Sheep??

[AlienChick]

Yeah, with sheep you gotta keep rotating them to new pastures or else they'll eat all the grass down to nothing.
They are awesome lawn mowers!

 

[WallabyOfChaos]

Rotation is a good way to make the most out of your available forage, but it isn't a cure-all for overgrazing. Rotational grazing was designed with pasture improvement in mind, not increased stocking rates. The stocking rate is the most important variable in good pasture management. If you overstock any pasture with any kind of livestock you will end up with a bare patch of dirt. The general rule for sheep is 6 to 8 ewes (depending on size and breed) where you can put one cow.

 

[iFairyx]

I know a lot of people say that sheep are easy but their not as easy as some thing.

Things to consider
* Hooves (they need trimming and checking for foot rot)
* Flys - they need treating to prevent flystrike.
* Worming
* Vaccinations
* Shearing
* Breeding (if you want to explore this)
* Predators
* Lambs - heat, milk, protection, castrating, selling
* Grass (they need to have plenty to eat... sometimes a field of grass doesn't have enough for them - rotation is important).

I do have one lamb (Bruce) who was last years sock lamb, we sent off all the others for slaughter but we didn't have the heart to send Bruce (he is massive). He will
bring the flock to me as he comes when he is called. He is more of a pet, but they don't make great pets.

That being said, sheep are great

 

[ScottnLydia]

We raise hair sheep. Katahdins and Dorpers. For fencing we just have 4 foot field fence which they never challenge, they just rub their wool off on it. We find ours very friendly and easy going. As for lambing, they are quite prolific. They usually have twins or more, and lamb three times in 2 years. They do run a little smaller than Suffolks and such with ewes around 130 to150 lbs and our ram is around 200 lbs.
As far as demeanor is concerned, they are quite calm and friendly! Research the breeds though, as some can be quite flighty! Many have written of not trusting rams or ram lambs, and I would agree with most breeds. Mine, however, are quire friendly and docile. I often sit in the pen to give everyone some 'love and attention'. I just make sure never to touch anyone on the forehead, just under the jaw. The big ram 'Hamish" is just a hog for this and often comes up from behind me to lay his head on my shoulder to get 'his' turn!
That being said, I'm no fool, I won't get between him and his lady when she is in estrus!
Hair sheep shed their wool each year so they don't need shearing, although some retain a little on their backs that may need clipping. Hair sheep are also naturally resistant to parasites, thus lessening or eliminating the need for worming, depending on breed.
With regards to security from predators, while there are many opinions, my money is on the llama. We have one gelded male llama that is best friends with every sheep, especially the ram. He watches every birth up close, nuzzles each lamb to it's mother when it strays too far. He herds them in from the pasture when he sees me calling them, and herds them into a tight ball when he feels danger is near. Oh,need I mention that he'll stomp the living snot out of any coyote or dog that threatens his(?) flock! We haven't lost so much as a chicken since we've had him.
Hair sheep are less picky eater and can eat weeds as well as some brush. Speaking of eating, I find there to be no finer lamb than that from hair sheep! It tastes milder, is tender, and leaner.
Do your research on breeds, but I would absolutely recommend that you get into sheep!
~S

 

[AlienChick]

We raise hair sheep. Katahdins and Dorpers. For fencing we just have 4 foot field fence which they never challenge, they just rub their wool off on it. We find ours very friendly and easy going. As for lambing, they are quite prolific. They usually have twins or more, and lamb three times in 2 years. They do run a little smaller than Suffolks and such with ewes around 130 to150 lbs and our ram is around 200 lbs.
As far as demeanor is concerned, they are quite calm and friendly! Research the breeds though, as some can be quite flighty! Many have written of not trusting rams or ram lambs, and I would agree with most breeds. Mine, however, are quire friendly and docile. I often sit in the pen to give everyone some 'love and attention'. I just make sure never to touch anyone on the forehead, just under the jaw. The big ram 'Hamish" is just a hog for this and often comes up from behind me to lay his head on my shoulder to get 'his' turn!
That being said, I'm no fool, I won't get between him and his lady when she is in estrus!
Hair sheep shed their wool each year so they don't need shearing, although some retain a little on their backs that may need clipping. Hair sheep are also naturally resistant to parasites, thus lessening or eliminating the need for worming, depending on breed.
With regards to security from predators, while there are many opinions, my money is on the llama. We have one gelded male llama that is best friends with every sheep, especially the ram. He watches every birth up close, nuzzles each lamb to it's mother when it strays too far. He herds them in from the pasture when he sees me calling them, and herds them into a tight ball when he feels danger is near. Oh,need I mention that he'll stomp the living snot out of any coyote or dog that threatens his(?) flock! We haven't lost so much as a chicken since we've had him.
Hair sheep are less picky eater and can eat weeds as well as some brush. Speaking of eating, I find there to be no finer lamb than that from hair sheep! It tastes milder, is tender, and leaner.
Do your research on breeds, but I would absolutely recommend that you get into sheep!
~S

x2

We also use the woven wire field fencing for our Katahdin sheep (currently putting in more cross-fencing as we speak for additional pastures).
They do rub against the fencing to scratch and we are setting up some scratching posts for them (since we don't have any trees in some of the pastures).
We also use electric netting to fence them in temporarily for a few weeks at a time when need be.
We move the electric netting wherever we want the sheep to be.
And we have Kangal dogs protecting our sheep.
Sheep are so easy and fun to keep, I wish I had gotten them YEARS sooner!

 

[ScottnLydia]

x2

We also use the woven wire field fencing for our Katahdin sheep (currently putting in more cross-fencing as we speak for additional pastures).
They do rub against the fencing to scratch and we are setting up some scratching posts for them (since we don't have any trees in some of the pastures).
We also use electric netting to fence them in temporarily for a few weeks at a time when need be.
We move the electric netting wherever we want the sheep to be.
And we have Kangal dogs protecting our sheep.
Sheep are so easy and fun to keep, I wish I had gotten them YEARS sooner!

Yeah, I love the way they like to rub their wool off on the woven wire fence. When freinds come over and see all the wool on the wire I tell them it costs more to get it padded that way!

Seriously, I am AWSTRUCK by how awesome (I know, too many 'awes") it feels to be a shepherd!!! Apart from gardening, it's the first occupation mentioned in the Bible. Angels came to the shepherds in Bethlehem, no one else. Lamb is eaten by more people than beef throughout the world. We eat lamb at least 3 times a week and never grow weary of it. Plus, they are just plain fun. In my opinion, truly a gift from Heaven!

~S

 

[AlienChick]

I agree!

 

[TheShepherd3]

We have 3 Blackwelsh Mountains and 1 is so friendly. Once my son let her out and she saw me enter the house and tried to go in after me! They are definitely a great breed!

 

[FarmBoy124]

I am getting sheep a few weeks from now. Please give me some tips rather than fencing.

 

[Starlings and dogs]

we had a herd of sheep they stayed near our house and where nice just taking there wool off can take sometime if you have a herd it took about 1 hour for 1 of them