Getting Started - Searching for Land advice

[YarnFarming]

My husband and I have a long term plan to raise sheep for both wool and meat. We're still a long way away from actually having sheep but have started to look for a home with land.

Currently we're looking at a house with 8 acres of trees. We don't mind having to take the trees down and to care for the field for years before it's pasture (we're in no rush) but are concerned about the pasture size. Is 8 acres enough land to house sheep? The rule of thumb seems to be no more than 5 sheep per acre but that doesn't seem to account for rotating the pastures.

We've looked at Corriedale and Rambouillet since they're both known as dual purpose sheep but understand that the breed we select will be determined by the land.

We're located in central North Carolina.

Advice? Should we keep looking out for pasture and/or more land?

 

[OneFineAcre]

Welcome from Zebulon NC

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I know nothing about sheep - but welcome, from Texas!

 

[BrownSheep]

While my sheep love eating brush you might be asking for a headache when it comes to fleece quaility. Brush can really rip op a fleece or fill it with lots of VM. I would say with 8 acres you could do 25-30 o.k. but a lot of that depends on the pasture and plants.

I wouldn't worry a whole lot about actual structure for sheep. If they have a wind block and a place to get out of the rain they should be fine. Lambs generally just need a draft free place for the first litte bit. Mine really just look for shade. They'll stand in 40 mph winds, rain, snow, and below freezing temps just fine.

I raise Rambouillets and crosses an they are great sheep. One thing to keep in mind is you can alway cross a meat ram over your ewes for faster growing market lambs and then use a pure bred wool ram when you are looking for replacement ewes.

 

[norseofcourse]

Welcome from Ohio!

How many sheep are you figuring to raise? I agree with BrownSheep about brush and wool quality.

And I really like your user ID

 

[BlessedWithGoats]

Welcome from Michigan!!

 

[mikiz]

Something that didn't occur to me until just now, it might be worth finding out what type of soil and ph the 8 acres is, it might cost you more than you expect to upkeep the soil if you have to lime or seed or anything to keep enough growing to feed your livestock. If you know beforehand, you're less likely to mess around trying different things before realising your soil can't support the type or species of food your animals need. Or you could start out by finding the sorts of plants that will grow in the soil you have.
Also rainfall might be a concern if you have soil that doesn't hold water very well.
I'm not sure how important any of this might be, but I know if I hadn't checked I would have expected anything to grow where I planted it and not known why it failed over and over.

 

[Bossroo]

I too recommend all of the above. Best source is to consult a sheep and soils / pasture / range professor at your nearest Ag. University. and your County Ag. extention agent to figure out your particular land's carrying capacity and ways to improve the land economically. Years ago I raised Ramboulett and Corriedale ewes , bred them to Suffolk rams for the meat market. Then the price of wool dropped like a rock, so no more wool sheep. In today's marketplace it will cost you more to just sheer the sheep ( cost of labor, workman's comp. , insurance, ) than what the wool is worth. ( Competition from Australian wool imports ) . I LOST money !!! I would suggest that you seriously consider the Dorper sheep as they shed their wool and produce a great meat lamb as their foraging ability in wooded land is superior to other breeds. Good luck !

 

[mikiz]

+1 for dorpers, one for the breeds I'm now considering since they do so well on pretty much anything

 

[BrownSheep]

I believe ( going off their user name and prior statement) they want to be able to have usable wool.
There are some people who prefer wool breeds regaurdless. In my area hair sheep actually go for about 40 % less than a wool lamb.