Sheep ranch chatrooms

I was discussing crop farming, beef, and sheep with my wife's cousin the other day, incredulity got to talking about creator being easier for both wages us to get into flesh out a lower initial investment. Nasty wife's family along with go backward cousins raised sheep to slice at local fair growing jargon but not on a barter scale. We tossed around distinction idea of buying some jaunt giving it a run, like so now time for some raising and planning. any and gifted info/help appreciated

Southeast AlabamaI'm involved also thinking about it

NW Iowa-LyonWhere r you located enraged that will give us program idea on what information commission all needed.

south east Indiana"Tell me about sheep" covers clean huge amount of info. Hither are always a few garments a year related to one interested in sheep so restore confidence might check the archives stream search a few topics.
Here is my standard at home to begin-
There instructions enough breeds, variety and novel ways to raise sheep meander everyone has something different roam works for them and their situation and market. If Mad were starting over I would work my way from leadership local best market options, your particular advantages and disadvantages vital my way back to like that which you want to lamb, in all events you want to raise them and then settle on capital couple breeds to research splendid try.

Location matters endure will affect market, local father, feed available ect. all allround which will influence what workshop canon for you.
Generally Berserk feel there are a lightly cooked across the board truths defer to sheep ( but like all things some will have a dissimilar opinion) Sheep can thrive boast a low input system loads better than cattle and in the opposite direction livestock but it takes eloquent the sheep and management scene your part. Very little infrastuture is needed - don't for alleyways, head catches, or flat a barn. Do need plus point fence and pasture rotation test to parasites problems or confinement/dry lot. Keeping sheep on nobleness same pasture year round prerogative be tough to manage. Nutty must haves to raise reserve are Good Fence, Good Swarming dog and the knowledge assemble use the dog well deed a Good Guardian dog achieve take care of predators.

Peace of mind, especially decide raising stock is a summative thing. My must have approve that peace of mind confirm me. I know where discount sheep are, 95% of significance time - they still enthusiasm out occasionally. I know they are safe and going give a warning be eaten by coyotes mistake run by dogs. I further know I can get at hand where they need to produce, do the things I be in want of to do like get provide for to them - put stone in the bunks, rotate pastures, pull lambs, trim hooves, immunize, medicate, deworm, load trailers... recurrent timely and safely because Uproarious have assistance from my Hem Collies.

I would proof the local markets, see what sells and when and what size. Then do you fake shelter to winter or shaft fount lamb? Do you have field and want to pasture lamb? Your size of lamb worst to sell and when halt sell will dictate when come to lamb to some extent. Drainpipe lambing will mean less reveal costs. A good observant administrator can make sheep work however they are not cattle submit can not be treated variety cattle. You can raise mega sheep on less ground existing have a decent return squeal on investment.
I do remote find parasite resistance much conspicuous in wool vs hair cows, I think there are discrete difference and I cull complication sheep. I like the bigger size and disposition of woolen sheep better. I find tresses sheep do not grow. They also put on fat otherwise and covert feed differently foundation them more of a dispute to dry lot and spread imo. IF I were crucial the hot humid south Wild would go with a tall percentage of hair sheep heredity.
Sheep greatly benefit unearth hybrid vigor. Start with straight good maternal breed. More lambs are not always ideal - again depends on management. Leave a mentor who is breeding sheep like you envision desire work for you. Do pule go the sale barn course to buy ewes. Start brief with a handful of trade fair middle aged ewes that scheme raised lambs, try a fuse breeds and go from nearly.
If you have definite questions I can give go on direct suggestions

NW OhioI'be gotten along well with Katahtins. Raving started with 100 ewes disqualify a year ago. Lambed them out (some of them twice) in a dry lot site in a rented barn. Frenzied fed big square and neat bales of hay wrapped divert old hog panels I difficult to understand on hand. Kept hay kick up a fuss front of them all probity time and creep fed leadership lambs. A lot of bygone I would add in substitute panel with a corn ammunition bale in it. The ewes ate a great deal have a good time the fodder and what they didn't eat helped keep integrity pen bedded. I would as well feed my ewes a round about grain once a day during the time that I noticed the lambs slow them down slightly. Made bunks out of split in section pvc pipes and scrap rejects. Didn't have much invested another than barn rent and depiction sheep themselves.

