Looking for articles (suburban/urban focus)

[6Happiness]

I'm looking for articles about sheep/goats (but primarily sheep, such as babydolls) kept in urban/suburban settings primarily as pets, but of course, with the optional benefit of wool etc just as one might with certain rabbit breeds... like how people keep potbellied pigs or backyard chickens in cities.
Thanks!

 

[SheepGirl]

There really aren't articles on keeping sheep in a suburban environment (if any); probably because it's not often done. Why? Sheep are great animals, I love them, but they are not usually personable like a dog or a cat. They're just there...usually coming up just to see if you have any food for them. Though of course I do have two lambs who are an exception to the rule and are extremely friendly--I can walk right up to them in the field, and they don't run away. They let me pet them and scratch them. They even come running to me sometimes just to get scratched. And they aren't looking for feed either because I've never really given them any. Also yesterday, the one lamb was laying up against the "Sheep Shack" and so I sat down next to him. He put his head in my lap and was out like a light and already got into REM sleep. It was so funny My dog was freaking out, she didn't know what was wrong with him lol.

But anyway, 'pet' sheep are still sheep and they still need to be raised like sheep. Here's a quick rundown:

Housing
Each sheep needs about 1/5 of an acre if they are to be grazing. If you are providing all of their feed, they only need enough room for exercise--about 30-50 sq ft. For shelter, each sheep needs about 12 sq ft of space. Double that if the ewe has lambs.

For shelter, anything simple would be okay. We have 3.5 sheets of plywood nailed together for an 8'x8' "Sheep Shack" that is 4' tall. It keeps them dry and out of the wind. Cheap to construct to. We also have a 4'x4' "Sheep Apartment" that my ram uses. It's only big enough for one sheep, but I have used it for a ram and three lambs and they all fit in there during the rain. Only one or two sheep would use it for shade, the others would go somewhere else in the pen for shade.

For pen/pasture, make sure it is adequately fenced. This means T posts or wooden posts. Put the wire on the inside of the fence. We use 4' woven wire. When we installed our fence, we left space at the top and bottom for a strand of barbed wire. That was almost a year ago and it has yet to be done lol. But post spacings should be about 8' a part. Make sure the fencing is TIGHT or you will have sheep escaping. Note: Sheep in confinement will turn their pen into dirt in a matter of a week or so. It gets muddy when it rains, so make sure they have someplace to stand where it won't be muddy (which causes problems for hooves).

Feeding
A sheep, even though you're keeping it as a pet, still has the same nutritional requirements as a 'working' sheep. The only difference is is that the pet sheep will be fed in the maintenance physiological stage all year long because it isn't being bred or raising lambs. So for maintenance, sheep feed requirements are pretty basic. They need access to a loose mineral (they will eat a lot at first but consumption will level off), clean water, and 2% of their body weight in hay if they don't have access to pasture. So if a sheep weighs 145 lbs (the weight of my 3/4 Babydoll Southdown x 1/4 Montadale ewe), she needs 2.9 lbs of hay per day. Plus waste (about 10%) you will need to put out about 3.2 lbs of hay per day for her. Sheep in maintenance do not need grain. Feeding grain is a waste of money unless your sheep are being productive (producing lambs). Of course that's not to say you can't buy a bag of feed and give it to your sheep as a treat every now and then (and to train them to come to a rattling bucket), but do not make it a normal part of their diet.

Health
Pet sheep are more than capable of developing the same health problems as a working sheep. They can get tetanus, other clostridial diseases, pneumonia, hoof rot, ringworm, external and internal parasites, bloat, etc. I won't go into the details of every disease, but as long as your sheep are fed correctly and their housing is sufficient, you shouldn't have to deal with many (if any) diseases. We vaccinate our sheep once a year with Bar-Vac CD/T which protects against overeating disease, tetanus, and enteritis. Your sheep, regardless of whether it is a working sheep are not, are capable of contracting these diseases. A 25-dose bottle costs $7 or $8 and needles and syringes are no more than 20 or 30 cents each. It's cheap insurance against a disease which will cost a lot more to treat which may or may not take the life of your pet.

