Should i keep sheep

Ensure whatever your size space you have an isolation area that you can bring a sick sheep too. With less space to spread out, contagious illnesses can spread quickly in a small area so removing the ill individual is key.

With the right rotational practices to ground as fresh as possible and a care to remember that winters will require more effort due to the reduced space, your shepherding dreams can come true sooner than you think! They are wonderful animals and a great addition whether you have a 50 acre homestead or a half acre backyard.

Cart 0. Keeping Sheep on Small Acreage. GRAZING I would highly recommend that rather than fence your acre and throw your sheep in, you take the time to carve the space into smaller paddocks.

Geoffrey Wakeling April 26, The reasons are important, as they will have a significant impact on the breed s that are raised and the manner in which the sheep are fed, managed, and marketed. Economic Traditionally, sheep have been raised on farms and ranches for the purpose of generating an income for the farm and family.

While some farms make a majority of their income from raising sheep, sheep production is more often a secondary or tertiary enterprise on a farm. In fact, sheep-raising compliments many other agricultural enterprises. It is a popular enterprise for many part-time and lifestyle farmers. Sheep production is a good activity for youth and retirees. There can be numerous tax advantages to raising sheep or engaging in similar agricultural activities.

Some people raise sheep for the primary purpose of having their properly taxed at lower agricultural rates. The legal definition of a farm for real estate tax purposes varies by state and country. While all agricultural enterprises are expected to eventually generate a profit and pay taxes, many people raise sheep and other livestock as a "tax write-off. Most sheep-related purchases are exempt from sales tax. Due to their small size, upland grazing preferences, and preference for many weeds, sheep are ideal for vegetation control, especially where the primary vegetation is grass and forbs.

Their small hooves minimize soil compaction and erosion. They shy away from fragile riparian areas. In fact, opportunities for fee-based grazing by sheep and goats are expanding as society seeks more environmentally-friendly ways to control invasive weeds and other unwanted vegetation.

But even when they're not being used to clean up a landscape, sheep and other livestock help to keep land in open space and preserve rural landscapes Quality of life Many families enjoy the rural lifestyle and wish to expose their children to plant cultivation, animal husbandry, and other aspects of agricultural production. Sheep are an ideal small farm or ranch enterprise. Because of their small size and gentle nature, sheep are especially suitable for women, children, and people with some disabilities.

However, there are breeding options for farmers who decide not to raise a ram themselves. A general rule of thumb is that 1 acre of land can support two sheep, but this varies greatly based on rainfall and your soil quality. If rain is plentiful and your soil rich, your land may support more than two sheep per acre, while an acre in drought-ridden area may not support even one.

Again, this is where local research can be helpful. Measure the exact acreage available to graze and identify the plants on your pasture.

Not all of them may be palatable. Sheep may not and should not eat every plant that grows. The nutritional value and flavor of your pasture will vary by season, so expect to rotate pastures to keep plants in a vegetative state.

Sheep require protection from predators and inclement weather, and shelter keeps you more comfortable when tending to them. A ewe requires 12 to 16 square feet of housing space, though slightly less is acceptable if your sheep spend most of their time on pasture. Account for additional space in your barn or shelter to store tools, feed and bedding.

Sheep thrive in a wide range of shelters. New barns, pole barns and pre-fab metal structures are expensive but provide excellent protection. Outbuildings and barns already present on your land can also make good housing and might not require much adaptation for raising sheep.

Myriad building plans for sheep facilities are available online, and salvage construction materials can often be found for free or low cost. Each livestock breed has different traits that they are recognized for. Breed associations can provide information on those traits and help you narrow your decision regarding what breed or breeds fit best with your operation. Sheep breeds are often divided into meat-producing ram and wool-producing ewe breeds.

In addition, some sheep breeds are known as hair sheep because they shed their wool. The more common hair sheep breeds are commonly used for meat production. Sheep also have breeds used for milk production. Some goat breeds are noted for their meat production, while others are recognized for milk production or fiber production.

While many more breeds exist in the United States, some of the more common breeds are listed below. Suffolk is one of the most common meat breeds in the United States. Photo: Melanie Barkley.

The Dorper hair sheep breed may have black or white heads. Border Leicesters are known for their long, coarse wool. Photo: Heidi Barkley.

Boer is a very common meat goat breed. Animals can be purchased through several different means. Many sales are held across the country throughout the year and may offer only one breed, a variety of breeds, or even crossbreds for sale.

