Should I Get Into Sheep?

[Farming5]

I have a 200 acre farm. I plant soybeans in the field every year and I have 20 holstien cows. And I was wondering if it was worth it at all to get into some sheep? They don't seem that hard to maintain seeing as how i already have hay equipment for my cows and a Bobcat to clean out the barn. And if I did get into sheep could i keep them in the pasture with the cows?

 

[jaotguy]

sheep graze to the roots ... compete with cows in pasture

hooves need rocky soil to wear down , or you'll be trimming regularly

price for wool / meat is low ... unless you are supplying local spinners / food outlets

easy predation compared to cows ...

 

[Fossil Farm]

Neighbor has had sheep all his life. A lot of work. If you want to raise them for income, find something else. If you want to raise them for fun, it would be OK. Do you know how to shear sheep? He learned to shear himself because finding someone to do it is nearly impossible around here unless you have a friend who does it. During lambing, prepare to get up every 4 hours for feeding if you get twins or triplets. As jaotguy said, coyotes and dogs can do a number on lambs and sheep. He is always asking me if I have seen any new coyotes or stray dogs around. Everything is easy when outside looking in. Maybe with Columbus close by, you could find a market for specialized wool or organic meats, but do some research first into the marketplace.

 

[Tx Jim]

I remember this old saying from my youth "Sheep are born looking for a place to die". I tried raising some Dorper sheep about 7 years ago and they still want to die. I'll stick with cows. Yes you can graze sheep in same pasture with cows.

 

[stephan]

Yes. A few table sheep are always very tasty. Pick the right breed.

I keep a few Dorpers for the table and they are easy to look after, meat breed and no shearing required.

Cattle facilities are not always suitable for sheep nor is the fencing.

You still need to drench and vaccinate.

Attributes

 

[newbury]

That's got to be one of the most racy thread titles I've read in a while.

If you do start raising sheep think of getting a Corgi for a herder.

 

[stephan]

That's got to be one of the most racy thread titles I've read in a while.

If you do start raising sheep think of getting a Corgi for a herder.

Everyone knows Corgi's are cattle dog's not sheep dogs

 

[newbury]

Everyone knows Corgi's are cattle dog's not sheep dogs

Corgi's are what Brit's use to herd the Queen!

 

[stephan]

Corgi's are what Brit's use to herd the Queen!

That's why they have 5. She unruly. Hard to manage.

 

[300UGUY]

Just be careful who you tell. Some folks get jealous !!

 

[rockinmywaypa]

I raise sheep or rather sell lambs from a flock of ewes. All advise here is either true or false depending on you. If you want to go check for lambs and feed them every four hours then do that and in five years you'll be guaranteed that you have a flock that is dependant on that. Ship every ewe and daughter that needs attention and in the same time you can have a flock that takes care of itself including ewes that can count to three and keep them together and well fed. Look at the premier1 website and consider the net fencing to keep them where you want them. We use water wagons and the sheep stay in one acre areas for three days and then moved to a one acre area beside that. they move up and down the field this way and do not get onto the same ground for 60 days or more for a rest period for the grass, this helps a lot with parasitic worm burdens. Look at tamarack sheep and lamb site, this lady knows how to raise sheep and it is her only income. Ontario has a govt sheep site, look for OMAFRA sheep and wool. Maryland sheep and wool is also great. So do what you want to do but don't let anyone dissuade you by saying they are too much work. You just have to think harder.

 

[bja105]

Any farming operation can be "too much work" if you don't have your system set up right. I have chickens (up to 150 at a time) horses, and now a pair of cattle. None are anything close to too much work, worry, or expense. If you don't learn from mistakes, if you don't continuously try to improve, eventually you will get fed up with the work and losses. You already farm, and probably now this better than me.

My neighbor runs a flock of 50 or so in with his cows and horses. He lost a few to coyotes last year. We shot a couple, he trapped a couple, and he hasn't lost any lately. He has hair sheep. They do not require shearing. I have only seen him bottle feed one lamb. He lives on a farm and expects to do farm type work, I never hear him complain.

Any time I have questions like this, I don't know who to ask. The general public tries to talk you out of doing anything at all. Nothing is worthwhile, any risk is too great, nobody can make any money, except by working for someone else.
But, if you listen to sheep people, you'll have 500 sheep of some rare breed, a couple of herding dogs, a guardian dog keeping the neighbors up all night and ....

If you get sheep, tell us all about it.

 

[Utopia Texas]

If you have any amount of Hispanic population, or on the other hand, Islamic population in your area you may want to investigate raising goats. I won't get ethnic or religious in this post but in my part of Texas both those groups consider goat a staple in their diet more than any other meat.

 

[PHPaul]

What bja105 said.

I've kept a small flock of sheep for nearly 20 years now. Biggest I ever got was 6 ewes and a ram, average was 4 and right now I'm down to 2.

Have I made any money at it? Nope, but that's not the point for me. I've got 4 acres total, a bit over 3 fenced and I have to buy hay, so I'm never going to make money. I figure if I break even and put a lamb in my freezer for free or nearly so, I've done good.

I started out with Shetlands that I bought from friends who's health no longer allowed them to deal with animals. Kept Shetlands for a lot of years and got a lot of lambs out of them. Most years I was able to sell raw fleeces for enough to cover the cost of shearing.

The ladies that sheared for me were cutting back and while they were still willing to do my small flock, I could see the handwriting on the wall, so three years ago I started shifting over to Katahdins, which are a hair sheep. They're also considered a "primitive" sheep and require very little in the way of veterinary care and are easy birthers and good mothers. I used to think the Shetlands were tame, but these Katahdins are darn near as tame as dogs, even the ram.

The point for me is that I enjoy having them around, it gives me a reason to get out of bed in the morning, the lambs provide quite a lot of entertainment with their antics, they keep the alders from coming back after I cleared them and they're darn tasty!

So, I guess my point is, if you're looking at it as a money-maker, good luck with that. If you just want some lamb for your freezer and enjoy having livestock around, go for it.

And don't believe all the bull-loney about "sheep looking for a way to die". In 20 years, I've lost exactly two adults to unknown causes, and maybe half a dozen lambs.

************

Edit: I checked my records and it was 20 years ago exactly that I got my first sheep.

 

[bigbull338]

since you already have the milk cows id just buy more milk cows.