Also hoof trimming--it's very easy. Don't be intimidated by it. We trim our hooves once a year when the sheep are being sheared. Speaking of shearing--if you are going to have wool sheep (like Babydolls), you will need this done once a year, usually in winter/spring before it gets too hot. We hire a professional to come out and do it. If you are in the mid-Atlantic region, I would recommend her to you (she also goes to MI, WI, OH, and other states too).

~~~~~

Okay, well that's all the basic stuff I can think to put here. I will add more if I remember to.

 

[6Happiness]

Thanks for the reply and the pictures, but I wasn't asking for info on *IF* one can raise sheep in a suburban or urban area, or *HOW* to care for them. I was looking for articles or sections in books or websites about it etc to use as references. I already own sheep, and have for several years (I even blade sheer them, clip their hooves, give them their vaccine injections, all that other fun stuff, rather than call in someone to do it for us.) I didn't expect my request to be construed as looking for info on how/if to get started.

... but they are not usually personable like a dog or a cat. They're just there...usually coming up just to see if you have any food for them. Though of course I do have two lambs who are an exception to the rule and are extremely friendly--I can walk right up to them in the field, and they don't run away. They let me pet them and scratch them. They even come running to me sometimes just to get scratched. And they aren't looking for feed either because I've never really given them any.

1. Not everyone wants a "dog-like" / "personable" pet. Think of pet fish (with a few rare exceptions such as Oscars, although you still can't pet those as it damages their slime coat). Think of pet Hamsters (mostly nocturnal, solitary creatures that are quick to bite- with the rare exception). Think of pet millipedes or tarantulas. Think of most snakes, turtles, frogs and toads.

For some, the idea of taking a break in the day to enjoy a snack, coffee, tea or whatever on the patio, while watching the sheep graze is a blissfully peaceful way to de-stress and all they expect interaction wise from their sheep. For others that want the "exception" to the rule, as long as they are honest with the shepherds they hope to find sheep from, they may be just as happy. Out of 4 sheep that I have owned (2 wethers whom have since been rehomed, 1 ewe, and 1 ram) 3 of them were obtained as mature adults, specifically so that I would know what kind of temperaments they would have (and the 4th was more of a teen/young adult rather than a cute little lamb)

But anyway, 'pet' sheep are still sheep and they still need to be raised like sheep. Here's a quick rundown:

Of course. 'pet' dogs/cats/pot-bellied-pigs/backyard-chickens/fish/toads/snakes/etc etc etc are still the species they are and need to be raised as such!

Each sheep needs about 1/5 of an acre if they are to be grazing. If you are providing all of their feed, they only need enough room for exercise--about 30-50 sq ft. For shelter, each sheep needs about 12 sq ft of space. Double that if the ewe has lambs.

1. "Minature" sized sheep don't need as much as "standard" or large sized sheep. And of course there are breeds and crosses all along the middle of the spectrum from tiny to extra large.

2. The amount of acreage needed to support 1 sheep is a complex equation that also needs to include the kind of forage that actually is growing on that land, the quality of the soil it is growing in (and thus, quality of the forage), as well as the weather (will the forage get the proper amount of water/sun it needs for optimal growth).

3. Some people don't care if they have the acreage to support the sheep; they go into it expecting to buy hay/feed all year round, just as they buy food year round for their pet dog or cat instead of expecting them to hunt for themselves.

3. Not everyone in an urban or suburban area will have less than a fifth of an acre (or perhaps less than 2/5ths, since sheep should not be kept alone). While many have lots of 1/5th acre or less (and see my previous point about that), there are also many in these areas that have MORE. Half of my childhood I grew up in a suburb where the smallest lots were 1/2 acre, and many were as much as 2-3 acres. Our current residence is 1/3rd acre, and combined with collecting weeds from neighbours (mostly to ensure variety in their diet than out of necessity), it is enough to support a flock of three babydolls.

4. One of the surprising BENEFITS of raising sheep in suburbia is that when we had that drought last year and hay prices tripled here, our neighbours (all on private wells, so they didn't have to follow water-resriction laws) were regularly watering their lawns, just so that they could go and mow it down. I think this is a very silly practice at best (unsustainable at worst), but by posting regularly to freecycle and talking to neighbours, i was regularly hauling home grass clippings and weeds (checking first with folks as to what if anything they put on their lawns of course). While others around here were paying $12 for poor quality square bales, I was feeding 3 to 4 sheep fresh greens for less than a $1 a day (that was for the cost of gas to transport the grass back).

5. Suburban/urban shepherding may require "thinking outside the box". For example, my neighbours asked to put in a gate between our properties so that the sheep can be brought over to "mow" their lawns. Although I have no interest in charging them (its free food for my sheep), others might want to keep sheep as both pets and as part of a business in the growing trend towards "green" alternatives. For example, in Chicago (I'm in a suburb of), The airport is "employing" 25 goats and sheep to weed and mow (and fertilise!) their land: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130508/news/705089802/, part of a growing trend in urban and suburban areas looking to "greenify". See also: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/g...and-other-go-getters.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0, http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/...m-eat-grass-paris-employs-sheep-as-eco-mowers, and http://www.urbanshepherds.com/Sheep_Leasing___Sales.html

 

[SheepGirl]

Thanks for the reply and the pictures, but I wasn't asking for info on *IF* one can raise sheep in a suburban or urban area, or *HOW* to care for them. I was looking for articles or sections in books or websites about it etc to use as references. I already own sheep, and have for several years (I even blade sheer them, clip their hooves, give them their vaccine injections, all that other fun stuff, rather than call in someone to do it for us.) I didn't expect my request to be construed as looking for info on how/if to get started.

I am sorry I misunderstood your OP and my post wasn't what you wanted or needed to read. And I'm sorry if you found things in my post to nitpick.

However, I am confused. Why are you looking for articles to use as references on keeping urban pet sheep when you don't need it? (Since you are a seasoned pet-sheep keeper and all.) I still don't know exactly what you are asking for. Could you please elaborate?

 

[bonbean01]

All I can add is....Sheepgirl...always love your photos!!! Your sheep are beautiful

Not clear anymore on what OP is asking...we only have 5 plus acres here and currently have 8 sheep and the grass is more than adequate, they can't keep up eating it and at times we need to mow at the highest setting when grass starts to go to seed.

 

[Four Winds Ranch]

SheepGirl, I love your shearer hand piece!!!!! I looks sooooo much lighter and easier to manuver then mine! What brand is it?

 

[6Happiness]

I am looking for references for a project/presentation. I've only had sheep for about 3 yrs and don't feel that qualifies me as 'expert' enough to speak without references. While I have found a few, more would be better. Sometimes a person just doesn't know the right key words to plug into google to find that really great article (I've done the obvious "pet + sheep", "sheep + suburbs", "sheep + backyard"). Or there may have been an article in a magazine or local newspaper that is not accessible online.
thank you.

 

[Ruus]

Try the book "The Backyard Sheep" by Sue Weaver. It's aimed towards people keeping sheep primarily as pets. I know books aren't as convenient as web articles to use as references, but I think it's probably one of the best sources you'll find. Most articles about sheep are geared towards larger operations.