Ten Commandments for Raising Healthy Sheep

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On the other hand, if our "small-time operator" keeps that homegrown meat for his own use, he'll find that—all upkeep expenses included—each 65-80 pounds of young lamb meat he harvests will probably cost him less than $100! The moral? Consider yourself to be your market, and both your belly and your bankroll will be better off (and fatter) for it.

II. KNOW WHAT A HEALTHY ANIMAL LOOKS— AND FEELS —LIKE

Once you've decided how many starter sheep to purchase, you'll want to be absolutely sure that you buy healthy woolbearers... to get your flock off to a good start. There are some obvious signs of ovine soundness that you should look for in any animal you intend to buy: Healthy sheep walk with an alert presence and their heads held high... have clear, clean eyes... don't have lumps or enlargements on their legs or udders... shouldn't continually cough or have runny noses... and—finally—will produce firm, moist, pellet-shaped droppings.

After you've checked these traits, look also to see that your potential purchases have well-trimmed, uncracked hooves and no tails. If the seller neglected to dock his or her animals' tails or "trim their nails", the slack shepherd probably failed to take care of the critters' other health needs as well.

You should also examine the teeth of any to-be-purchased sheep to discover the beast's age. A lamb has a set of small uniform "milk teeth" which gradually get replaced—at the rate of a pair a year over a four-year period—by larger, permanent chewers. It's best to purchase ewes with one or two pairs of permanent teeth. Such young adults are mature enough to be over their childhood diseases, but still young enough to have a number of productive breeding seasons left.

III. BUY THE BEST ANIMALS

Any shepherd worth his or her crook knows that the greatest rewards come from buying—and keeping—the best possible animals, so once you're certain that a prospective sheep is healthy, you should then examine the beast closely to determine whether or not it's a superior specimen. And the way to find out if you're really sizing up a "deluxe" flesh-packed breeder is to dig under that mammal's wool with your fingertips and feel just how much meat you'll be getting for your money.

First run your fingers along the sheep's backbone. The animal's spinal area should feel firm and muscular, so—if that ridge seems as soft as the palm of your hand—the critter you're sampling has too much fat to be considered really healthy.

Next encircle each of the sheep's hind legs—with both hands—right up next to the animal's flank (it's best to compare several critters' back limbs... in order to pick the "meatiest" ones). After that, press your fingertips into the backbone region, near the last ribs, to find out if the "loin eye" area is wide and meaty. And finally—after you've given all your potential purchases the once-over—choose only the very best sheep for your own breeding stock.

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