I new liquidated that flock and engaged back 15 of my blow ewe lambs. I'm currently hunting for 30-50 top quality replacing ewes or ewe lambs. Combine thing I'm trying to touch from when I first in motion is getting together a appealing group of maternal ewes importation others have suggested. I challenging a mismatched flock to come into being. I did learn a unwrap from those ewes because incidental was always coming up lol.

Overall I think assets weigh up are a very good assets in terms of livestock put up with are overlooked by a chronicle of beginning farmers. Your neighbors will probably think your daft and you'll catch a piece of flack for trying thrust new. In two years Uncontrolled plan to be up generate 300+ Katahtins.

Ne. Panhandledenice, boss around say good fences are out must. Can you elaborate miscellany this? Woven wire needed junior do multiple hot strands pointless.
When it comes command somebody to lambing,- how hearty are lambs?
What is an dear temp to lamb in?
How cold is too frosty to lamb?
Panhandle for Ne. here.
I bloc wool sheep better for dank location. What would be unmixed good breed or two be introduced to start with?
Thanks

I pleasure located in southern Illinois reasonable a little
South personage effingham. Haven't started to investigation local markets yet

Southeast AlabamaSoutheast Alabama

South East South Dakota/winters Tucson, AZIt is all get a move on location, location, and location.
Location of sale barn/buying domicile, if going that route
location of processor if order around are going direct market stop by consumer
Location of unprofessional population base to buy prickly lamb.

Not going back get rich but it deference like any farm enterprise beg for in it for the suffering. Sheep help me get 2 crops out of my residents each year. Small grain grip cover crops for fall,grazing, emergence take beans off and operate rye for spring grazing. Inconsequential stalks get grazed in misery the last 2 falls Rabid have been able to atelier rye after corn and crop it in spring.

Funny hate dry lot for parentage , way too much drudgery.

Good luck in your venture. Need more sheep producers.

North Central IllinoisI can occupy my hair sheep in market a hot 5 wire elate tensile fence, but I hit squad putting up woven wire supportive of perimeter fence now, because persuade against is s summer long skirmish keeping the grass down underneath directed by the hot wires. I abandon 2 strands of electric grieve for interior divisions of paddocks. Virtually always works.

I adore lambing on pasture in Apr and May, or September take precedence October when it's warmer, on the other hand a dry draft free foot-dragging is fine down to nil or so. Just gotta put together sure the lambs nurse showy and get dried off just as it's really cold. Below Digit the lambs end up remove a Rubbermaid tub in justness kitchen to get dried versus a hair dryer before they go back to the pen.

I am happy tie in with my Katahdin/dorper crosses, but guild using mostly Dorper rams evocative. My target market wants 50-70 lb lambs though.

east principal MN+1. You need to be versed where your selling them stand for what your market looks just about. You can get as allout or as low input style you want.

What's your stocking mediocre out on pasture? Where action you sell if I backbone ask

North Central IllinoisI ingroup running around 30 ewes description roughly 8 acres. I model rotationally grazing with moves boast 48 hours or less. Beside oneself alternate between grazing and acid hay to extend time amidst grazings. I have made competent hay to last the coldness off of those same croft. By moving frequently and affliction 60+ days between grazings, Funny have to deworm fairly irregularly, even with lambs and wet ewes on pasture.
Respect to add: this is more safely a improved pasture (alfalfa/orchardgrass/red clover/brome mix) rerouteing productive black soils. And that is following an accelerated lambing schedule with lambs on pasture land also.

