Customer Reviews

Living with Sheep: Everything You Need to Know to Raise Your Own Flock

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is great for beginner shepherds. I've read just about every book about raising sheep that I could find, and most of them just scare the crap out of you when you see all of the diseases they can get. Chuck Wooster puts it all in perspective and tells you all of the things that you really need to pay attention to, from feed to fencing. All done marvelously with a sense of humor. More than once I laughed out loud while reading about the author's experiences with sheep. I've been a shepherd for about a month now and I can tell you I've referred to his book more than all of the others. Raising sheep is a joy, and Chuck Woosters book is a joy to read.

Chuck Wooster has written a beginners guide to raising sheep. He makes sheep raising sound like fun. After reading it, I wanted to rush out and get sheep to nibble my lawn. The guide is aimed at a variety of readers: from those who wish to have a few sheep to nibble their grass, to serious farming for profit. Everything is covered, from the best sheep, the best food, the best fences, etc. Geoff Hansen's photographs add to the enjoyment.

If you are a newcomer to living on a small farm and are looking for information on livestock to keep on your small acreage, this is a great book.

The author is very detailed yet understandable about every aspect of sheep raising and care.

It is also written for people from every angle. If you want to raise your own lambs and slaughter them or, like me, you don't want to use them for any other purpose other than as pets who keep the lawn down, this is just the book for you. The author covers everything you will need and makes you look forward to getting your first flock.

Really enjoyed it.

Chuck Wooster begins his book with an explanation that he came from a suburban upbringing and had no knowledge of raising sheep when he started. From the very onset, he engages the reader in his discovery, his mistakes, and his excitement. Wooster brings a sense of wonder, and humor to his writing which conveys his deep appreciation of sheep and the art of sheepraising. Wooster openly shares his emotions about every aspect of sheepraising, thereby setting this book apart from other dry textbook offerings. This is a delighful read.

I have never raised sheep, so I cannot speak to the accuracy of the information. From my amateur vantage point, the book seems to cover everything you need to know.

Living with Sheep is filled with cute sheep photos depicting several different breeds. One added surprise not mentioned in other reviews I read: the paper stock is very pleasurably heavy and moisture resistant. Great for reading without fear of spilling your tea, or getting bath bubbles on it.

If you have ever fallen in love while scratching the neck of a sheep and wondered what it might be like to own and raise one, I highly recommend you read this book.

In "Living with Sheep: Everything You Need to Know to Raise your Own Flock" the author covers exactly what the title implies, EVERYTHING you will need to know to raise sheep! Mr. Wooster writes in a very relaxed, and often humorous way. It's kind of like having coffee with a friend who's giving you pratical and essential instruction from 1st hand experience with sheep. Let me also say that the photo's in this book are excellent- bravo to Geoff Hansen!

Amongst topics covered by this book are: Sheep history, picking your sheep, things you should think about BEFORE you even get sheep, how to handle sheep, the various type of sheep breeds (meat, wool, dual-purpose and heirloom), land support, sheep shelter, fences, hay, how to properly feed your sheep, pasture rotation, raising lambs, organic lamb meat, butchering, wool production, rams and sheep health. This book also has a wonderful Appendix section in the back. Among the Appendix list is: Ewe gestation charts, tools & equipment you will need, summary month-by-month of a shepard's year, and a listing of state sheep sources and breed associations.

That being said Mr. Wooster really knows his sheep! I would invest in a hardback copy as here on Amazon it is cheaper than most retail paperback editions. The paper stock is thick, semi-glossy, flexible and will survive through repeated reading.

A solid 5 stars!

Reading this book has given me confidence to become a shepherd myself. In addition to many necessary details, he recommends learning the personalities of the sheep, being aware when the behavior pattern is different than normal and to trying to figure out why. He has learned the normal noises of the flock, and has learned not to ignore it when they are noisier than normal. Other lessons on sheep behavior include not making direct eye contact with sheep, but speaking to them reassuringly when you approach so they know it's just you and they aren't upset by your presence. There are many other lessons on sheep which are interestingly and sometimes humorously presented for the reader.

I wish there was more on dairying, as I'm interested in that and there aren't many books on dairying sheep. I disagreed with the authors practice of getting rid of the slaughter left overs by leaving them out for carnivores to eat. (I will definitely be composting the parts of sheep the sheep 'waste'). The feeding of grain damages the digestive system of sheep, but I'm not an expert. I would like to read more about keeping grass fed sheep.

Geoff Hansen's guide to raising sheep is an honest and oftentimes humourous look at the joys and sometimes sorrows of raising and better yet "living" with our fleecey friends. I found the section dealing with lambing to be excellent, easy to follow and informative. I also like that Mr. Hansen takes the time and trouble to look at all aspects of living with sheep and not just his own preferences. I highly reccomend this book for anyone at any level of experience as it reads like you have a friend standing next to you offering sage advice and useful information in a language that all can relate to.

This is a very interesting and endearing book for the novice who wants to start their own sheep herd. I highly recommend that anyone who is considering a new venture with livestock become as knowledgeable as possible and this book with help you toward that goal.

This book was well written for folks like me - those having relatively little farm experience in the process building a flock. As I am still learning, only time will tell if all the counsel was well founded - however, the advice thus far has made good sense to me and focussed me on executing the fundamentals well. Most importantly, the boys and girls in my care seem to be doing fine.

This is a wonderful book for beginning shepherds (more experienced too). Very entertaining and informative.