Bob, the dog with cancer is doing Fantastic :) thanks for asking:). These won't be 'my' sheep LOL. I don't want to buy any sheep because they would end up being pets :(, and I DON"T WANT ANY MORE PETS :) our trainer is loaning me the sheep, so that way I have to give them back after a month or so. Works out for him too, he doesn't have to feed them, and he knows I'll take good care of them.

I would second sharon sd's suggestions on health care. I would add that you might want to wash him, shear him down a bit if he never has been to check that he is not hiding any skin problems or varmints in the heavy wool. This would be mostly just shortening his wool, not cut to the skin unless he has problems. Still would allow plenty of time to grow wool before winter. We wash our sheep in summer, cuts the smell, allows us to check for cuts or fly bites that might grow into sores. Our couple of lambs are short sheared so they gain weight for market. We have a canister vac that we put on blower to remove extra water after washing. If you have a narrow nozzle it concetrates the air, warming it up and makes the air harder, pushing off more water. Clean shop vac works well too. Just blow dry the wooly parts, let him dry in the warm sun. They will settle together after a couple days. You just want to bring in a clean, disease free sheep. Also check him for scapies FIRST, before he goes to the farm. All sheep transfered are supposed to be ear tagged to know point of origin. Scapies could contaminate your other sheep. Tag him if he is not already tagged. This is a Federal law, required by all sheep, if I understand things correctly. Farm tags are free from the Gov't in our state of MI. Your County Extension Service should be able to help you if you need more information on the tags.

I don't have a sheep pattern for you (yet?) but there is a dog sweater pattern in BH&G "Knitting YEar Round" if you're interested. Jackie

Thank you Lomatia and Pepino for your advice. As I have a great heap sheep manure from a local shearing shed I think I will try some both the ways you have suggested in differnt areas of the garden...LOL. I also have cow and horse manure, along with lucerne hay and oat straw - which is a pest as it sprouted oats as soon as it got wet, so will compost this next year rather than use straight up as mulch. I also have a small quantity of daggy wool. So all in all I've got a fair bit of materials for mulch. My garden is not yet a year old, started with blank canvas. I've put in over 100 trees, shrubs and roses and last week planted a self polinating cherry and a Meyer lemon. The only other fruit tree I have is a mulberry. Should I mulch the young fruit trees. I have given them Seasol only on planting. cheers Joan