High Desert Cowboy- How far is it up north?

[High Desert Cowboy]

Suffolk do have to be sheared but incredibly most of the folks here run wool sheep and the nearest hair sheep I can find are pretty far away. I’ve thought of getting wool sheep around here and arranging to have family up north bring me down a young Katahdin ram that I could use for some cross breeding, swap the ram every couple years and breed over to hair sheep over time. Might take a while but it’s a little more cost effective for now

 

[CntryBoy777]

Sounds like a winner to me....I just didn't know if their was a local market for the wool there....amongst the Native Americans, Mormons, and homesteaders out that way. When we lived in Maine....'64-'66...there was an older man there that had sheep and I would go and help him with them....there was a market then for wool in this country and I always thought it would be nice to raise them for wool and meat. However, when I got to researching it before we started doing what we are doing, I found out that there essentially wasn't a market for wool much anymore and in this area sheep are few and far between even for a meat supply to a market. So, I decided to get some goats instead and then I found out there isn't a vet in the whole area that really handles goats or sheep. There are some that will if they are brought to their office, but they don't test or vaccinate, so what good is that?
That really set my plans back and have been interested in how to supply a market that really doesn't exist....so, I've decided that if we do stay here I will have a small herd of meat goats and approach the Hispanic community here. We have a few that we are friendly with and word of mouth can go a long way...we are just looking for a purpose to do something, not really pay bills or make anything....if that was the purpose we'd raise pigs or cows in this locale....

 

[Latestarter]

Starting with ready made herd expansion seem like a good plan to me. I'd go for the bred ewes... You can add a few bummers if the opportunity presents. But if you go all that way, you'll be a year before you'll have lambs of your own. Hope it all comes together for you.

 

[Mike CHS]

I started to post that there is probably hair sheep farms all over your state but went and checked the main registry and saw there was only one listed.

 

[Bruce]

That really set my plans back and have been interested in how to supply a market that really doesn't exist

Yep, gotta make your own market. Goat meat is big in African and Middle Eastern countries, got any of those populations around?

 

[CntryBoy777]

Yep, gotta make your own market. Goat meat is big in African and Middle Eastern countries, got any of those populations around?

Not many in these "Sticks" down this way.....

 

[Bruce]

Bummer

 

[High Desert Cowboy]

@Mike CHS were those sheep up in Farr West perchance? I’m amazed that no one around here runs hair sheep, especially where just a little south of is traditionally sheep country. The mountains are full of larkspur (more so back in the day) so while cattle grazing was out of the question sheep did great up there. But those are mostly what we call range sheep, a mix of wool breeds, a lot of hamp influence if I’m not mistaken. The more I’ve read on the hair sheep the more I like that option, but I rather wouldn’t drive all day to get them when I have so many options close to home. But a katahdin ram lamb would fit in my moms minivan on a trip to see her grandkids without much difficulty. Probably a lot easier than the time my uncle had to take his kids show lambs in the back of his old Geo metro convertible

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Geo metro convertible!

 

[Mike CHS]

The Katahdin farm that I saw was in Logan. I know there are more because I have met people at various functions from Utah but didn't keep their contact info since at the time I had no need.