# New mini farm, and want to raise a few sheep



## Sable (Feb 28, 2012)

Hi, I'm new here, this forum was suggested to me as  we just purchased a small farm, (about 4.5 acres pasture and a 40x60 barn)  I was thinking was thinking it might be a good idea to raise a few sheep, thinking Katahdin as we are in AL.  I have been doing a bit of research, but I have so many questions.  
We really want to raise just a couple for our own consumption.  I really didn't want a ram, but I understand that's unusual to be able to bring ewes to another farm to be bred.  So it was suggested that I purchase a ram lamb and use it for breeding until it's 2-3 years old (hopefully before it becomes aggressive)
My main concern is inbreeding.  Can you use the same ram to breed to his offspring?  We would use the ram lambs for meat. I suppose we could just sell ewe lambs or use them for meat if they were unsellable.  ( I just hate the thought of eating the girls but I understand that this isn't unusual)

I was raised on a cattle farm and with horses, so I'm familiar with "farm work" and loved it, even as a child, but I have never had anything to do with sheep, except for the odd visit to a sheep farm while in 4 H.

Anyway, and thoughts or advise would be helpful.  I don't want to raise a herd, I just want to raise a few for our own consumption.  

Also, how much does it cost to have them processed?  I would want to use as much as I could and possibly use anything that is not fit for human consumption to make my own dog food. ... but I digress....


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## ThreeBoysChicks (Feb 28, 2012)

from Thurmont, MD

I don't have a lot to help you.  we have two Katahdin sheep a wether and a ewe, but they are pets and to help keep the pasture trimmed up nice and smooth.


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## BrownSheep (Feb 28, 2012)

You can use a ram back on the offspring, but I wouldn't suggest breeding those back.  In some areas there are rent-a-rams. Where you borrow a ram for a month or so. If you do get a ram they can turn aggressive when ever they mature. We have one ram who started to headbutt at 8 months, but he was a bottle baby and had no fear of humans. We had another who is a year old and never even looks at us wrong, stays his distance, and does what he's told. To cut and wrap in our area it costs about 50 bucks but I can't remember if that includes the kill fee.


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## Sable (Feb 29, 2012)

Thank you!


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## SheepGirl (Feb 29, 2012)

Welcome to the world of sheep! 

My first question is: do you have adequate fencing? Sheep aren't known for escaping out of fenced areas like goats are, but it helps to keep predators out. Usually 4' field fencing (woven wire) is adequate. Our fencing also has a strand of barbed wire at the top.

Next, you will need at least two ewes. Having a ram for JUST two ewes doesn't make economic sense, and will likely drive the cost of production for your lamb up. So you can definitely have more...eat which ones you want and then sell the rest. Ewes will normally have twins and triplets, and you can feed these lambs out to ~110 lbs which will yield about 50-55 lbs of edible cuts depending on carcass quality.

You will need to send some of the ewe lambs to a terminal market though. Like rams, just because a ewe has reproductive organs doesn't mean it SHOULD reproduce. You always want to get rid of the inferior stock to improve flock health, to improve the breed, and to increase profits/lower your cost of production (making the lamb you eat cheaper and more cost-effective). Usually breeders cull out the bottom 1/3-1/2 of the ewe lambs and they only leave about 10-15% of the ram lamb crop as rams.

However, you said you don't want a ram and you don't really want to raise a herd...so that makes me think that you don't really want to breed them. What you can do though is raise feeder lambs. I would say you can buy 5-10 of them, butcher the ones you want to eat and then sell the rest...either direct market them to consumers or send them to market (or sell them to your butcher).

Costs for processing will vary depending on the butcher. See if you can locate a butcher (custom-exempt butchers butcher for YOU only and you cannot sell the meat; USDA inspected butchering allows you to sell the meat) and contact them for slaughter, cutting, and wrapping fees.


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## Sable (Mar 1, 2012)

Thank you for all that info SheepGirl!  That was great info.  I really don't want to raise a large herd, I just thought that I would breed two ewes, have babies, either sell them or eat them or some combination of both, and then breed again for more babies the next year.  Possibly keeping a ewe lamb after a year or two to renew the stock.  I don't want to over graze my pasture by raising too many and then force myself to feed hay all year long.  

When you suggest raising Feeder Lambs do  you mean purchase young weanlings and then raise them to 100 lbs. or so and then send them for processing and then purchase more young ones?  If so, that is a possibility, however I think I would very much like to keep a couple.  
What if I purchase a couple of ewes lambs, then the next or at least several months later, purchase a ram lamb, keep it long enough to breed the ewes and then have it butchered?  And then when I'm ready, purchase another ram lamb and do the same thing.  That way, I don't really have to keep a ram for long.

