Hello all.
I've been building up to this for a long time. I want to have some sheep outside my window and occasionally in my freezer. I have ten spare acres divided into one four acre very good and six acres that gets too wet from November to February/March or more if it's been a bad winter. I have plenty of barn space. I am not a farmer. I have helped out farmer friends and neighbours so I'm not worried about the handling and shearing but I am aware that I will have plenty to learn. I have never lambed. We kept goats for years so I'm pretty handy at hoof trimming. Usefully, I share a fence with a pair of sheep farmers who are good friends who will help me when I'm at a loss.
So, my idea is to start a small flock using all of my ten acres for grazing, putting some in my freezer and selling surplus lambs to help pay for the winter feed/supliments/medicines. I am not expecting to break even but I would like to reduce the deficit as much as I can.
How many ewes should I get?
Can haylage or silage be used in the winter, there's always plenty of that available locally.
What breed should I get? I'd love Devon and Cornwall longwools but they have spiked in price after a few TV appearances. Some pedigree Shetlands are available with lambs at foot and a tup if wanted quite nearby. Certainly aesthetically pleasing but as they seem like a cheap breed anyway I can't see the sale of them contributing to winter feed much. I live less than a mile from one of the biggest livestock auctions in the country so I have options there.
Any thoughts on my sale of lambs for winter feed etc economics?
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I've been building up to this for a long time. I want to have some sheep outside my window and occasionally in my freezer. I have ten spare acres divided into one four acre very good and six acres that gets too wet from November to February/March or more if it's been a bad winter. I have plenty of barn space. I am not a farmer. I have helped out farmer friends and neighbours so I'm not worried about the handling and shearing but I am aware that I will have plenty to learn. I have never lambed. We kept goats for years so I'm pretty handy at hoof trimming. Usefully, I share a fence with a pair of sheep farmers who are good friends who will help me when I'm at a loss.
So, my idea is to start a small flock using all of my ten acres for grazing, putting some in my freezer and selling surplus lambs to help pay for the winter feed/supliments/medicines. I am not expecting to break even but I would like to reduce the deficit as much as I can.
How many ewes should I get?
Can haylage or silage be used in the winter, there's always plenty of that available locally.
What breed should I get? I'd love Devon and Cornwall longwools but they have spiked in price after a few TV appearances. Some pedigree Shetlands are available with lambs at foot and a tup if wanted quite nearby. Certainly aesthetically pleasing but as they seem like a cheap breed anyway I can't see the sale of them contributing to winter feed much. I live less than a mile from one of the biggest livestock auctions in the country so I have options there.
Any thoughts on my sale of lambs for winter feed etc economics?
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.