Farm Horizons
•
Aug. 8, 2016
Submitted photo
The lambs at the Michaletz farm between Glencoe and Lester
Prairie have fuzzy heads.
•
Page 6
new lambs at first.
Taking care of lambs is the most challenging part
of having sheep, according to Emily.
“They’re so fragile,” she said, explaining that some
of them died due to the cold two winters ago, even
though they had shelter and heat lamps.
Newborn lambs are tiny, too, and can slip underneath the fence. Luckily, Austin is good at corralling
them.
Other than lambing, taking care of sheep is fairly
straightforward, according to Emily.
“We have a water trough that’s hooked up to the
well, and we feed them once a day,” she said, adding
that they graze in the pasture all summer.
In the spring/summer, a person comes to the farm
to shear the sheep and purchase the wool. Austin said
they initially tried shearing the sheep themselves, but
later opted to hire a professional.
“They make it look so easy, but it’s difficult,” he
said.
In addition to selling wool, the Michaletz family
also sells the male sheep for meat. Females are kept
for breeding.
Emily said she’s looking forward to growing the
herd, and is considering adding a few more animals
to the farm, too.
“Next year, we’re thinking of getting a pig and a
cow,” she said. n