Sheep Flock Software Compared: Lambing, IDs, Field Records and Sales

Choose sheep flock software by trying one lambing group, its individual IDs and a field record you make during real work. Creatures is our platform, and this comparison includes our breeder records alongside other flock and mixed-farm tools so you can compare the jobs they support.

Test a lambing group and an individual exception

Start with a ewe, her known identity and the lambing records you already trust. Add the sire information with the right degree of certainty, then record the actual lambing outcome and individual lambs. Check that the ewe’s history remains readable after the lambs become separate animals.

Next, try a piece of work done to a group and a separate note for one sheep. A flock record is useful only if you can tell which animals were included and which need their own history. The existing sheep flock record book guide and group care record guide describe those records before you choose software.

Keep official identification alongside your farm’s own number without treating the two as interchangeable. The scrapie tags guide covers the official-ID question for US sheep and goats; this comparison does not replace your agency’s rules.

Comparison table

Checked November 12, 2026. Prices are the vendor’s advertised amounts for the named billing period or plan. “Not confirmed” means the checked pages did not establish the detail, not that the software lacks it. A trial is different from an ongoing free plan. There are no affiliate links or ranked positions.

Ranch Manager’s company site describes species modules, platforms, offline use and picture pedigrees, but carries a 2017 footer. The separate site it names for the latest version was suspended when checked. The table attributes those capabilities to the company page and leaves unverified price, free-tier, sales and import details unconfirmed. Confirm current downloads and support before choosing it.

Which situation fits each option?

Herdwatch

Best for: Cattle or sheep operations choosing a region-specific recording workflow. Herdwatch has separate US, UK and Ireland editions. Its US sheep page describes weights in pounds, US-format dates, scrapie numbers alongside tags, spreadsheet import and a free flock data upload. The UK page names imports of registered animals from BCMS, ScotEID or Nifais; those are regional routes, not a promise that every UK system imports sheep. The Ireland page describes uploading animals yourself or sending records to support. Choose the edition and confirm the route for your species and jurisdiction.

FarmKeep

Best for: Mixed farms that want animal records and farm tasks together. FarmKeep describes multiple species, pedigree and lineage tracking, and Basic/Premium plans. Try the lambing sequence and the kind of group entry you need rather than choosing solely from a feature heading.

Livestocked

Best for: Mixed herds that want desktop and phone apps with online or offline access. The vendor describes sheep alongside other livestock across Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. Test both field entry and later sync using your own record.

Ranch Manager

Best for: Shepherds choosing installed desktop software with a species module. The vendor’s company site describes Windows and Mac programs, an iPhone/iPad app, use without a connection, RM Cloud sync and picture pedigrees. Its modules include sheep, goats, cattle, horses, dogs, alpacas and deer. The linked latest-version site was suspended at this check, so confirm the price, download and support with the vendor first.

My Sheep Manager

Best for: Shepherds who prefer flock records entered on a phone. The vendor describes Android and iPhone access, offline features that sync later, a free tier up to 25 sheep records and Premium web access. It keeps offspring lineage details; a pedigree chart was not confirmed. Check the plan for your staff and reporting workflow.

A spreadsheet

Best for: Keepers with a stable, simple record layout they maintain themselves. Separate sheets or columns can preserve ewe IDs, lambing outcomes and sales, but you must define the links and keep the data consistent. Device access and cost depend on the spreadsheet software.

Creatures

Best for: Keepers joining flock records with a public website and sale workflow. Free profiles hold identifiers, registrations, health records, weights and multi-generation pedigrees, alongside breeding and offspring-group records. Creatures runs in a phone or computer browser. It has no app-store app, and this page does not promise offline use or automatic official movement reporting.

How to choose for your flock

A US flock or a UK/Irish holding: Start with the country and the exact report you must produce. Ask whether the program stores a record, generates a file, or submits it to a named official system. Those are different functions. A flock record book alone does not establish a government reporting integration.

One sheep breed or several species: Keepers of registered Katahdins or Dorpers may put registration numbers and parentage near the top of the list. Mixed farms may want one roster across sheep, goats and cattle. Our Katahdin registration guide and Dorper registration guide explain the records to keep alongside your flock IDs.

No signal at the handling area: Try a record without a connection, correct it, then reconnect. Inspect which animal received the entry and whether the timestamp and units are right. Livestocked, Herdwatch and My Sheep Manager each describe offline entry that syncs later. Ranch Manager also describes offline use and RM Cloud sync, with its current download and support needing confirmation. Check the precise edition and feature you intend to use.

A website or breeding-stock sales: A public farm page, buyer paperwork, payment collection and an ownership transfer are separate jobs. Compare the whole sequence rather than assuming a sale entry provides all of them.

Try a small flock on Creatures

Create profiles for a few ewes and the ram using your existing IDs. Keep registry identifiers separate, connect known parents and add the breeding record. Review the projected due dates against your notes with the sheep gestation calculator; the sheep gestation guide explains the planning context. Record actual lambing outcomes rather than replacing them with the projected dates.

Check one weight or health record and how it sits with the animal’s history. Your source papers remain the evidence for names and parent links. Then compare the records you would share with a breeding-stock buyer.

A free farm website can be built from records. Profiles and record keeping remain free and unlimited. The pricing page lists a 5% buyer fee plus 5% seller fee on a completed marketplace sale. The first ownership transfer is free; later transfers are $19.95 without Pro. Optional Pro is $499/year, or $49.95/month on a 12-month plan. Pro removes the seller service fee and ownership-transfer fee; the buyer fee remains.

Questions shepherds ask

Does a flock app replace official identification?

A software record does not itself provide official identification or establish that a movement report was submitted. Keep the original ID and required paperwork, and check the current agency process for your situation.

Should a mixed farm use the same program for sheep and goats?

That can be convenient if the actual workflows fit. Test a ewe and a doe with their own identifiers, breeding histories and offspring rather than assuming similar animals need identical record entry.

For the wider set of options, see the all-species livestock software comparison, the goat app comparison and the sheep species guides.

Do this next on Creatures

Start with one sheep and its current lambing record, then check the result before moving the rest of your records.

• Add a sheep profile. Start with its existing ID, then follow the adding an animal guide.
• Add the next record. The form opens for visitors; a free account is needed to save. The record guide explains the process.
• Create your farm or breeder profile. This has a guest signup path. Read how the breeder directory listing works.
• Save a sheep listing alert if you want an email when matching animals are listed.
• Browse current sheep listings. Availability changes; this is not a promise of a particular animal.
• Browse the breeder directory when you need to contact another breeder.