"I try to treat my animals the way I want to be treated and in doing so I really haven’t faced many challenges concerning their care over the past two years,” explained Linda Sanchez of Lou-Lin Valley Ranch just north of Mountain Home, Ark.
“Working with the animals is peaceful and relaxing and allows me to connect with God on a daily basis,” she added.
Linda and her husband Lou moved to the area about two years ago and realized it was a shame to waste the good pasture. It was previously used to raise cattle. They decided sheep would be a good choice because the initial start-up of cattle was more costly.
Linda credits her husband with the idea of sheep. “He did most of the research to learn about the different breeds and make a decision on which particular breed would best suit our land and needs.
“We started with a mixed herd of hair sheep and have currently settled on the Katahdin. They work well with the layout of land and for our means,” she explained.
“Katahdins are low maintenance sheep. They have a higher resistance to worms than many other of the hair sheep breeds and do not require shearing.”
Lou-Lin Valley Ranch raises the sheep as meat animals. “We currently raise the animals and sell to local buyers who enjoy the pasture raised quality of our lambs. We don’t use growth hormones or steroids and try to limit the use of dewormer and antibiotics.
“We believe if we can keep as much man-made stuff out of our sheep, they will have a stronger natural resistance to disease and sickness. Pasture rotation also aids in this endeavor. Healthy, happy animals are easier to handle and take care of and happy sheep are healthy sheep; that means a happy farmer. Our consumers also reap the benefits of well cared for animals in the quality of meat they receive.”
The Sanchezes' advice for others interesting in getting into sheep production is to do your research. “Research your animals and take time to research and know your buyer. Stay away from sale barns to start your flock; those animals are there for a reason,” she added. “Check references from others who have purchased animals from your buyer and pay attention to their reputation in the community. Just be sure you know your breed and those you purchase livestock from. If you get animals that are sick in the beginning, it can really cause you a lot of unnecessary problems and expense.”
Linda explained they initially started with five sheep and planned to raise them for themselves. “Friends and neighbors began asking to buy our lambs and it just grew from there. We currently service about eight or so local customers. All of our lamb is processed at Twin Lakes Packing in Gassville, Ark. Our customers appreciate the packaging and attention to detail they provide,” Linda explained.
“Through a good friend and her husband, I will be able to expand my customer base. Her husband recently contacted a buyer in the St. Louis area who is interested in purchasing the remainder of my lambs for marketing to the large ethnic community there,” she explained.
Linda and Lou currently have 48 head of sheep on their acreage in north central Arkansas. “We have been blessed in our endeavors and through the support of neighbors and friends, we may someday enjoy a profit as well,” she chuckled. “I love being around the animals and working with them. I am amazed how well they all co-exist and we all just fit. Each addition to the family seems to find its rightful place in the mix.
“A really neat addition to our farm was our guard animals. We have a donkey name Donk and a llama named Scooter. They take their jobs seriously — looking out for the sheep,” she explained.
“One time our llama gave an alarm call and when I went to see what was the matter; I didn’t see anything, so I left to continue working. Almost immediately I was summoned back to the field with another alarm. It was then I saw a dog sneaking into the field through the weeds. Those guard animals are amazing,” she stated proudly.
“They sense and see things before I ever know there is anything wrong. I go to bed at night and don’t worry one bit about my sheep. They are in good care. It’s just another amazing thing God has allowed me to be a part of and for that I am very thankful,” she concluded.
