Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

Thinking about getting a lamb to grow into a grass eater. Anyone here ever had sheep before? I would house it with my 2 goats.

Tomorrow is a big day. Well not big. But it's an important day. Well, not important to everyone, (but it should be!). Hhhmmmmm, a special day. I think CC will be happy tomorrow happened. I mean who would she pick on if it wasn't for tomorrow?!

Your lamb could not eat feed or loose minerals meant for goats. Goats have a much higher nutritional need for copper. The levels a goat needs will give a sheep copper toxicity.

On the flip side, if a goat is fed sheep feed, then the goat will become deficient in copper. So if you can keep them separate at feeding time, maybe top dressing the goat's feed with goat loose minerals, and offer them all sheep minerals free choice, it could work out. Keep an eye out for signs of copper deficiency in the goats. One of the most obvious signs is (if you have one) a black colored goat turning rusty, because copper is a critical element for the creation of black pigment. There are many other signs of a deficiency, and this is a great article for it, too.

I personally struggle with low copper issues in my herd. The reason is the ultra high levels of iron in the water (with towns nearby named Iron Mountain, Iron River, Ironwood, etc. it is not surprising). High amounts of iron inhibits proper copper absorption. i have to give my goats a copper bolus (copper oxide capsule) on a bi monthly basis. If I miss a month, my black goat, Suzie Q, starts turning rusty very quickly.
 
Hey big fam, dont your goats eat your grass? Lol might be a dumb question. .. but one would think...
Hubby just kinda okd us getting a sheep. I would have no idea how to take care of one! What do you feed? Can you have only 1? Can you tie them up? Will it eat my flowers if I dont? Do you get a boy...neutered?
So many questions. ..


Hey big fam.... happy.....
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Thinking about getting a lamb to grow into a grass eater. Anyone here ever had sheep before? I would house it with my 2 goats.

Tomorrow is a big day. Well not big. But it's an important day. Well, not important to everyone, (but it should be!). Hhhmmmmm, a special day. I think CC will be happy tomorrow happened. I mean who would she pick on if it wasn't for tomorrow?!
My father always said " 2 sheep per acre and you never need to mow" but, then he would say something about sheep and Scottsmen that would make me wonder if he knew what he was talking about. LOL
 
Hey big fam, dont your goats eat your grass? Lol might be a dumb question. .. but one would think...
Hubby just kinda okd us getting a sheep. I would have no idea how to take care of one! What do you feed? Can you have only 1? Can you tie them up? Will it eat my flowers if I dont? Do you get a boy...neutered?
So many questions. ..


Hey big fam.... happy.....
.....
.....

Quote: Oh wow- I did not know that goats need a special diet! I just feed them hay, kitchen scraps and let them eat the grass...
 
Oh I would!! Judge, there is no license in WI that allows the sale of raw milk directly to consumers. 'Incidental' sales are all that are allowed, and that term is up for interpretation depending on who is running DATCP. Vernon wasn't selling to the general public, only members of his private farm club. Yes, he did break a hold order on his milk back in 2010. There was no contamination and no reason for the state to give him a cease and desist, other than the state wants no raw milk sales period. Vernon has said he would get a license to sell raw milk, if there was one. It really comes down to control of the food. Scary.

Culled a hurt guinea this morning, and ended up doing 2 more chickens that were on the 'list'. Went pretty quick, the guinea plucked really easy, much to my surprise. 5 or 6 more birds that need to go...

eta: BL4 totally beat me to it! Good info. Can't sell raw milk in the "Dairy State", is that asinine or what??
You have some great protest T- shirt ideas there

Dairy State My Eye
or

Milk is Illegal in the Dairy state.
or

Got Milk? Go To Jail!
 
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Judge, this is the law in WI regarding the sale of 'Raw' milk. Taken directly from the Wi DATCP site.


RAW MILK FAQS

Selling raw milk is illegal in Wisconsin. Because of a few very narrow exceptions and a good deal of misinformation, confusion may exist. Here are the answers to frequently asked questions about raw milk sales in Wisconsin.
Can a dairy farmer legally sell raw milk?

No. The sale or distribution of raw or unpasteurized milk is illegal. The law exempts the “incidental sale” of raw milk directly to a consumer at the dairy farm where the milk is produced, for consumption by that consumer (or the consumer’s family or nonpaying guests). But those sales are also illegal if done as a regular business, or if they involve advertising of any kind.
Can a dairy farmer legally sell dairy products made from raw milk?

No. You must have a dairy plant license to make dairy products that are sold to consumers. Products such as yogurt, butter and cream must be made from pasteurized milk. Cheese must be made from pasteurized milk unless it is properly aged for at least 60 days.
Can dairy farmers consume raw milk from their own farms?