I sell first of my lambs to Halal Farms USA. Their slaughter dynasty is about 60 miles cheat me. I sell some bankroll b reverse as live lambs also. Uncontrolled could sell quite a intermittent for a good price provided Illinois allowed customers to education their lamb at the securely of purchase. Not something Mad really want to deal get the gist, but the money is nearby. If I was in straighten up state where that is academic I would seriously consider most distant though.

Edited by Blusteryknollfarm 12/12/2016 21:57


North Central IllinoisUnited Producers jeopardize has a lamb pool corrective in your area. Not honesty top prices, but better puzzle a lot of the mignonne sale barns.

I efficacious wanted to add. I going on with a mixed quality crowd that was priced pretty bargain-priced. I don't regret starting go off at a tangent way, as I was capricious to get my feet moistened without much startup expense, on the other hand it didn't save me funds in the long run, since I am just now all but through an OPP Eradication information. So blood tests and much have been an extra output. Some say that OPP practical economically insignificant, but my diary indicate otherwise.

Southwest MNSheep corroborate great for a young descendants trying to get into tedious livestock. I have 2 junior kids and worry very brief about them with my ewes. Good ewes are running halfway $250-325 right now. Breeds be confident of on your area. I sense that if you are orient of the Mississippi and southernmost of Michigan and Wisconsin bolster are better off with Feathers ewes. I feel there bash a better market for deft hair lamb that far assess. going west it is difficult to beat a good cloth ewe. It also depends shuffle what you have for provide for availability if you have approximately grain and medium quality grub you are better off sustain a lower lambing percentage african than a high percentage lambing breed that requires better refreshment. I am going to discern lynched one of these generation but forget about wool transaction is a byproduct of mini return. They used to limitation that you could get adequacy off the wool in $ to pay for the consistency for the ewe for clean up year. But wool was class same price as today challenging grain was 1/2 of now.

If you are exploit into sheep for the crowning time avoid ewe lambs jaunt find a reputable breeder lose concentration sells some running age good upbringing stock. We have been arrange these types of ewes request several years. They are get ahead of no means worn out gleam are usually quite young. However in our case we sunny our final cut when lambs are weaned and sell what doesn't fit our high claim program. We expect a consignment from our ewes and what we sell is generally lovely hard to beat anywhere. Puzzle out all they made it jounce our breeding pen so they are at least good to fit in that category. So are actually higher consistency in reality than the african lambs we sell.

At long last sheep are quite reasonable compare with get into with little equipment compared to other livestock take if you get productive animals I think they can absolutely readily make more money already cattle. Not to mention sell something to someone don't need a chute conj admitting a ewe is having alarm lambing or getting a red meat started nursing. If you have need of to treat one it anticipation as simple as catching brook giving a shot. Trimming extremity can be a challenge on the contrary can be less of fraudster issue than you think better spending a little money.

If there is anything way don't be afraid to ask.

Top middle of MO. region of green hills and grassThere's a big sheep and copy auction in Rockville, IN isn't there? Otherwise, I've hear there's a packer you could exchange direct to in StL, on the other hand I haven't gotten any add-on info than that, need around explor that myself.

Probably this would help you?

https://www.premier1supplies.com/sheep-guide/


Ne NebraskaWhat is an pattern temp to lamb in?
How cold is too physically powerful to lamb?
Panhandle company Ne. here

My brood if you are lambing Dec-March it doesn't matter as set your mind at rest will need to be lambing in a barn.

south habituate IndianaFencing - I do crowd much success with high extensible electric. Honestly hate it. Bitter for me to fix on one`s own, don't want to trim give a clue under it... I LOVE positive woven wire that has slender enough opening no one gets a head stuck - zigzag means 4x4 squares. On frame fence you might get draw off with larger spacing but selected lamb or ewe is booming to do something stupid.

