Wolfemomma - Our Homestead Journey

[Wehner Homestead]

Steer looks good and your rooster is handsome!

 

[WolfeMomma]

I was always told "You're not supposed to name your food", that way you don't get attached. When we first got our girls(the heifers) they had no names for a couple of months because at the time our plan was to raise them as our food. Then we changed our plan so now they have names.
Looks like a nice place you have over there. Is that your garden I see near the sheep pasture?

Yup thats our garden

 

[greybeard]

The beef cattle hurt the pocket book a little bit, but they give us at least a years supply of meat. And for us that more then makes up for the bit of grain that we have to buy. We will be getting a jersey that will produce a calf every year that can be used for meat. And we will also get milk and all the yumminess that comes along with that.
Do i keep both? I feel like if i am just wanting to produce for us, then cattle would be better?
This is all extremely small scale. I have a very small barn and can't fit much in it. So i need to get as much meat as I can from a small amount of animals.

You need to pencil this out on a strictly financial (no emotions) basis.
Calculate the cost per packaged freezer lb of each type meat. Lamb and beef.
And do so looking at a year's supply.

Inasmuch as you are a Northern clime, the long winter's cost of hay has to figure into the calculation, but currently, you are offsetting that cost by the barter of ewes for hay.
IF that barter is economically sound (that is, you aren't losing anything in the trade.. ..outright cost of hay vs what it costs to produce the ewes) then keep enough sheep to continue as you are doing.
If you can market the lambs instead of barter and come out ahead by using those proceeds by purchasing hay, then go that route.
If, the cost of producing the ewes is more than what you are getting in trade, then get rid of the sheep. (I said 'no emotions' )

Here, I do not feed grain in any appreciable quantities except the last 60-90 days of finishing of slaughter cattle. Your results may vary.
You've already stated you don't care for the taste of lamb. (nor do I)
Since the preference for the taste of beef has been stated, you
Basically will want to decide on an economic scale, if the sheep are actually helping or hurting your beef production. You won't know this until you know your true cost of that bartered for hay.

You will also have to consider, if you get rid of the sheep, if you then will have forage going to waste, be understocked, not taking full advantage of available forage etc. (IF you ever have to mechanically mow the pasture, you are understocked)

Sharpen the pencil up to a fine point and make the decision.

 

[Baymule]

Well put @greybeard.

 

[farmerjan]

Greybeard did indeed put it well. One other thing to consider that Latestarter touched on. The sheep will eat some different plants than the cattle so you are better utilizing the pastures. Mike CHS is right in raising them bigger/longer for personal consumption. The other thing is to look into the available markets for lamb at certain times of the year for ethnic holidays. They are worth a small fortune here just before certain holidays, and the ram lambs might actually bring more to buy more hay with than the trade of the ewe lambs.... this for the years you get mostly ram lambs....
they are easier on the pastures especially in a wet year, but they will eat it down to the roots in dry years so need more management. I don't see where you are "losing" on them but as GB said, you need to pencil it out.

 

[WolfeMomma]

Thankyou @greybeard you gave me a lot to think about. It helps to look at it from a different way. I am new to sheep, I was under the impression that while they were pregnant during the winter that I needed to grain them?
Is that not accurate?

 

[Mike CHS]

We give a very small amount of feed if they are in a dry lot but if you have good hay or grass they don't need it. When we fed they wound up having lambs that were too large for their size but that is just my opinion with no science to back it up other than when we quit feeding we wound up with lambs more appropriate in size.

We do give considerably more protein when they are lactating with either feed or alfalfa (or both).

 

[mysunwolf]

I totally agree with @Mike CHS, it's actually best not to feed grain during pregnancy unless they are on dry lot and you know the hay is very poor quality. We've found that even pregnant ewe lambs do better without grain during pregnancy.

 

[greybeard]

When we fed they wound up having lambs that were too large for their size but that is just my opinion with no science to back it up other than when we quit feeding we wound up with lambs more appropriate in size.

In many species, it is very easy to over feed during pregnancy and have dystocia problems as a result.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

X2 to what GB said