# Renting Pasture for Sheep



## mckenna.broam (Dec 28, 2017)

What is a fair price for pasture rental? I'll be needing a spot for three sheep and haven't had a lot of luck so far but to be honest I don't know what's fair. I'd be supplying their feed, water trough and taking care of them. In my area people generally ask $150 a month to board a horse and that's with the owner supplying feed and caring for it, with it's own stall and access to pasture. That's all I have to base an estimate on but I've never boarded any of my animals or rented pasture before so I'm lost. 

Please let me know what you charge or what the prices are in your area so I can get a better idea. Thanks!


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## Bossroo (Dec 28, 2017)

First, it would be very helpfull if we knew what area of this country you are in. For any small animal if you paid $150 / month , you will go broke in a blink of an eye. put an add in feed stores and / or Craigs list to see if anyone wants their vancant weedy land cleared of grasses as a service to them. Keep the distance from your home in mind or you will  be burning up any profits in gas fumes and your time daily. Good luck !


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## greybeard (Dec 28, 2017)

I've leased 30 acres before to a neighbor that needed some extra cow grazing grass in exchange for him keeping up the fences..and I mean keeping them up to MY standards not his.


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## Baymule (Dec 28, 2017)

Welcome to the forum! I have sheep, but we own our place. I don't know what it would cost to board 3 sheep. Are you not able to keep them at home? They don't take a lot of room. Do you live in a subdivision with HOA rules? If you are not restricted and have a decent size back yard, you could keep them at home, but you would have to feed them and offer unlimited hay.


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## Goat Whisperer (Dec 28, 2017)

Could you raise up an extra lamb and offer the meat in trade for using the pasture?

We've done that with meat goats. Thought about doing a few lambs on our neighbors property (don't want them near my goats) but I just don't have the time.


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## mckenna.broam (Dec 28, 2017)

Goat Whisperer said:


> Could you raise up an extra lamb and offer the meat in trade for using the pasture?
> 
> We've done that with meat goats. Thought about doing a few lambs on our neighbors property (don't want them near my goats) but I just don't have the time.



I'm not raising them for meat, they'll be teaching sheep for an educational program I'm starting. Not a bad idea if I was better about not getting so attached to everything I see haha.


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## mckenna.broam (Dec 28, 2017)

Baymule said:


> Welcome to the forum! I have sheep, but we own our place. I don't know what it would cost to board 3 sheep. Are you not able to keep them at home? They don't take a lot of room. Do you live in a subdivision with HOA rules? If you are not restricted and have a decent size back yard, you could keep them at home, but you would have to feed them and offer unlimited hay.



Thanks! No HOA rules, just a backyard that's far too small for them long term. Although I've thought about rotational grazing through my neighbor's yards that don't use pesticides. But even then I don't think they'd be too happy in my yard. I'm planning on getting bottle babies and then once I have them weaned and they're a good enough size is when they'd be moved onto to pasture. It's just that for what I'll be doing with them I need access to them every day and housing them an hour or more away with people I know won't work.


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## mckenna.broam (Dec 28, 2017)

Bossroo said:


> First, it would be very helpfull if we knew what area of this country you are in. For any small animal if you paid $150 / month , you will go broke in a blink of an eye. put an add in feed stores and / or Craigs list to see if anyone wants their vancant weedy land cleared of grasses as a service to them. Keep the distance from your home in mind or you will  be burning up any profits in gas fumes and your time daily. Good luck !



Sorry forgot to include that! I'm in southwestern Idaho. Exactly, that's why I didn't think that was such a good price to pull an estimate from. Good idea about the vacant lots though, sort of like the rent-a-goat groups. The one place I did find was half an hour away and I can't make that work.


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## Southern by choice (Dec 29, 2017)

mckenna.broam said:


> I'm not raising them for meat, they'll be teaching sheep for an educational program I'm starting. Not a bad idea if I was better about not getting so attached to everything I see haha.





mckenna.broam said:


> Sorry forgot to include that! I'm in southwestern Idaho. Exactly, that's why I didn't think that was such a good price to pull an estimate from. Good idea about the vacant lots though, sort of like the rent-a-goat groups. The one place I did find was half an hour away and I can't make that work.



Idaho is having very serious predator issues with wolves and coyotes this is something you will need to consider as well.
Not sure what your educational program entails, you do mention needing access everyday. Will you be bringing people out or will you be taking the sheep offsite?


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## mckenna.broam (Dec 29, 2017)

Yeah we do have a lot of issues, coyotes more so than wolves. Where I'm looking at keeping them there hasn't had much of an issue so far. The sheep will be taken off site to elementary schools. A couple of the schools have Focus Friday's where kids learn about a specific topic and get to interact with aspects of the topic. They've had therapy dogs and ponies come in and after talking with the principals about what I do working with ranchers they are very interested in having sheep come in.