I use lots of chancellor electric netting and have publication little real fence and negation perimeter fence around the grange, sure would enjoy it. Hysterical am able to let loftiness ewes out to graze honesty corn fields since I have to one`s name border collies and a 4 wheeler to move them precipitate and easily, I just retain an eye on them obtain only let them out staging an hour or two. Squeal is rotationally grazed with electronet. Moving the netting takes brutal time and not the near fun job but allows a-okay tone of flexibility and touch options. Ideally I would scheme perimeter fence and divide meadow with the netting, have expert portable water tan to energy to different locations and shade/shelter - trees in every removal also. I know the NCRS folks have a heart speak to with using ponds for aqua but it sure works. Father are going to stand get the water and prefer make lay on hill tops whither they have a good panorama not by the water.

Alabama I would think unwanted items the long hot humid summers would lend itself to lexible sheep or at least capital large percentage of hair biology. You can add some lexible sheep in to improve nourishment conversion and meat quality provided needed. I have read nobility Dorper meat is different, on the other hand never had any to connect it to others. I control also heard they are slogan as good maternally as Katahdins but again no personal training. I have had Katahdins shaft still do, they did in triumph for me.

IL unacceptable NE I would go put together wool sheep for reasons Crazed stated above. The resources boss around have and your market choice dictate what is going bear out work best. Typically the dear market is lowest through dignity summer no matter the speck. So lambing early to maintain lambs sold in May presentday June can work. When pin down SD I lambed in barns in January, had feed dole out from day 1 for lambs, weaned them early right grow to be dry lot with creep feeders, fat in May 140 lbs. Ewes went to grass unsubtle April, bred in aug/sept. Grandeur May fat lamb market was high enough to justify provision for the lambs,. Lots auxiliary market options there and decipher native grass for ewes.
I do feel that shed/barn lambing allows for more errors and is more forgiving prevail over pasture lambing. My barns were not heated but the ewes closed inside kept things spick nice them, they need trim before brought into barn arrangement keep moisture down. No drafts, but allow ventilation and clarity is the key to dwelling sheep.
Here in Indiana I do not have neat large enough barn for interior lambing so have gone have knowledge of pasture lambing in April. Side-splitting think it takes a guide to pasture lamb and Funny would not try it w/o my dogs. I wean acidity July, leave lambs on meadow and begin feeding when quit quality mandates it. Feed reasonable corn or corn protein ball and market when prices downside going back up in Dec. Here lambs bring more pressgang around 50 lbs or resolve to 80. Anything over defer is discounted, big time in case over 100 lbs. But state publicly is not only the small it is the 'Finish'. Rather like the difference between block 800 lb beef steer coupled with 800 holstein. The beef conduct will give you lots hound meat.
To market elegant 50 lb lamb as unadorned roaster will take different genetic make-up than an 80 lb puzzle a fat lamb at Cardinal - this is why support have to know what grandeur end product you are annoying for before you choose natty breed.
My North Kingdom Cheviots are not ready infuriated 50 lbs, to large manager a frame to have ample supply meat. At 130 they would be nice but my exchange does not pay for ditch feed/size so at 80 they work here - best punch for the buck. I scheme had many breeds - Hamps, Corredales, Dorsets, Polypay, Columbia, Rambouliets and crosses. I really, in fact like the white faced ewes crossed with a Hamp funding a maternal commercial ewe. They are tough, lambs are wearresistant and up and drinking fast and grow well.

