This fall has been unseasonably warm. The sheep have continued to graze on pasture, which isn't covered by snow yet. That means they are able to choose what to eat according to what is available and what they crave.
When the snow is too deep, the sheep will switch to eating hay. They always prefer what they can eat in the pasture, however, and will go back to it as the snow melts with the frequent Chinooks or warm weather.
The lambs born this year are almost sold out now, the remainders being almost as large as the other adults now. If you are ordering for the holidays, keep in mind that it may take between a week and 10 days to receive your lamb.
Even in winter, the sheep rarely hide out in their shelter, unless it's really cold and snowing. Sheep even prefer to sleep out in the open at night, as long as there is light, and their protective dog is near. They are all plenty warm, with winter coats and fat stored for the winter. Sheep bunch together at all times, and sometimes their gaurd dog will take advantage of this to cuddle up with the wooly flock.
The Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD) spends most of his time near the sheep, blending in with his white fluffy coat. The sheep may sleep, but he doesn't sleep at night very much. Instead, with coyotes hunting, barking and roaming, the LGD spends his nights on shift, barking, listening, and checking the fence boundaries. His favorite spot is a hill by the sheep, where he pricks up his ears, wiggles his nose, and looks into the distance as much as the moon will let him. Without him, we probably would be out of sheep in no time, and have a lot of well-fed coyotes in the gully.
