There are obvious benefits to raising sheep and butt . Meat is likely the first that comes to mind . And add on your farm ’s income flow by producing that essence to cope with the demand of a seasonal market place is one considerateness .
However , you ’ll want to suppose about others as well .
Sheep , for example , can also produce raw woolen and fleece product , along with Milk River that can be used to produce personal - care products such as lip unguent and soaps . Likewise , goats can also grow Milk River and cheeseflower . Once you begin to moot this various reach of ware , you may start to think about your would - be seasonal income as year - rotund .
Selecting Sheep
Bobby and Debby Collier of Pikeville , Tennessee , raise Border Cheviot and East Friesian sheep on their3 Hills Farm . Bobby is a lifelong farmer and retired agriculture teacher . His professing ignited his interest in sheep .
“ I had students that could n’t afford to show bullock and cattle because they were not as financially able to do that , ” Bobby enjoin . “ They thought they could show sheep . I thought , ‘ If I ’m going to teach them about sheep , I ’m go to ask to see about them myself . ’ ”
What began as an effort to help his bookman is now a 35 - year background in lift sheep .
Hope Ellis-Ashburn
presently , 150 head reside on the couple ’s farm , locate on the Cumberland Plateau . Their business is multifaceted . For example , the couple choose Border Cheviots for the market lamb , fleece and wool ware side of their concern . They also have other intersection they produce from the tallow of the Cheviots .
The milk - producing East Friesians supply the need of the scoop the couple grow on their farm .
translate more : Make you own cultured milk product ! Here ’s how .
Hope Ellis-Ashburn
Because the Colliers strive to meet the demand of a year - one shot market , they were selective when deciding on which breeds of sheep to upraise . They chose Border Cheviots for their suitableness to stand firm the clime on the Cumberland Plateau , peculiarly the abrasive wintertime conditions .
In addition , Bobby say less lanolin is produced in the wool of the Cheviots that transfers to improved seasoning in the meat .
“ It ’s also a personal preference , ” he says . “ They are beautiful sheep . The woollen is calibre enough that we can spin it and get wool products out of it . ” As the highest Milk River - producing strain of sheep , the East Friesians were chosen for the volume of milk they produce .
Both the Border Cheviots and the East Friesians are seasonal breeders that breed in the fall of the year with lambs come around the first of February through March and the first part of April .
“ Part of that , especially with the Cheviots , is the genetics of their body . Nature has them where they were raised and originated in the Cheviot Hills between Scotland and England that their lamb will have plenty of Gunter Grass when they strike the milk , ” Bobby says .
“ That ’s the cause they will unremarkably be born in March . ”
Raising High-Quality Sheep
The Colliers ’ sheep Charles Lamb in front of their b . After the babe are on the land , they ’re moved inside the b .
“ This is for the mammy and baby to bond in lambing jugs or lambing pen , ” Bobby says . The Ewe and lambs remain in the lambing jugful for a few solar day before being transferred to a baby’s room lot for an additional two to three day .
From there , they ’re returned to the pasture . The lambs are ablactate at the 80 - to-90 - day mark and from there go to the farm ’s feedlot to become market lambs or replacement ewes . The Colliers look until their replacement ewes are 18 - months - old before breed them for the first time . However , the market dear are raised to a weighting of between 100 and 120 pound .
Collier ’s sheep are rotationally grazed throughout the summer . On top of that , they receive auxiliary commercial provender and as high - quality clover and grass hay as potential . The hay prey to the Colliers ’ sheep come from only their fields .
The Colliers are proud of the fact that their hay is produce with no commercial fertilizers . Instead , other than lime hydrate , their playing area receive only plant food produced from chicken manure from the Gallus gallus houses on their farm .
To raise as high - quality sheep as possible , the Colliers immunise their breeding stock against generative disease and their market lambs against coccidiosis . They also closely supervise for acidosis or grain overburden . In add-on , they deworm their sheep before breeding .
However , the Colliers do n’t rely alone on dewormers to push parasites .
“ Our big creature that we use in fighting parasites is rotational grazing , ” Bobby enounce . Sheep easily pick up worms because they pasture so nigh to the earth . To battle this , the Colliers rotate their sheep to overbold pasture every four to five days allowing them to keep the grass to about 4 to 5 inches in height .
say more : Rotational grazing is central to contain parasite .
Year-Round &Seasonal Markets
The Colliers ’ entire surgical process is in the main gear toward a year - round of golf mart . It ’s a niche market that they have make , and it let in restaurants and retail stores that sell their products . They get fresh lamb for those markets year - round .
To meet the demand , they separate their lambs according to weights and ages and produce , hold or crusade to run into those weight .
The American Pride and Produce market in Dayton , the Hummingbird Pastaria Restaurant in Signal Mountain and Edgefield Prime Meat Co. in Dunlap are just a few of the local fellowship the Colliers have done or currently do business concern with . They also farm customs meat orders .
In the event they have an teemingness of lambs , those are raised to hit the heathenish markets .
The Colliers base the price of meat on current market price but , due to the year - orotund nature of their commercial enterprise , strain to keep their prices on an even keel .
The securities industry does get high on a seasonal cornerstone . But rather than cater to multiple markets , the brace prove to alleviate that for their client by keep their prices coherent .