Let me know if I'm waaaay off base!
THx


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## SheepGirl (Mar 1, 2012)

No problem 

What you can do is buy two or three ewes, breed them, and just market the babies every year (or eat them). Then, if you need to replace a ewe, you can always just buy another one so you can just keep the same ram year after year, replacing him when he gets older/unthrifty/sterile. That would be much cheaper than keeping back your own ewe lambs as replacements and then having to purchase a new ram. Most sheep producers replace 10-20% of the ewe flock every year, so replacing a ewe every 2-3 years for a flock of 2-3 would be okay.

Where do you live? Depending on where you live, you can have up to 20 head on your 4.5 acres (even though I know you don't want a big flock). We live in an area where we can have 1 animal unit per acre (1 AU = 1,000 lbs of livestock), so we can theoretically have 5-7 head/acre (depending on weight). Our sheep though on are a "continuous grazing" system, which means they are on one pasture all year long and they aren't "rotated" through it. The part closest to the barn, though is grazed down really low, but the back part of the pasture still has some nice length to it. Our pasture is really understocked though; 9 sheep on 21 acres. It is winter, though, but by the time spring comes around, it will be nice and tall again. We only feed hay when there's snow on the ground...but even then, the ewes are out grazing rather than in the barn getting free food.

Yes, raising feeder lambs is when you buy weaned lambs, usually 50-70 lbs in weight and feed them out to butchering weight. Then after that set is done you can get more and start all over again. If you want to have permanent sheep residents, you can certainly do that if you want.

You can purchase a ram lamb and breed him and then butcher him, BUT ram lambs (for breeding) are expensive, usually $300-$450+, so you can breed him than eat him, but that would get expensive if you were to do that every year.


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## Sable (Mar 1, 2012)

We live in North Alabama.  So I don't have to worry too much about a ram being very aggressive?  Can I separate the ram from the ewes?  I really don't want to have to worry about walking through the pasture and being head butted!


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## Cornish Heritage (Mar 1, 2012)

> So I don't have to worry too much about a ram being very aggressive?


We have had to learn this the hard way today butchering a ram we let get WAY too friendly. Someone else on here said it is best to keep your rams aloof & I totally agree with that. In our experience if you are too friendly with them they will eventually turn around & butt you. 



> Can I separate the ram from the ewes?


Yes you can but he will need company. We keep our 8 rams in a bottom pasture unless we have them up for breeding. Makes life much simpler & safer, especially for the children but the 8 rams all run away - we cannot get near them unless we bribe them into the trailer. 

Maybe breed has something to do with it but I know we have worked with a few different rams in the past.

I would probably recommend you starting out with feeder/bum/orphan lambs the first year. See how you like them whilst doing more research on the breed you want. Eat those & if you really liked them then get some breeding stock the following year. Remember good breeding stock is going to cost more but many times it is worth it. 

We raise St. Croix hair sheep here & love them. 

All the best in your new venture.

Liz


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## Sable (Mar 2, 2012)

Thank you Liz!


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## secuono (Mar 2, 2012)

5 acres is a lot if you have grass most of the year. Katahdin sheep don't look that large, mine are Babydolls and are 80-150lbs. I have 4.5 acres for 3 sheep & 2 horses. I feed them nothing all year, they just eat the grass. Horses get some hay, but the sheep rather scavenge the grass. So again, if you have grass and manage it, you can have a lot of sheep living off nothing but the grass all year long.


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## TexasShepherdess (Mar 2, 2012)

Sable said:
			
		

> We live in North Alabama.  So I don't have to worry too much about a ram being very aggressive?  Can I separate the ram from the ewes?  I really don't want to have to worry about walking through the pasture and being head butted!


Arm's distance..Ive heard horror stories of rams taking out folks at the knees..my one friend told me to never go into the pasture without my border collie..

My ram is coming 2 years old..he is very easy to work with and around..he is respectful..but not flighty. I think it has to do in how they are raised, personally. you cant raise them as a pet..but you dont have to make them scared of you either, if that makes sense? (but if I only had one option of the two, Id pick scared..LOL)..no petting..

Healthy respect is what I aim for..from the ram to me. 

Youll find, if full Kat's are like dorpers..they seem to survive on very "little"..mine are all quite round, even the nursing ewes..with alittle supplimental hay and some feed to keep them friendly. This past summer, my pasture (which is blessedly irrigated!) sustained them til the late fall (when we stopped irrigating the hayfield next door to them)
Of course, they tell me, quite vocally, they are starving..ehh..no..

I agree with starting out with feeders and seeing how ya like them..I think youll be pleased in their taste..


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## SheepGirl (Mar 2, 2012)

Rams ARE aggressive. You will need to keep the rams and ewes separated until you want to breed them. You can put him in his own pasture or you can put him in a pen in the barn...he will need a buddy, though...either another ram or a wether. (Maybe keep him with the lambs you're feeding out for yourself?)

