# questions about sheep



## ukfan523 (Feb 10, 2013)

Im wanting to get started in sheep but i have several questions about them.First off is i have a small area of about .4 acres with good grass i was told you could put 6 ewes to a acre i was thinking if i got 2 ewes and feed hay about all year long and a little feed could it hold 2 ewes without the grass getting really short.Also are sheep like horse and eat grass really short to the ground.i wont hair sheep i live in ky what is the best breed.Are sheep like goats that they are hard to keep in.Is there any advice you could give me. i have experance in raiseing cattle i just wont to try out sheep and if i like it i could get a bigger place i belive. i know this is a lot of questions but i would really really be great full if someone could help me. thank you.


----------



## SheepGirl (Feb 10, 2013)

ukfan523 said:
			
		

> Im wanting to get started in sheep but i have several questions about them.First off is i have a small area of about .4 acres with good grass i was told you could put 6 ewes to a acre i was thinking if i got 2 ewes and feed hay about all year long and a little feed could it hold 2 ewes without the grass getting really short.Also are sheep like horse and eat grass really short to the ground.i wont hair sheep i live in ky what is the best breed.Are sheep like goats that they are hard to keep in.Is there any advice you could give me. i have experance in raiseing cattle i just wont to try out sheep and if i like it i could get a bigger place i belive. i know this is a lot of questions but i would really really be great full if someone could help me. thank you.


The rule for the Mid-Atlantic region is 1,000 lbs of livestock per acre. Not sure what KY is. But if you were in my region, you could put 400 lbs of livestock there. That would be about 2-3 sheep, depending on how big they are. In all honesty, they will graze it first (paying little attention to their hay) and then be into their hay when they've turned it all to dirt or mud. Sheep will graze right next to the ground. People say don't let them graze when the grass is under 2" because worms become an issue but I haven't had that experience.

As far as breed--use my sheep breed selector (link in my signature).

Sheep are hard to keep in if your fence is poorly constructed. My sheep were in a quickly-built pen for about 2-2.5 months and they were constantly escaping. We took a weekend to build a (proper) fence for a 2 acre pasture and they haven't escaped yet.

What are you looking to get sheep for? Meat? Wool? Pets? Milk?


----------



## EllieMay (Feb 10, 2013)

First off my concern would be the small size acreage you have. Yes, you can put about 2 sheep on your half acre parcel; however, without having another pasture to rotate them in to, they will eat everything down to nothing and you will end up with mud and feeding hay or grain year round (very expensive).  Also, as mentioned, keeping livestock in one pasture area can greatly increase their exposure to parasites.

Sheep are not as difficult as goats as far as keeping them contained. However, you do need good fencing; barbed wire cattle fencing wont work. And, unlike cattle, sheep can be attacked by more predators who would love to enjoy some fresh lamb chops! So proper fencing is important.

If you're looking for a friendly pet hair sheep, I would suggest the Katahdin breed. They come in many colors as well as basic white and they're adaptable to warm and cold temps. They also do not have horns to deal with and you do not have to dock their tails. 

You will definitely love keeping sheep; just make sure you are fully equipped to keep them. You're off to a great start with the research youre doing. And don't worry about asking questions; this is how we all learn.


----------



## woodsie (Feb 10, 2013)

I got 4 lambs last spring and had about 1 acre pasture for them. It was good quality pasture and it took them all spring and summer to eat the grass all down....I also irrigated. I would think that if would be much better if you cross fenced it and had at least 2 pens, preferably 3, so you could rotate them around. I found they over grazed some areas and left other areas long until other grass stopped growing. I didn't have a parasite problem but I was also using St. Croix and St. Croix/dorper crosses....they are supposed to have good parasite resistance. 

This year however we will be rotating pasture. I would also recommend the Katadhin hair breed....much better size than the St Croix....maybe a cross? We'll see how that turns out, I kept the St Croix/Dorper ewes and have a Katadhin ram - lambs due in April!

The worst my sheep have done to our fence is rub against it...someone suggested to me to put a fence post in the middle of the field and cover it with those cheepy pin brushes...it does a better job of scratching their itches and they stay off the fence....its on my to do list!

Good luck...I love our sheep but love how they taste even better!


----------



## secuono (Feb 10, 2013)

It would be best if you split that little bit of land in half and rotate, so the grass can recover and grow back. Otherwise, the sheep will eat it all down and it will never grow back up much and you'll ALWAYS be feeding tons of hay/grains/pellets. But if you split it, during the growing season, you could cut back on the supplemental feed.


----------



## goodolboy (Feb 11, 2013)

X2 

Even with two lots you may need a place to put them in to feed hay in late summer when the grass dies off in August. Last year we fed hay for 3 weeks while we waited for the grass to come back. you'll need this pen in the winter to feed hay also to keep them off the grass so it will come back faster in the spring.

And yes, of coarse the Katahdins, real easy to care for and great mothers. Check out our web site and read about them.


----------

