Need help selecting sheep or goat breed

[watchdogps]

I posted this on backyard herds, but it just isnt as active as here.
We are moving to a mini farm this week, and had planned on getting some retired babydolls. Hubby has been watching a lot of documentaries though, and wants to see if we can get something more utilitarian. We are total newbies to farm stuff but not to animal husbandry in general. Can anyone make some suggestions as to breeds?
- we would like something hardy as well as cold hardy ( we live in ohio)
-docile
-prefer easy lambing
- haven't decided what purpose yet. I'd love dairy so I know they wouldn't be killed, but I don't know if the market for milk is there. I can live with meat knowing they will be raised humanely.
-we have a small space. Probably two half acre pens and maybe some small short term pens that might be 1/10th acre. If you suggest a breed, could you also advise how many we could accommodate?
- we would like to primarily grass feed.

oh, we would consider goats too, so suggestions on those are welcome.

 

[Okla-doodle-doo]

I don't have any sheep and am certainly no expert, but when I get back out on the farm I am going to get shetlands. I have read a lot about them and have seen several up close and absolutely love them. And since you are going to be on a "mini" farm ,then you can have more of them. Research them and I think you will like them. Great wool,easy lambing,small enough to handle. They have it all. I would think you would be able to have at least a half a dozen and their seasonal offspring,maybe more depending on other feed(hay,etc( Maybe someone more knowledgeable can chime in. Any way congrats on the farm life!

 

[debilorrah]

We have extreme temps here: 110 in the summer, as low as 10 in the winter. We have nubian goats and they do just fine in all kinds of weather. They are lovable animals, very playful. They do have a shelter to get out of the sun or snow or rain. They also have a jungle gym to climb on, though they sleep on it more than anything.

 

[watchdogps]

I did look at the shetlands, also found some info on one called a cascade farmstead sheep. We want to try to do it organically (we raise our dogs naturally, so of course we want to carry this over to all the animals we raise)and I really like the idea of helping conserve a breed. I'm not sure about the cost of it though.

 

[kuntrygirl]

With the hot Louisiana temps, I chose to get Barbado sheep They are hair sheep, so I don't have to shear them. I also have a pygmy goat. I love the Barbado.

 

[JeffJustJeff]

I am in almost the exact same situation. We're in Central Ohio as well and bought a 6.5 acre farm at the beginning of May. We are definitely going to do dairy goats. I wouldn't mind having just a few sheep too. I'd love to try miniature cattle, but they're a lot more expensive to start up. I already have quite the flock of poultry. Maybe we can share farm stories since we're in the same neck of the woods.

Good luck!
Jeff

 

[watchdogps]

Quote:
Where in central Ohio? We are in Bucyrus, but originally from Columbus.
We MAY have an opportunity to use the cattle farm across the road. The husband died and the wife couldnt manage 20 head of cattle. We are going to ask her if she might rent it out or split profits....

 

[CapricornFarm]

I keep Nubians and Kiko goats. The Nubians have wonderful personalities and produce milk. The kikos are meat goats, and have good worm resistance, are great mothers and need less hoof care than Boers. I have been crossing them to get some kiko benefits into the Nubian lines. Love my goats.

 

[carolinagirl58]

Do you want wool? If not....get one of the hair breeds of sheep. That way you won't have any shearing to deal with. I have Barbados Blackbelly sheep and Katahdins and I MUCH prefer the Katahdins. The Barbados are wild. I mean REALLY wild. They are very flighty and remind me of whitetail deer. I am having a terrible time trying to get them to accept the LGD puppies. I finally had to move the ring-leader out of there and into a pen with the ram because she was the worst one and was keeping all the sheep on edge. I kind of wish I had never gotten the Blackbellies.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
Were your barbados born and raised with you from Day 1 or did you purchase them from someone?