jacob sheep genetics, wool color, and long-term breeding plans. The conversation broadens to industry issu...

This episode covers a busy week on the farm: stripping a leaky barn roof, a red-tailed hawk attack that the sheep miraculously thwarted, plans for a covered chicken run, and worries about drought and repairs. We also chat about learning soil science, the quirks of multi-horned sheep, small-farm markets, and the excitement of launching limited-run podcast merchandise.

Hosts cover a busy week on the farm — a major barn roof project, soil sampling to restore pastures, opening new stalls, installing an automatic chicken door, splitting paddocks to manage rams, and ongoing drought concerns. They also discuss the documentary Farmageddon and the heated debate over raw milk and federal regulation. On a personal note, both hosts share emotional pet updates after losing...

This week we give an update on the farm. We are still in a heatwave so things are starting to get dry and we discuss the need to feed hay. We talk about separating the rams as well as some ram shenanigans.

In this episode, the hosts dive into the challenges and decisions faced on the New England farm during an intense heatwave. Amidst the dry and cracked pastures, the conversation unravels as they explore innovative ways to manage their sheep, discuss potential guard animals, and the pursuit of finding the perfect breed. The lively dialogue extends to a backyard barbecue, where a candid conversation...

In this episode, join Val and Kathy as they dive into the fascinating world of wool. Learn about the over 200 different sheep breeds and discover how each offers unique wool properties, from the fine Merino to the sturdy Navajo Churro. Explore various uses of wool, including knitting, felting, and rug making, and delve into the conservation efforts surrounding heritage breeds. Whether you're an av...

Join shepherdess Kathy and her sister Val talk about sheep and the recent lambing clinic held in Vermont.