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## Baymule (Dec 30, 2017)

Many show sheep are raised in very small pens. What is the size of your back yard, could you make it work? Keeping them off site would have me worried about predators.


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## mckenna.broam (Dec 31, 2017)

Baymule said:


> Many show sheep are raised in very small pens. What is the size of your back yard, could you make it work? Keeping them off site would have me worried about predators.



The entire lot is just over 6,000 square feet, less than a quarter acre. Right now I have three dogs, two rabbits and four hens who use the backyard but I don't have any grass back there. I'm going to redo everything this spring and put in gravel and new fencing and then rearrange some things so there is potentially room to build a shelter for them but as far as grazing goes they would have my front yard, then there would be my neighbors yards. I know that at least four of them are fine with sheep and support me in getting them, between all of their houses (one guy owns four houses and grew up on a sheep ranch and is a huge supporter of all of my work with animals) I'd have more than an acre. They would also have my grandma's yard and if I can figure out if the park uses chemicals or not they would have quite a few acres there. They would be able to graze from early March to early October 

 So in theory they would have plenty of room to graze without the threat of predators but my issue is that I have one neighbor for sure who would probably report me because he wouldn't like the noise they make, though in my experience sheep aren't especially loud. I can get in trouble with a noise complaint and have them taken away from me even though they are legal in the city and I know I'm zoned for them, I called the extension office and asked but I just looked at the ordinances and it says they need at least a half acre but for educational purposes such as 4H and FFA you can have them.


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## Bossroo (Dec 31, 2017)

No matter what people say that their dog will not kill sheep. Yea, right !!! In the city , you have an increased risk of fluffy and fido molesting and/ or killing your sheep.  Over the years, I have shot 9 dogs ( 3 , 2, and 4 for each occation and in court cases , I and a neighbor  received tripple damages for a total of 148 dead and maimed sheep   ) that were in the act of mollesting and killing  sheep.


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## mckenna.broam (Jan 1, 2018)

Bossroo said:


> No matter what people say that their dog will not kill sheep. Yea, right !!! In the city , you have an increased risk of fluffy and fido molesting and/ or killing your sheep.  Over the years, I have shot 9 dogs ( 3 , 2, and 4 for each occation and in court cases , I and a neighbor  received tripple damages for a total of 148 dead and maimed sheep   ) that were in the act of mollesting and killing  sheep.



I have kept that in mind but frankly, I'm not worried. If I were to keep them here in town there would only be two houses with dogs (not including my own but all of my dogs have been exposed to sheep) and two of the three dogs in question have been exposed to sheep and are fine with them. The third is very old and very gentle and wouldn't be able to go after them anyway. In transition from house to house I might worry about somebody walking a dog but that would be about it. That's not to say that something might happen and that I shouldn't keep my guard up but as of right now, if there were to live here I would feel comfortable with their safety. I also have an LGD and a Border Collie who could stay with them if need be. My real concern is being reported because somebody is upset with the noise or maybe the smell (though if they were rotated and I kept things clean I don't think it would be bad) and somebody trying to steal them or poison them. That's happened to other animals in my area before and is something I'm very nervous about. My goal isn't to stir up trouble or let harm come to anyone which is why I think it would be better if they didn't stay in town.


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## Reindeermama (Jan 3, 2018)

Have you thought about babydoll sheep? Harlequin sheep? Maybe mini chevriot? This might be a way to have sheep in your yard. Even without grass, babydoll, or Harlequin would not be expensive to provide hay for. I think kids would love mini sheep. They can be used as grass mowers, therapy animals, and for their wool.


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## Southern by choice (Jan 3, 2018)

I like your original plan of having a pasture to rent close by.
Especially since they are used for educational purposes.
Disturbing how many people "educate" and have no clue. 
Representing sheep locked in backyards, being moved from yard to yard is not properly educating anyone and IMO would disqualify anyone from teaching.
Sheep are livestock, used for wool and meat, sometimes milk, and even forage control. Plain and simple.


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## Bossroo (Jan 4, 2018)

Southern by choice said:


> I like your original plan of having a pasture to rent close by.
> Especially since they are used for educational purposes.
> Disturbing how many people "educate" and have no clue.
> Representing sheep locked in backyards, being moved from yard to yard is not properly educating anyone and IMO would disqualify anyone from teaching.
> Sheep are livestock, used for wool and meat, sometimes milk, and even forage control. dPlain and simple.


Agree   10x ...  mckenna what is your background in livestock production as well as in education fields ?


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