Thinking of buying some land and sheep

[michickenwrangler]

Quote:
I've heard that sheep are prone to diseases and parasites. So is this a major problem? Obviously at least SOME people have healthy flocks.

No forclosure possibility Laurieks. She owns it, bought the property /w money her husband left her.

 

[Felicia]

I have a Romney ewe, and I love her to death!! She knows her name, and even comes to it. She is a sweetheart, and I am breeding her this fall. She is a large sheep, but she is so easy to take care of. I have her with my goats so that she doesn't get lonely.

Romney's are a really tough breed. She has made it through pneumonia twice. The first time her temp went up to 106, which is when brain damage starts (and at that point, they normally die) - but she made it, thank God. (she caught a bug at my friends house, when she lived there for a bit, and then got pneumonia...she hasn't gone back to their house since

) Plus their hooves are really good and basically resistant to hoof rot.


Once sheep get sick, they pretty much give up on life. My vet described it to me as that they are okay with dieing.

I love them, and they are totally worth it

Here is my baby, Mollia
(excuse the uhm....boogers,

)

Me and Mollia

 

[kcardella]

Felicia, both you and Mollia are just beautiful!

 

[michickenwrangler]

Awwwww!!!

I want to hug her too!

She looks fluffy!

 

[peeppeeppeep]

Felicia, you are lucky to have such a friendly sheep.

I have 9 sheep that I acquired as adults. Maybe that was the problem. They are almost all super-skittish and unfriendly. If you just turn them out onto the pasture they will of course not be friendly either. Mine are just a pain. We have cougars and bears etc. so I have to bring them into the barn every night and after 6 months they still resist going in for their nightly treats.

I'm about ready to get rid of them. I'm sad because I always wanted sheep. They just didn't turn out like I expected. I wish I knew how to tame them but I don't. So any time they need to be wormed, shorn, have hoof care, shots, etc (just basic care) it is a major hassle. I don't really have the energy to wrestle with a sheep, and mine are small (Shetlands).

Even if you don't want to do anything with the sheep, it would be irresponsible of you not to take care of the basics I mentioned. So...

The goats we bought on the other hand, are a delight. Friendly, curious, intelligent...

Anyway, that's my experience. I think if you bought some lambs or sheep that had been hand-raised (bottle fed) that your experience might be different as far as ease of care. But expecting to just turn them out to pasture and not care for them is probably unrealistic. I suggest at least reading a book on sheep care and talking to someone who has sheep before you commit.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I seriously contemplating going into the sheep business. Raising lambs for meat or breeding animals can be pretty profitable. I eventually decided against it, because sheep tend to be very prone to parasites and diseases and predators. A single pack of loose dogs, could destroy, maim, and mangle a small to medium flock in just a few hours. This is the same reason I avoid goats. Both charming animals in their own way, but both are very prone to dog and coyote attacks. After putting so much work into something, it would kill me to go to feed and find dead and dying sheep.

Sure poultry suffer from even more predators, but at least I can keep them in a reasonable amount of space, surround them by 6' dogwire, with a covered top and a skirt and electric wire around the bottom.

If you do decide on sheep, it is an absolute must to get a Livestock Guardian. It doesn't need to be a dog, a llama or donkey would do the job well and not need a special diet. If I ever have a flock of sheep or goats, I will have a female donkey to go with them.