Another option would be to locate reputable breeders and purchase directly from their farm. A wide variety of animals may be available at a local auction barn; however, let the buyer beware. Animals sold through this venue are more likely to have health issues. Choose breeding males that will complement the outstanding traits in your females and improve their weaknesses. Always use the best ram or buck you can afford to improve the genetics in your flock or herd.

The male has a great influence on performance because his offspring could remain in the flock or herd for a number of years. Be conscious of selecting and keeping good productive females that will produce two lambs or kids per year without assistance and maintain their body condition without becoming overly thin or fat.

The goal for the number of lambs or kids born per female may vary depending on available feed resources. There are two methods to select livestock: animal performance and visual appraisal. Animals should first be selected on performance and then the higher performing animals should be evaluated visually. Performance selection principles evaluate measurable traits such as birth weight, weaning weight, postweaning weight, wool or fiber yield and quality, or milk yield and quality.

Producers who evaluate growth traits should adjust weaning weights to account for the sex of the lamb or kid, age of the dam, and birth and rearing type.

Birth type refers to birth as a single, twin, or triplet. Rearing type refers to how that lamb or kid was raised: single, twin, or triplet. Progressive sheep and goat producers with registered animals can enroll their flock or herd in the National Sheep Improvement Program to generate estimated breeding values EBVs for their animals. These EBVs use genetic linkages to assess genetic merit for growth, carcass, maternal, and wool traits.

EBVs allow producers to evaluate animal genetics without environmental influences. Commercial producers can utilize performance data when selecting a new ram or buck.

More information on estimated breeding values can be found at the National Sheep Improvement Program website. Visual animal appraisal evaluates aspects such as structural correctness, muscling, body capacity, and breed character.

Evaluating structural correctness allows producers to identify animals with defects that are not apparent through performance evaluation. Purebred producers who raise registered stock should become familiar with breed characteristics associated with the breed they raise, such as:. Breeding sheep should exhibit these ideal characteristics.

Meat goats should exhibit these ideal characteristics. Image: Melanie Barkley. After the appropriate animals are chosen for the operation, the equipment necessary to maintain those animals must be gathered. Sheep and goat operations need a variety of equipment. Basic equipment includes feeders, water tubs or watering systems, and health care equipment. Larger operations often use equipment for handling sheep or goats.

Feeders should be used to prevent animals from eating off the ground. Well-designed feeders will also prevent animals from wasting feed by spilling it onto the ground. When sheep or goats forage for their feed on the ground, they are more likely to develop health problems, particularly those associated with parasite infections.

Many different sizes and styles of feeders are available for sheep and goats. Some feeders can accommodate feeding both hay and grain, while others may be designed to feed just hay or just grain. Producers should be sure that all animals have access to the feeder if feeding at specified time frames. If animals have free-choice access to the feeders throughout the day, smaller feeders can be used. Both sheep and goats should have access to a good quality mineral mix formulated for their species.

Most producers provide free-choice access in mineral feeders, while others include minerals in a grain mix. Fenceline-style feeders allow producers access on one side to place feed and grain into the feeder while animals access their feed on the other side.

Walk-through feeders allow producers to walk down the middle of the feeder. Grain can be placed in a trough on either or both sides and hay is shared in the central walking area. Producers should be careful not to contaminate feeders with manure-covered footwear. Larger operations often feed hay in the form of large round or square bales. Many feeders that accommodate these large bales are square and have two opposing sides that slide as the animals consume the bale.

This allows the sheep and goats to reach the inner portions of the bale as they consume it. This style of mineral feeder is portable and can be moved as animals rotate through a pasture system. This feeder, designed for a small number of animals, can accommodate both hay and grain. The front and rear panels of this feeder slide toward the center as animals consume the hay.

The left and right side panels are stationary. Water is possibly the most important nutrient because it impacts feed consumption. Poor quality water or not enough water can decrease feed intake and result in decreased animal performance. Producers can supply water using anything from buckets to troughs to automatic watering systems. As with feeders, many different styles are available.

The key is that water should be fresh, clean, and available at all times. This style of automatic watering system has openings to flush the system either through the front or from the bottom of the reservoir. It requires a heating disc to prevent water from freezing during the winter. This pasture watering system uses a float valve connected to a garden hose to supply a constant supply of water to animals.

This spring development collects water in a wet area. The system uses a collection tank that fills a watering trough. This type of system can also include frost-free water hydrants that use gravity to provide water in other areas of the pasture. Most sheep and goats graze pastures throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Producers should pay close attention to pasture height in an attempt to prevent internal parasite infections.

Pastures should be subdivided to provide an adequate amount of forage for the grazing time, often four to five days.