what are the requirments for sheep?

[cgjsmith]

ok ya'll got my dander up LOL I want to know a little about sheep. do they graze? I have a rather small feild and then a larger wooded area. are there any special requirments to winter them? can they be in with goats? geese? will a male be aggressive if we just get one? (no females or other males) I have pygmies so the goats are reather small would the sheep run them over? Anything else I should be aware of? Crystal

 

[kstaven]

Shetland or Icelandics are the best for grazing if you have lots of brush and forest. They do not require the grains and supplimental feeds that many others do. They are VERY winter hardy and not aggressive. There shouldn't be a problem with your goats. I have never had problems with them and chickens, ducks, geese or any of the other barnyard critters.

 

[Rosalind]

Do they graze? Yes, incessantly. In fact if there is some vegetation you perhaps did not want to be 1/2 inch high, I would recommend fencing it off with electric wire.

To give you an idea: I bought my house, on 2 acres, from a guy who kept two sheep, one horse, and 6-7 chickens. He did not own a lawnmower and never needed one. I bought the house in winter, and in the spring the old owner was as surprised as anyone to see all the lovely woodland wildflowers, raspberry and blackberry bushes that sprang up around the yard. He thought I had planted them, and complimented me on my gardening. Uh, no...

These were sheep that were fed plenty of perfectly good sheep food, too. Not sheep that were only turned out to pasture. They mowed 2 acres just for a snack. The horse barely nibbled so much as a dock leaf.

 

[Frozen Feathers]

One thing you have to be careful with is that goat grains contain copper which sheep can't have. So if you are offering your goats grain, make sure the sheep can't get at it. That's the only problem I see with mixing goats and sheep.

 

[thechickenfarmer]

I just read a good book called "Hit by a Farm", it's about two women who raise sheep but there were also some chicken in it too. It was very funny but also educational.

Here the link for the book if you're interested:

http://www.hitbyafarm.com/

 

[Hotwings]

I know sheep will graze a pasture down to nothing. Sheep as pretty docile and I don't have alot of experience with them, in my opinion there isn't much personality there. Denise had 4 sheep three ewes and a neutered male. They shared a pasture with a holstein steer and they got along. The funny thing about them is they all traveled together. The four never separated. Another thing is shearing-if they are a wool producing breed they will have to be sheared in the spring. They have meat sheep also,but I don't have any idea how much wool they put on. Sheep are pretty winter hardy and really don't need much shelter, maybe a lean to. Their wool coat is pretty weather resistent.

 

[cgjsmith]

I was looking at a babydoll sheep one or two I need something smaller because I have pygmy goats. trying to stay small with most everything. I feed them sweet feed %10 does it have copper in it? how do I find out if it does? are shetland sheep minis? I saw them on a mini farm animal group. Thanks Crystal

P.s Little did my hubby know when he said...lets get a few chickens....