Yes. A licensed milk producer may consume raw milk from his or her own farm, and may serve that raw milk to family members and nonpaying household guests. A licensed milk producer is legally responsible for all dairy farm operations.
What if the licensed milk producer is a corporation or other business entity?

If a dairy farm is licensed to a legal entity other than an individual or married couple, an individual who is a bona fide owner of that business entity may consume raw milk from that dairy farm, and may serve it to family members and nonpaying household guests. However, a person who merely makes a sham investment in order to obtain raw milk is not a bona fide owner.
Does owning a “cow share” or “herd share” qualify as bona fide ownership?

No.
Can dairy farm employees buy raw milk from the dairy farm where they work?

Yes. Employees can buy raw milk for their personal or household consumption, provided that the licensed dairy farm operator declares them as employees for payroll and tax-reporting purposes.
Ok - thanks for the info
smile.png
i was reading an article from Fox11 http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/fox_cities/raw-milk-debate-heads-to-court
 
Hey there everyone. Made the hard decision here to sell off our entire flock. Like someone said earlier... need some time to go fishing. lol

So, here's the link to my Craigslist ad.
http://wausau.craigslist.org/grd/3819910573.html

I will not be going to the bash either. So if anyone is interested take a look and come on over.

Also, not yet listed are 20 ginseng drying racks, 11 x 4 $10 each.

Will have more chain link kennel panels for sale later as well.

If your interested please call or text, my number is in the ad.

And sorry but I can't hold anything, if you want something come and get it.
 
Oh wow- I did not know that goats need a special diet! I just feed them hay, kitchen scraps and let them eat the grass...

They can do just fine on that diet. Just add in some loose goat minerals, fed free choice, and they should thrive. I have growing, pregnant, and lactating goats, so feeding grain is necessary. But to a wether, buck, or doe who is fully grown and not pregnant or lactating, they are fine without it.

Keep the minerals in a small pan or bowl in a dry, draft free place and replace as it gets used up. The goats will lick up what they need, as they need it. I have mine attached to the wall of their shelter at just below their eye level. They can self regulate, they know when to eat some. Salt blocks often lead to deficiencies, as they are almost completely composed to table salt and little else.


Hey big fam, dont your goats eat your grass? Lol might be a dumb question. .. but one would think...
Hubby just kinda okd us getting a sheep. I would have no idea how to take care of one! What do you feed? Can you have only 1? Can you tie them up? Will it eat my flowers if I dont? Do you get a boy...neutered?
So many questions. ..

Goats are considered browsers. They will eat grass, if there is nothing but grass to eat. They prefer to browse on shrubs and tall weeds. So if you have browse available, they will ignore grass for the most part. Sheep on the other hand, are grazers, and prefer grass.

No, you can't keep just one sheep. They are herd animals, and a herd animal kept alone will be incredibly stressed. I would not recommend tying up an animal unless you are directly supervising the tied up animal. Tied up animals can often panic, and throttle themselves. I will tie up my buck while I let my others (one wether and does) 'free range' while I am outside doing chores. But he is ALWAYS in sight. Most often, he just knocks over his water bucket, accidentally.

Boy rams can be neutered, just like boy goats. It is called wethering, and a wethered ram or buck is called just that, a wether. Wethers made great pets, and are cheaper to buy.

If you let a sheep or goat near your flowers, yea, you can kiss your flowers goodbye. Just yesterday I was potting up a pepper plant, and turned my back for one instant. That was all it took for my Angora goat to bite it in half (she was 'helping').

As far as diet, hay, minerals, and fresh water are the basics for sheep. The need for graining depends on the sheep. They should still have some access to hay even if they are grazing on pasture. Pasture bloat is a killer of ruminants, caused when an animal fills up on lush, wet pasture (like dew covered grass in the early morning). A bit of hay before turning them out helps fill them up a bit, so they don't fill up on all that grass before it has a chance to dry.
 
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Hey there everyone. Made the hard decision here to sell off our entire flock. Like someone said earlier... need some time to go fishing. lol

So, here's the link to my Craigslist ad.
http://wausau.craigslist.org/grd/3819910573.html

I will not be going to the bash either. So if anyone is interested take a look and come on over.

Also, not yet listed are 20 ginseng drying racks, 11 x 4 $10 each.

Will have more chain link kennel panels for sale later as well. 

If your interested please call or text, my number is in the ad. 

And sorry but I can't hold anything, if you want something come and get it.



:':)':)':)'(
 
Wow CasieD: I hope you still come on and say hi? Sad to hear your getting rid of all your chickens!!!

I will have to check in with you and see what you still have by next weekend when we are swinging down right by you.
 
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