Raising Sheep

**Jock Scot** · 3rd February 11, 02:02 AM

Originally Posted by starbkjrus

Point this thread out to Jock Scot and I'm sure you'll get an ear er....eye full.

In spite of my best efforts to ignore this thread it seems that my low profile was, well not low enough!

Well alright there was a time when I had several thousand of the wretched beasts wandering about the place looking for places to die. I fortunately had people to look after them so I had as little to do with the damn things as possible and the wee bit that I did have to do with them----the accounts----did not add to any enthusiasm that I might have had for them!

Having said that, what do you want to know?

**auld argonian** · 3rd February 11, 06:42 AM

I'm laughing quietly over Jock's comments. Bear in mind that my limited experience is with pigs, but some general principles apply to all.

It's work and takes up a lot more of your time and resources than you expect. It's never a part-time job.

I once met a fella who had a place in Michigan and had a small herd of some kind of black faced sheep and they were more of a conversation piece than anything else...he had the neighboring farmer, who had experience, on the payroll taking care of them. It got old fast and I heard that the guy sold 'em off a year into the project.

Best

AA

**Spartan Tartan** · 3rd February 11, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

Well alright there was a time when I had several thousand of the wretched beasts wandering about the place looking for places to die.

Quote of the day!

**BoldHighlander** · 3rd February 11, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

Well alright there was a time when I had several thousand of the wretched beasts wandering about the place looking for places to die.

Originally Posted by Spartan Tartan

Quote of the day!

Oh Lordy.....what a great chuckle to start my day off with!

Thanks! :mrgreen:

**Topsailjon** · 9th February 11, 11:37 AM

Bugbear, In my experience it is the other way round, the cattle and horses churn up the ground and sour it with their dung, encouraging weeds. Sheep on the other hand, sometimes know as "Golden hoof", crop the grass nice and short, their feet don't churn up the ground even when wet and they eat the weeds. Their dung fertilises the grass which grows lush and green. Just my experince some years ago with about 20 sheep in the back field in Hampshire, UK.

**Old Hippie** · 3rd February 11, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

I had several thousand of the wretched beasts wandering about the place looking for places to die.

A good sheep'll do that.

For the OP: What do you want the sheep to do? Provide wool? Meat? Milk? Trim yer lawn? Wash yer car? Make more sheep? (Generally that takes at least one each of the requisite genders, but you'll hear a lot of people say, "I started with one sheep a few years ago.' That means something.)

If you're looking for stupid and ill-tempered animals to keep the kids on their toes, I'd suggest roosters. Hens are OK but roosters are only around for one purpose, and it ain't to get yer lazy self outta bed in the morning. OTOH sheep don't crow, but gettin' knocked on yer butt by a ram will sure enough wake you up. You learn how to deal with it. Without leaving dents in the ram.

True story from last year: We had a smallish flock eating the foliage off an acre that we have since turned into terraced gardens. The ram was a pushy little bugger who thought I was his personal bouncy toy. But he'd only charge until he hit something, so touching him on top of the head stopped him. But it got annoying.

We moved the flock in with some others after the ram had done that for which his existence was justified, and he decided to head-butt the other flock's ram. KRAK. Down and out, dead with a broken skull. The other ram shook his head at the impetuousness of youth and walked away, now in control of twice as many ewes.

You ready for that?

:ootd:

**Pleater** · 3rd February 11, 12:43 PM

I used to take my Labrador dog for walks twice a day, and usually took one particular footpath through a field at least once a day.

A flock of sheep appeared on the field, and as the Winter progressed I had to rescue cast sheep several times a week.

When the good weather arrived I was walking along as usual and was accosted by the gentleman farmer - who was neither - and told to keep my dog away from the sheep or he would shoot him.

I told him I wasn't about to take orders from a man who had no idea which way up his sheep should be, and that I had set several dozen of them back on their feet over the weeks and he should be ashamed of himself for leaving them untended.

They were Leicester sheep, with long coats which were filthy dirty, and when they were laid over in the mud they were well and truly stuck. If they had not been so skinny I would never have been able to move them.

My dog had wandered off, and he barked - he'd found a cast sheep, so I showed the man the problem and told him he'd better get on with rescuing his beast.

The sheep were gone by the end of the week, hopefully to a more caring owner.

I have never kept sheep - but I think there might be something in the genes.

When you have two rams on the same land you tie them together so that they can't butt eachother with any great force. The chain used for the job is called a ram shackle, and as it is any old bit of chain the term has come to mean something rather less than first class.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

**Burly Brute** · 3rd February 11, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

In spite of my best efforts to ignore this thread it seems that my low profile was, well not low enough!

Well alright there was a time when I had several thousand of the wretched beasts wandering about the place looking for places to die. I fortunately had people to look after them so I had as little to do with the damn things as possible and the wee bit that I did have to do with them----the accounts----did not add to any enthusiasm that I might have had for them!

Having said that, what do you want to know?

I have done a ton of research, but I guess my biggest question was in regards to raising maybe smaller flocks than 1000 haha because there isnt enough land in Arizona for that! I was leaning more towards seedstock sheep, as that seems to allow for the smallest flock to still receive a profit. Is it possible for a person who has no experience with sheep specificall, and if you need to have a ton of funds to generate this whole project. Thanks for giving in and responding ;-) haha.

slainte,

Zach

**auld argonian** · 3rd February 11, 03:34 PM

When I was a kid, I saw an alpaca at the zoo and it made a very strong impression on me.

Last year I started looking around the internet - just for a laugh - to see what it took to get an alpaca....holy $#!+!!!! Those things are expensive!

Thus died my childhood dream of becoming a big time alpaca rancher!

Best

AA

**Bugbear** · 3rd February 11, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by auld argonian

When I was a kid, I saw an alpaca at the zoo and it made a very strong impression on me.

Last year I started looking around the internet - just for a laugh - to see what it took to get an alpaca....holy $#!+!!!! Those things are expensive!

Thus died my childhood dream of becoming a big time alpaca rancher!

Best

AA

They've got several alpaca and llama ranches out here in Arizona; you could become a hand.

There's also ostrich ranches etc.