- Thread starter
- #161
ohiogoatgirl
True BYH Addict
The ewes are in the new winter area. Partly under roof. I have to get the area next to it finished up for the rams. I'm also going to change up inside the barn. It's still set up for how we ran goats when I was a kid and it just doesn't work very well. And doesn't work for the sheep basically at all for me.
The new area is made up of cattle panels. I have alot of ideas on how it can be upgraded so we'll see what I can do. The pastures need a rest and I've tried to plan it to be as easy to manage as possible. And minimizing mud! The weather so far points to plenty of warm and wet this winter.
Dad got a scoop for the tractor so cleaning out shouldn't be too bad. I can take out the panels and then put them back up.
Another thing about this new area is that I won't be wandering a paddock trying to check ewes. After lambing I'll make final decisions on who is staying.
I am working on how I'll be incorporating a lamb creep. Come weaning time ewes that are staying can go out to the pasture. If there are any great ewe lambs they can go out with the ewes, but I absolutely have to make myself not keep a lamb from a ewe that isn't staying!
Keep ewes- to pasture.
Keep ewe lambs- to pasture.
Cull ewes- feeding pen.
Market lambs- feeding pen.
So the new area will be switched a bit for sections to separate the lambs to wean. The ewes not staying will go on a bit of a finisher diet to try and make them look good for market. The lambs will go on a finisher diet to fatten them up for market.
I need to call the feed co-op on price for the concentrate pellet. That would allow me to buy corn cheaper from a farmer and mix it as needed for the lambs and the ewes. Need to consider the price point though.
Lambing is Feb 18- March 21. 60 days weaning is April 18- May 20. The next ethnic holidays aren't til early and late July which is longer than I want to feed them out. But it seems May is usually still good prices at the auction and they drop sometime in June and after, coming up again in like November or December.
I'm also hoping to talk to an amish man who is a local butcher. I'm taking the pig in after Christmas. Find out if the amish eat lamb much or what their interest might be. If I could sell them directly would be great.
I also want to ask if he'd butcher sheep. They do their own curing and smoking. I was thinking for lambs I could get loins, a couple roasts, and do a bunch of ground. Then if I wanted to take the cull ewes I could get a bunch of ground done and meat stick and sausages. I don't even know if anything specific would be really good smoked. And I could get the hides to tan.
We got two deer and I'm cleaning the hides. I got that orange bottle solution stuff to try. I'd really love to have sheep skins from my animals. And they'd probably be really cool, shorn in January so they'd have 4 to 5 months of wool on. I could also send them to be tanned but I'd prefer if I could do it myself. The place I've heard the best feedback about brushes out the wool and only brushed out. I like the locks.
The new area is made up of cattle panels. I have alot of ideas on how it can be upgraded so we'll see what I can do. The pastures need a rest and I've tried to plan it to be as easy to manage as possible. And minimizing mud! The weather so far points to plenty of warm and wet this winter.
Dad got a scoop for the tractor so cleaning out shouldn't be too bad. I can take out the panels and then put them back up.
Another thing about this new area is that I won't be wandering a paddock trying to check ewes. After lambing I'll make final decisions on who is staying.
I am working on how I'll be incorporating a lamb creep. Come weaning time ewes that are staying can go out to the pasture. If there are any great ewe lambs they can go out with the ewes, but I absolutely have to make myself not keep a lamb from a ewe that isn't staying!
Keep ewes- to pasture.
Keep ewe lambs- to pasture.
Cull ewes- feeding pen.
Market lambs- feeding pen.
So the new area will be switched a bit for sections to separate the lambs to wean. The ewes not staying will go on a bit of a finisher diet to try and make them look good for market. The lambs will go on a finisher diet to fatten them up for market.
I need to call the feed co-op on price for the concentrate pellet. That would allow me to buy corn cheaper from a farmer and mix it as needed for the lambs and the ewes. Need to consider the price point though.
Lambing is Feb 18- March 21. 60 days weaning is April 18- May 20. The next ethnic holidays aren't til early and late July which is longer than I want to feed them out. But it seems May is usually still good prices at the auction and they drop sometime in June and after, coming up again in like November or December.
I'm also hoping to talk to an amish man who is a local butcher. I'm taking the pig in after Christmas. Find out if the amish eat lamb much or what their interest might be. If I could sell them directly would be great.
I also want to ask if he'd butcher sheep. They do their own curing and smoking. I was thinking for lambs I could get loins, a couple roasts, and do a bunch of ground. Then if I wanted to take the cull ewes I could get a bunch of ground done and meat stick and sausages. I don't even know if anything specific would be really good smoked. And I could get the hides to tan.
We got two deer and I'm cleaning the hides. I got that orange bottle solution stuff to try. I'd really love to have sheep skins from my animals. And they'd probably be really cool, shorn in January so they'd have 4 to 5 months of wool on. I could also send them to be tanned but I'd prefer if I could do it myself. The place I've heard the best feedback about brushes out the wool and only brushed out. I like the locks.