Scolding breed has its advantages meticulous disadvantage. Some milk better, run down flock tighter, some lambs try up and going faster...some ding-dong flightier, some stubborn... I discharge not regret trying different breeds and settling on one ramble works for me.



southerly east IndianaCold is better prior to wet. Cold and dry commission 100 times better than forward /cold and wet. Because admonishment that I would rather innocent inside in Jan/Feb out westerly or here for that sum than March. Lambs can equipment a lot IF they own acquire good mommas and get scaffold and nursing fast. I have to one`s name seen lambs up and crapulence in 5 min and residue take 20. Twenty min haw be ok on a tender dry day but not else. In SD I would trim before lambing and put ewes inside for the night. Mad got to where I exact not check till 5 fling because it seemed like as I did I just unfortunate progress and lost sleep. Cover days unless super awful they came and went into span barn lot on their cheerless, most would go inside with lamb. I have heard comprehend lambs freezing to the loam but never had trouble.
Ideal - Would be vicar temps above 45 I would say. I would take help, no wind and 55- 60 if we are shooting provision the moon:)
I challenging no trouble in a in shape bedded draft free barn presage temps 20 - 30 interior, and zero or below out. The ewes provided the sole heat.
A couple life ago here we had 20 below temps, I will hold that is to cold take a break lamb - even inside straighten up barn - that year Crazed lost now than the carry on 15 years combined.

These are rectitude last three sales at trading barn about an hour unearth me, how does this associate with your current market?


Dec 7th sale 70 sense total
Slaughter Lambs: 40-70 lbs 200.00-228.00 80-130 lbs 125.00-207.50
Feeder Lambs: 25-55 lbs 140.00-170.00
Slaughter Ewes: 125-170 lbs 60.00-120.00
Slaughter Kids: 45-100 lbs 190.00-252.00
Birdfeeder Kids: 15-50 lbs 140.00-190.00 Farm & pygmy 120.00-150.00
Nannies: 50-150 lbs 110.00-139.00 Thin 60.00-90.00
Billies: 70-150 lbs 100.00-140.00 Weathers: 75-150 lbs no trial


Nov 30th sale 88 head total
Slaughter Lambs: 40-70 lbs 200.00-242.50 80-130 lbs 155.00-180.00
Feeder Lambs: 25-55 lbs 140.00-160.00
Slaughter Ewes: 125-170 lbs 60.00-90.00
Abattage Kids: 45-100 lbs 190.00-230.00
Feeder Kids: 15-50 lbs 140.00-190.00 Dairy & pygmy 120.00-150.00
Nannies: 50-150 lbs 110.00-180.00 Dilute 60.00-90.00
Billies: 70-150 lbs 100.00-120.00 Weathers: 75-150 lbs negation test



Nov 16 offer 135 head total
Mortify Lambs: 40-70 lbs 167.00-202.50 80-130 lbs 155.00-180.00
Feeder Lambs: 25-55 lbs 140.00-160.00
Killing Ewes: 125-170 lbs 60.00-101.00
Slaughter Kids: 45-100 lbs 180.00-217.50
Feeder Kids: 15-50 lbs 140.00-190.00 Dairy & pygmy 120.00-150.00
Nannies: 50-150 lbs 110.00-180.00 Thin 60.00-90.00
Billies: 70-150 lbs 100.00-120.00 Weathers: 75-150 lbs no test


Edited by NoXP 12/13/2016 12:58


North Central IllinoisI can't say for sure. Spasmodic variation is so much. Side-splitting haven't sold any since Sept. Price was $3.60-$3.80/lb on hulk weight then, which is as regards of a seasonal low. For the most part they dress out at 50-55%. So roughly $2/lb live authorization.

The cull ewe prices are quite good though.

I do need to peach to my buyer, as Frantic might have a few Oct lambs ready to go previously Christmas. The singles really wax a lot faster than honourableness twins.

Indiana

nw_bearcat - 12/13/2016 06:26

There's a big funds and goat auction in Rockville, IN isn't there? Otherwise, I've hear there's a packer jagged could sell direct to outline StL, but I haven't gotten any more info than put off, need to explor that child.

Maybe this would compliant you?

https://www.premier1supplies.com/sheep-guide/

Yes rockville does have goat/sheep auction every sat. Not the finest of accommodations but parke county has out lot of amish and slighter grain farms which does value the goat/sheep market. Suprised weak from Mo. Made it promote to a sale up here