We have our two rams in a separate pasture. At night they are put in the barn and fed hay because otherwise they would have no shelter. So every night we open the gate from the pasture and they know exactly where to go and then we just shut the pen door behind them. They are so focused on the hay they don't bother to touch us. Otherwise we don't go in the pen or the pasture without them unless I am holding my ram by his head. The other ram is too scared to come near me or my ram (my ram is more dominant than the other).


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## TexasShepherdess (Mar 2, 2012)

A question..

has anyone ever encountered a ram who MUST be kept by himself when not breeding, due to aggressiveness?


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## SheepGirl (Mar 2, 2012)

Nope. After breeding, we put them in a small pen for 24-48 hours and make them get used to each other. When we let them out, yes, they do fight, but it's usually just re-establishing their dominance.


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## aggieterpkatie (Mar 2, 2012)

We've had rams bloody each other's heads, but they need a buddy.  If they're new to each other, put them in a really small pen so they can't get up much momentum to butt.  If you knew you had a ram who was really mean to other rams, I'd hesitate to put a small ram in with him (like a young ram lamb or something).  Otherwise, rams do fine together.  They usually settle down pretty quickly after breeding season.  Most rams I've been around aren't very aggressive when they were on their own and not in with the ewes.  There are rams out there who aren't super aggressive towards people. I'm not saying you should really trust them though, but if you have a really aggressive one who would butt you all the time, I'd ship him.


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## TexasShepherdess (Mar 2, 2012)

interesting..Just ask as I only have one ram..so he never is around other rams..my ewes are meaner to each other then he is to them..quite tolerant of the lambs "games" too..


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## secuono (Mar 2, 2012)

My ram will be 4yrs and he's not aggressive unless there are pellets involved. And that's over with, fed them the last bit of food yesterday. They ignore me unless they think I have food, then they follow me calling out "behhh, drop some food!" lol. But once they realize I won't feed them, they turn around and go back to eating grass. My ram lives w/the girls 24/7, since they are seasonal breeders. He will be in a pen by himself for a few weeks once the ewes decide to lamb, they are taking their time... 
A shelter is an odd thing, mine only use it for shade and food. They never use it because of bad weather. Still need one so crazy animal freaks won't call the cops on your butt...ugh.


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## Sable (Mar 2, 2012)

This is all GREAT info!  Thank you all so much!


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## 6Happiness (Mar 5, 2012)

secuono said:
			
		

> A shelter is an odd thing, mine only use it for shade and food. They never use it because of bad weather. Still need one so crazy animal freaks won't call the cops on your butt...ugh.


Mine have indoor pens, - a door opens to a roofed patio- then they have the yard all around that.  If its lightly raining, they do not care- but if it is heavy rain/thunderstorm, they do go inside, or at least, on the covered patio.  In winter, they prefer the patio or indoor pens to the yard if there is significant amount of snow on the ground.

For shade in summer though, they prefer under trees.


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## 6Happiness (Mar 5, 2012)

I was worried about raising a ram lamb- if either what I did, or his genetics/disposition would result in his becoming aggressive, and I wouldn't know until he grew up and then i'd have to figure out what oto do with him....

So I am getting an adult ram who is 3 yrs old... I got my wethers from the same breeder, and she is placing this ram because he is too closely related to the ewes she decided to keep for breeding.   So I know what I am getting right away- I don't have to wait to see what a ram lamb matures into. He was also a little less expensive than buying a ram lamb since most people want lambs not adults.

So that's another option you might want to think about if you are considering a ram at all.

Oh Also, speaking of "mini" farms/flocks...  My flock consists of only 4 sheep..... 2 wethers, one ewe, one ram.  I have only 1/3rd acre so I didn't want to have lots of sheep, or even lots of lambs every year.  2 lambs a year are perfect for us.  If I wanted more lambs, i could have done 2 ewes.


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## Sable (Mar 5, 2012)

6Happiness said:
			
		

> I was worried about raising a ram lamb- if either what I did, or his genetics/disposition would result in his becoming aggressive, and I wouldn't know until he grew up and then i'd have to figure out what oto do with him....
> 
> So I am getting an adult ram who is 3 yrs old... I got my wethers from the same breeder, and she is placing this ram because he is too closely related to the ewes she decided to keep for breeding.   So I know what I am getting right away- I don't have to wait to see what a ram lamb matures into. He was also a little less expensive than buying a ram lamb since most people want lambs not adults.
> 
> ...


That's a great idea!  Also, the sheep will have a run in stall, and several trees to get under if necessary, so we're good to go there!


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## bonbean01 (Mar 5, 2012)

Was reading about sheep and shelters and thinking mine must be pretty spoiled...LOL...first few drops of rain and they all head for their shelter...so...guess they think they are sweeter than sugar and might melt in the rain


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