Support Bless Ewe’s Special Needs Sheep

The animals at Bless Ewe, healthy ewes, fiber wethers, rescues, seniors, disabled, and others are all individuals deserving compassion and care. Most commercial farms will send these and other “special needs” (fragile health, unable to breed, etc) animals down the road to slaughter because the costs of keeping them exceed their value. Lambs that are born on the farm will never be sold for slaughter - they are sold as breeding stock, fiber animals or pets only. Bless Ewe will also take back any/all sheep originally from the farm who need homes to prevent them from ever ending up in the food chain. 

All the “special needs” sheep at Bless Ewe are provided with the best care possible, regular veterinary visits, support, food and love, until their final moments on this earth. They deserve all of that and more. At Bless Ewe they will live out their natural lives as the amazing individuals they are.

2020-21 has been an exceptionally challenging time for Bless Ewe with the costs of vet care, and a drastic drop in income from fleece and breeding stock sales due to Covid 19. Additionally, the price of feed has increased substantially due to scarcity, unprecedented heat, drought and the economy. Normally breeding stock is sold when they are weaned in August to help cover the cost of winter feed. This year I bred a very limited number of ewes; it was a terrible year and losses were significant. The lambs will still be weaned in August, buyers are scarce and the feed budget needs to be covered three months sooner than normal. Compounding the above issues, over a dozen sheep were returned to the farm because their owners were unable to feed them due to COVID-related job losses and other issues. 

Bless Ewe is run by Carolynn, who is a disabled USAF veteran. Finances are tight on VA disability pay (70% + IU) One unexpected feed cost, broken piece of equipment or exceptional vet bill is catastrophic.   

If you are able to help, it will make a tremendous difference. All money raised will go directly back into the care and feeding of the sheep, one llama (Jim), three border collies and one Maremma guard dog named Vivi.  

Feed: The flock is usually fed 100% hay from late October - late April. The cost to feed the sheep during the winter is approx $75 a day. Due to drought and excessive heat the pasture has already gone dormant, which means I have to feed hay now, that has put a serious hiccup in my budgeting process. That adds 3 months of winter feed during a time when the flock would be on pasture  

I need to purchase enough round bales to cover the flock for the winter and cover a 20 ton load of alfalfa. The round bales (70 bales x $65) are $4,550. One 20 ton load of Alfalfa $300 a ton x 10 tons) will be $6,000. Additionally I need to purchase grains and concentrates for the special needs group. Minerals, protein tubs and medications average $120 a month through the winter. 

Grain & Concentrates: Only the “Special Needs” sheep receive grain or concentrates through the winter above their regular diet. Elderly sheep or sheep that are weak or impaired for one reason or another require increased nutrition that can only be met with feeding grains or concentrated feed. When sheep age their teeth get worn, and they find it harder to compete with the younger sheep at the feed troughs. These sheep need the additional TLC and access to grains that they can eat without competition. The special needs group receives a 50/50 mixture of alfalfa pellets with a good quality sheep feed which has a higher protein than standard texturized all stock feed. This group eats 75 pounds a day of this mixture. That is approximately $25 per day cost  

If you would like to designate your donation to go to a specific need, please include that in the notes. I am happy to provide receipts to you in return.

Veterinary Costs: Bless Ewe works closely with Plateau Veterinary Services in Enumclaw, WA. [phone redacted]. If you would like to assist directly to the outstanding balance please call them and they will help you. The farm account is under my name. All donations received above the budgeted costs for feed will be applied to the outstanding balance. 

Names of Special Needs Sheep: Stewie, Alice, Sherman, Perdita, Timbit, Thomas, Amos, Elmo, Oliver, Mabel, Lois, Opal, Edwina, Violet, Dottie, Splash, Dahlia, Pinky, Bertha, Bernice, Stella, Judy, Miriam, Chloe, Hazel, Charlotte, Tipsy, Rose, Fiona, Simon, Laverne, Freya, Sophia, Izzy, Agnes, Matilda, Lagatha, Rufus, Roger, Webster, Elise, Elsa, Dorothy, Cinder, Myrtle, MollyTuTu, Tipsy, LuLu, Phoebe, Pearl, Lucy, Primrose, Tara, NuttyMeg, Snow, Sarah, Rebecca, Jenny, Shioban