As for wool , until recent year Bobby served as the farm ’s only shearer . However , hired shearers now fill this role .
“ We essay to make certain that all of our fleece is process in the U.S. , ” Debby says . “ The mills we expend are run by small families that have been flow their manufacturing plant for three to five generation . [ Our products ] go to two unlike factory for wind cone or mittens . ”
The byproducts are also year - round . “ We would state you to buy woolen air sock in the summertime , ” Debby says . “ Wool keeps your foot ironical . We always counsel wearing [ the socks ] year - round . ”Hope Ellis - Ashburn
scoop is another twelvemonth - rung Cartesian product . “ We render to run gross sales on the soap yr - circular , ” she enunciate . “ The nesting balls and the drier balls that we do are class - rhythm for us . ”
A unique detail , the nesting balls are made from stomach wool that is traditionally scrap woollen . However , Debby stuffs the nesting balls into grape testis that can be hung from tree . shuttle , attract to the nesting cloth , cull it out to line their nests .
Soap is a specialty of Debby ’s . Rather than using Milk River as only an additive , she apply pure sheep ’s Milk River and swear on blanket enquiry to bring forth it . Soap , sassing balm , mittens , yarn , toboggans , ear heater and batten are just a few of the other year - troll item the Colliers grow .
Soap from the Collier farm is currently sold in 18 stores and can be found topically as well as in Ohio . This year it was even useable at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville , Kentucky .
The Colliers also on occasion sell their byproduct at local case and festivals .
The retail damage for the byproducts is ground on the match ’s expenses . They also consult with the mills on current sweeping pricing to help determine what fees they should assign to their products .
The Colliers give credit to God for what they do and reckon themselves golden enough to be chosen to be custodian of this ground and these animals .
Personal Recommendations
For those just getting started or planning to revamp their current operation , Bobby and Debby have these recommendation :
A ecumenical rule of thumb is that 1 acre of realm can put up approximately four to six sheep . This can deviate by the breed of sheep as well as soil and vegetation . Unlike goat , sheep are grazers and will need adequate land area to support them .
Because you will spend as much time raising two as you will with 10 , Bobby recommend eight to 10 sheep when starting out .
plant that may not be venomous to other creature are venomous to sheep . confabulate with your county ’s extension office to help determine if your pastures check venomous plants .
Because they sometimes trade genteelness store , the Collier ’s sheep are primarily registered animals . However , using purebred , registered stock is n’t necessary . intercrossed vigour is produced from interbreed , and there is something to be read for its inclusion in a give sheep operation .
On the other hand , if there is a desire for purebred stock , there are breeds of sheep that are uniquely suited for your specific motivation .
make high - tone substance and by - products requires pregnant investment into veterinary fear , equipment , facilities , and even shearing if this is hired out . barn , while not postulate strictly for protection , are necessary for ewes to lamb in the dry .
Plan to devote a considerable amount of time to your sheep during the lambing time of year . From January to May , Bobby gets up three to four times a night so as not to miss a cliff .
Predators such as coyote and region dogs are a rotund concern . A perimeter fencing , neutered safety frank and guard animals — such as Equus asinus and llamas — can help alleviate this concern . tight monitoring guard duty weenie for aggressiveness toward multitude and skilful public sex act between the shepherd and the neighbour all wager a role .
If you are raise sheep and goats , do n’t mix sheep and goat feed . Sheep ca n’t put up the pig find in goat feed .
Perspective on Goats
While sheep and goats have plentitude of similarities in the areas of fencing , facilities , veterinary care , parasite and predator control , and , to some extent , feed , there are some key differences . caprine animal , for example , prefer a coarser stem to graze than sheep , have sex to graze and relish vegetation that grows higher off the ground such as vines .
As a avocation , Jess Wilson raises a little identification number of Alpine and Nubian cross dairy goats on her farm in Monteagle , Tennessee . “ I ’m currently see interbreed with some centre breed that are a little more resistant to parasites , ” she tell .
While her goats are primarily used to produce milk and cheese for her family , she also sells goat tyke at auction . “ The prices are pretty high , ” she says .
Wilson tender opportunities for the public to partake labor in exchange for merchandise from her farm that aid in educating the public about high - calibre agriculture products available in the local community of interests .
Like the Collier ’s sheep , Wilson ’s goats produce kids in the spring , usually in April . Her laughingstock are course a commercial feed and are rotationally grazed .
“ I usually let my babies give suck for two months or so , ” she say . “ Then , while the babies are still suckle , I start milking . After the babies are about a calendar month erstwhile , I will sometimes distinguish them at night and Milk River in the mornings . ”
After weaning , Wilson is usually able-bodied to incur about a dry quart to a 1⁄2 gallon of milk per twenty-four hours .
While not a steady income stream to her farm , Wilson ’s goats do allow her to supply her family with nutritious milk and cheeseflower . She also raises pasturage - fed purebred and cross Gulf Coast Native sheep . Her end is to raise sheep found on the internal organic standards .
Along with spawn caudex , she sell substance , available through an online farmers marketplace , and sensitive wool . To help her price the essence cuts , she use prick available on theNational Center for Appropriate Technology website .
Her wool is available on her Etsy fund , SummerFieldsFibers .
This article originally appeared in the March / April 2022 upshot ofHobby Farmsmagazine .
