Which Breed of Sheep???

[boykin2010]

I LOVE my hair sheep. I have katahdin barbados crosses. They are VERY friendly around humans and other animals. They also serve their purpose and eat TONS of grass. I have 13 on 3 acres and i dont think they have enough grass.... ( SIGH ) i may have to sell some

I have one bottle baby that is the sweetest thing ever he still wants to get my lap even though he is a good 75 pounds.

Hair sheep are a good choice if you are lazy ( like me ) and dont want to shear sheep. It is actually very hard to shear sheep. Hair sheep are well suited for the south also.

 

[farmchick]

I have just one suffolk/hampshire cross lamb (a meat breed) and he is just the funnest thing ever! This doesn't go for every sheep, but he loves attention, and always sheep cries when I leave him in his pen. The downer of him being a market lamb, is that he has to 'go away' in the fall if you know what I mean. Are you planning on showing them?

Feel free to message me if you have any questions

 

[Beekissed]

Unless you are friends with someone who shears their own sheep and can shear for you, I'd avoid a wool breed....too much hassle when it's just as easy to have a Katahdin or St. Croix and avoid the issue.

Around here it is $40 just for someone to come out to your place and shear and you also must have 25 or more sheep before they will do so. Then they charge $25 per sheep and they keep the wool.

As for running your heifer with your sheep? I did the same thing and found that when they come in heat the calf will ride your lambs/ewes and could possibly injure them. I had to butcher out my heifer for this very reason.

Hair sheep are less trouble all around and will eat your lawn more evenly as they like browse as well as pasture...sort of like the best mix between sheep and goats.

 

[patandchickens]

The original post is from a year and a half ago, not sure why this thread was resurrected but I think y'all are giving advice to someone who is no longer around...

Pat

 

[boykin2010]

O wow

 

[Beekissed]

Maybe it will still have some relevance?

 

[Ms. Research]

Maybe it will still have some relevance?

Thanks whoever resurrected this thread. I thought it was relevant. We are getting our plan together for our future farm. We are both in agreement about goats, sheep, and chickens. Better Half even agreed to a rooster. Still up in the air with the donkey, but the "cart idea" on another thread might help me. And definitely Better Half wants and knows the type of LGD he wants for this future farm. Once Jake retires that is. He's doing so well being the LGD of the beginning of our future farm..our bunnies.

I have been researching about sheep. I love the Baby Dolls, but that's because they are sweet looking. I need to stay focus on the goals that we want. And I'm reconsidering a wool sheep and am now considering a Hair sheep. Thank you Beekissed for your informative opinion of Wool vs Hair. And what you really need to look at when you decide to purchase.

 

[Beekissed]

You are quite welcome! After having the hair breeds, I can't imagine a better livestock to work with...I loved not having to dock tails~it seems to unnecessary and painful. I loved not having to shear, as I am a lone woman and getting the boys to coincide work schedules to come and help with the things is getting more difficult.

I even think I could have stared milking my pure Kat, she was that docile. She would let me just reach down and milk her teats without any fuss....I had sheep sized stanchions already built for just that purpose, so that was going to be my next project with my sheep. Supposed to make great cheese!

 

[kstaven]

Sheep milk does make great cheese. Just don't tell my goats I said that, or they will go on strike.

 

[Ms. Research]

You are quite welcome! After having the hair breeds, I can't imagine a better livestock to work with...I loved not having to dock tails~it seems to unnecessary and painful. I loved not having to shear, as I am a lone woman and getting the boys to coincide work schedules to come and help with the things is getting more difficult.

I even think I could have stared milking my pure Kat, she was that docile. She would let me just reach down and milk her teats without any fuss....I had sheep sized stanchions already built for just that purpose, so that was going to be my next project with my sheep. Supposed to make great cheese!

As our "Mom and Pop" Farm will consist only of Mom and Pop, I'm looking at the same type of issues. What breed would we best capable of handling by ourselves. We are realistically looking at how big of a farm we can have (by ourselves and financially) and what our goals are going to be (want to be self sustaining) so Hair sheep are looking like the way to go for us. Glad to hear not necessary to dock tails and though wool is interesting, know realistically it's meat in the freezer that's best for us.

I've narrowed down and am looking at Dorpers and St. Croix. Any others to look at. ALL opinions are greatly appreciated.