Goats and sheep on half a acre

[Matija]

One more question if i give sheep pellets does it need salt.and ratio of hay/pasture and pellets for sheep

 

[BreanneRN]

I feed a pelleted feed that's sold in feed stores over here called simply "Lamb Grower", but I feed it to my rams, ewes, the whole flock. Most of the time, the ewes are either pregnant or lactating, so they need the extra nutrition. They also get hay and a small amount of oats. Fresh greens (pasture, weeds, other forage) should make up about a 1/3 of their ration, but I have often gone for months with just hay and the pelleted feed... Sheep really like weeds and sometimes I grow the weeds they like to eat to feed them. They love prickly pigweed, wild lettuce, and purslane, that grow around here, also will eat russian thistle, if it is before the prickles come out. They will clean up tree leaves in the fall, especially like mulberry leaves. Will eat a lot of farm waste, like almond hulls, carrot greens, blackeyed pea vines, as well as grasses, and thistles, spoiled fruit fallen from the tree, crabapples, they will eat anything a deer would eat. And, they will eat bark off of trees so you will have to protect the trunks of your trees. They will eat pine, cypress, liquid amber, maple, and probably a whole lot of others. Mine will eat the leaves off the eucalyptus and willow, but leave the bark of those alone. Sometimes, when I can't get lamb grower, I feed a 12% horse pellet instead. Anyway, especially if you just have 3 or 4, I would not get a herding dog, it will ruin your relationship with them and the relationship makes them manageable. On a 1/2 acre you will not need a dog to find them, though you might need a dog to protect them, during the night from predators. This dog should spend all his time with the sheep and become like his family. I do feed a commercial sheep mineral preparation but also have used salt mineral block meant for horses. They need the minerals particularly in summer when it is hot, and in the last 2 months of their pregnancy, so they don't get pre eclampsia (toxemia of pregnancy).

 

[BreanneRN]

We have lots of dog species for keeping sheep.german sheppard,belgian sheppard,rottweiler, and yugoslavian shepperd dog called sarplaninac.

If it were me, I would go with the Sarplaninac, it is the only one of those that looks like a livestock guardian dog. Others more for herding, except for Rottweiller, but don't think the Rottweiller has enough hair to spend full time with sheep. German Shepherds and Belgian Shepherds are nice dogs, but don't think they are used as guardians.

 

[BreanneRN]

As to the cheese making, don't know how important that is to you, there are sheep especially bred to be milkers but most sheep will not produce milk like a goat will, also goats are easier to manage for a close up activity like milking... So you might want to consider that. I have had goat cheese and it is wonderful, I have also had yogurt made from sheep milk and cheese and it is creamy and wonderful. But, you might have trouble finding sheep for milking in your area, as they are not all that common, though maybe more common where you are...

 

[CircusMum]

Are those the only breeds in your area? Like I said I don’t know much about sheet but as far as goats alpines Are probably the best option for your size because of their size but Alpine goats are known for their escape abilities. All goats are escape artists but they’re better than the rest. I don’t know much about the other ones I actually had to look them up because I’ve never heard of them

So true! I’ve got Alpines and Nubians. The Alpines are terribly naughty. They’re quite agile and always escaping!

 

[Latestarter]

Since sheep have a rumen, they really need a source of long stem plant matter 24/7. It's best if you provide them hay 24/7 unless they have access to long stem grasses in a pasture environment. Pellets are great as a concentrated nutrient source, but they still need hay. They ALSO need minerals. It is highly unlikely that they can get all that they need from your local soil/vegetation.

Some provide a mineral block, others provide granulated minerals. I have no experience with sheep but with goats, the block is hard on their teeth and they can't get enough of what they need by simply licking the block. I believe the same issue would be a concern with sheep as well. If you get a good quality sheep mineral and just put it out for them, they will use it as they need it and generally are very good at self regulation. They also typically do not like "stale" or old mineral or mineral that has gotten wet. So don't put out more than necessary. The mineral base is salt, so try not to put it too close to their water either. If you do, they may over do it... salt - drink - more salt - more drink etc.

 

[Matija]

How much hay costs in usa.wher i am it costs about dollar a 10 kg

 

[Matija]

Then can i do 2 alpine goats,two romanian sheep and ram.

 

[BreanneRN]

I think what I might do in your situation is get 2 ewes (female sheep) and 1 doe (female goat). That way, if the goat wants to leave and wander, the sheep will probably still stay home . Because the goat will have to leave by itself, it may be more likely to stay home with the sheep. 1/2 acre is not a lot of land and you don't want to be living in the middle of a feedlot. Only about once a year do you need a ram or billygoat. I would consider not keeping either full time. They can be aggressive and often spend their time butting fences and destroying the place out of frustration of having not much to do. They are a management problem and can come after you, too. When you need a ram or billygoat, perhaps you can borrow from a neighbor? Or the other option is buy a weanling in the late spring that will be about 6 months old by fall. After breeding is over, you can sell him or butcher him. You will be selling your own weanlings around that time anyway. That way you will only have the hassle of ram ownership for a short time during the year. I know in the UK, they have public studs and you can check out a good ram like a library book and return him when you are done. I wish we could do that in the USA. 1 goat can give a lot of milk and having one around would not be too bad, and the fact that they are less fearful and more friendly with people will help give the more timid sheep some confidence. Since you won't have too many, you can confine them at night in a barn(which will protect them from predators, saving you from having to have a dog) and give them their appropriate supplements at that time. Be careful when picking your sheep and goat, you want good natured ones that are not too wild. I would not have a problem taking a bottle fed sheep, but would avoid that with the goat, they are already over friendly and that would make it worse. In the end, you will do what seems right for you, but it would be wise not to overload yourself initially. They do take some tending and can get themselves in trouble (stuck in fences, overturn their water, entrap themselves in various ways, succumb to bloat when it is hot and they eat too much). At lambing time they will have to be watched as well, and I usually confine my new mothers for several weeks so they won't have to compete for food and can bond with their babies well. The goat will most likely out compete the sheep for food, though hard to tell. They can be quite pushy and can overeat. I would get the sheep first and then a young goat after they are settled in.

Regarding the price of hay, it varies a lot by type and location, here in the US and also seasonally. It also depends on how much you can buy. The more you buy, the lower the price, if you buy at the end of summer, when farmers who have too much to store for the winter are selling it will be less. If you are buying it by the bale, where I live good alfalfa hay (horse quality) is $12 to $20 a bale, grassy hay goes for less, weedy hay even less. A bale of hay may weigh around 50 kg. Most people will buy it by the ton, and there are considered to be 16 bales in a ton of hay. Most of the time it is not weighed, just bought and sold by the bale or supposed ton. Highest prices are always at the feed store due to huge retail mark-ups. Lowest price if you go to the farm closest and work out a deal and buy the whole field (but no, I've never done that, know people who have though). On the east coast, from what I hear, most of the hay is grass hay, usually bermuda or timothy and the cost is less. But the price varies widely across the country.

 

[Birdsong 82]

Hay and straw differ a lot in the US from place to place. Around my area $5 bale for straw and $7 bale for hay.