Post by appledore » Sun Feb 14, 2010 5:08 pm. Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Sheep are ruminants and flock animals, meaning they’ll graze on pasture and will be happiest with at least one other sheep; however, you’ll also need to be able to afford supplemental feed and provide clean water for the flock. Perhaps advise him that any further sheep found trespassing on your land will be eaten with Mint sauce . Stephany Wilkes, PhD, is a certified tiny flock sheep shearer and Level I Wool Classer in San Francisco, Calif. She shears, trims hooves, skirts, classes, bales, spins and knits wool all over the West Coast, and writes about it on her blog, West By Midwest. Electric fences only work with gentle cows... if you allow the cattle to get a taste of the goodies inside, nothing will stop them from returning, outside of barbed wire. It is possible to live in harmony with these beautiful predators. They don’t take up much space and they make very little noise. Vehicles, even if it’s just a small ATV or UTV, need to be able to access it for feed and bedding deliveries, and you’ll want to determine if you want running water or electricity in the shelter, which can also influence your site. Talk with a livestock vet to set up a health care plan for your flock. We have an ag exemption and grazing lease which allows our neighbor's cattle to graze on our acreage. However, there are breeding options for farmers who decide not to raise a ram themselves. Again, this is where local research can be helpful. People affiliated with 4-H chapters, fiber festivals and county and state fairs can also be helpful. A ewe requires 12 to 16 square feet of housing space, though slightly less is acceptable if your sheep spend most of their time on pasture. Unless you plan to breed sheep, a ram probably isn’t right for your farm. Experienced shearers are rare, so look for and schedule one well in advance. When rotating pastures, 36- to 44-inch flexible, electrified netting works well: It’s lightweight and helpful in moving sheep from one paddock to another. It's hard to keep coyotes away from your yard or pets. What a book describes as good for sheep may cause illness or injury in the same sheep kept in a different context. Anything you can do to effectively keep cattle out of your yard is gonna cost money. This is Huntin’ Land, the podcast for landowners and land hunters. Myriad building plans for sheep facilities are available online, and salvage construction materials can often be found for free or low cost. If you are in an area subject to foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks, take appropriate precautions to protect your … When introducing sheep to your farm, plan for your driest time of year and start with fewer sheep than you think you can support to gauge your land’s abilities. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. How to keep sheep Sheep are some of the loveliest animals to watch grazing on your land. There can be numerous tax advantages to raising sheep or engaging in similar farming activities. They just might be the right animals for you. Inform them that they will be responsible for any and all property damage. Are you keeping them as pets? Nothing is going to work but a fence. JavaScript is disabled. Since goats love jumping onto structures, keeping the mineral block on top of specially built goat play-area would keep it out of reach of the sheep. How large of an area needs to be fenced? If you have coyotes in your area, you may want additional predator control. Top. Housing your sheep Before you go about buying sheep, prepare your property to contain them safely. In addition to providing a shelter, install both movable and permanent fencing. Sorry you got an unreasonable neighbour. Build a fence. Jane, please re-read my posting about the driveway - how would we drive through any kind of fencing? A general rule of thumb is that 1 acre of land can support two sheep, but this varies greatly based on rainfall and your soil quality. Sheep require protection from predators and inclement weather, and shelter keeps you more comfortable when tending to them. As a prey animal, sheep can be good at hiding problems; an abnormal behavior that appears insignificant could potentially be fatal. I am strongly tempted here to add a fourth rule which is ‘Don’t give up the day job’. There is error while submitting your request. For your own ease and safety, aim for a flock comprised primarily of ewes and possibly one or two wethers (castrated rams) when you first start keeping sheep. I've never heard of hotwire? Electric fences are relatively cheap and easy to put up but they need to be maintained and unfortunately occasionally cattle will just go through it. never actually seen one except in catalogues. Are you looking to harvest wool? Our house is fenced on 3 sides, with the 4th side open to our garage with no fencing. How to Keep People Off Your Property. The fence needs to be sturdy and tall enough that they can’t jump out. If you like to stay up to date on hunting tactics, land management, land values, and land market dynamics, this is the podcast for you. Caring for sheep is almost identical to caring for goats. The only way is good fencing which is maintained. 2. Any ideas on some kind of motion detector, or driveway noise-making/siren system that will make a loud sound when cattle come towards our house on the driveway, or something inexpensive from preventing the cattle coming into our vegetable garden on the one open side to our house that has the driveway to our garage? 3. A hobby farm, however, is the perfect opportunity to steward rare, conservation and heritage breeds that are often hardier. Lv 6. Give them details of your previous efforts to solve the problem and relate the damages to date. A good rule of thumb is … They also require additional nutrition during breeding season, and you’ll need to house them separately from the ewes to properly manage breeding. Thank you for choosing this service. Farm records serve a number of purposes on the small farm—even if it's … If you can afford electric fencing for cattle, you can afford t-posts and 4 strand barbed wire around your garden. Harsh noises won't keep livestock away. Your email address will not be published. They prefer a short sward and nip the grass off between bottom teeth and a horny plate in the upper jaw – sheep don’t have top teeth at the front. Some people have success raising sheep using the netting type fences. The following are some of the fences that you can use. As outlined above, any sheep (or goat or alpaca) arriving on your property should be given a quarantine drench on arrival, to treat any worms they have before they go out onto your paddocks. As mentioned before, contacting the man who runs the cattle is the first step. Consider the quantity and cost of their feed and care when deciding if keeping sheep is financially possible. Outbuildings and barns already present on your land can also make good housing and might not require much adaptation for raising sheep. Then, every time the goats come onto your property, call your local sheriff's department and animal control. Despite what you may have read in magazines or seen on TV, no one is going to move out of the city, buy a piece of land a fraction of the size of a commercial farm and live off it. Those push-through electric gates really do work well, however they do cost a fair amount. First decide how much land you are going to allocate to sheep and then work out how many you need. As a hobby. If anyone appears to be making a cosy living keeping a handful of sheep spinning the wool, dyeing it in blackberry juice and then knitting it into garments to sell at the local m… If you’re looking to add a new animal to your farm, give sheep some careful thought and attention. Keep sheep in an open field within your field of sight, so you can respond if predators appear. In fact I keep my goats and sheep together. Farmers must pay self-employment tax Paying taxes means you're making a profit. Net wire fence – When you opt to use this fence, make sure that the horizontal spacing of the mesh is less than six inches and that the vertical spacing is less than four inches. It’s so much easier, and more fun, to be able to take your dog out to train when the fancy takes you – rather than having to travel to someone else’s sheep only to get there to discover you’re having “one of those days”. Each hen needs only three square feet with adequate nesting boxes. I guess not to many saw that you can't afford to spend the money on cattle guards. Basic sheep care includes dewormers and vaccinations, though some shepherds decide not to vaccinate. Seneca. If not, stretching a hotwire is the next best economical option you can do. Donkeys, llamas, alpacas, and guard dogs are invaluable livestock guardians. appledore Posts: 2907 Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2006 3:50 pm. How Do I Keep Sheep Healthy? Any comments I give here are my own opinions, for legal advise check with a qualified solicitor. There is really no cheap way around it, IMHO. While you can feed your sheep hay instead of allowing them to graze, it's almost certain you won't make a profit after factoring in hay costs. We are using board fencing, and livestock panels with T posts. If you have coyotes in your area, you may want additional predator control. it had a long arm, kinda like a set of windshield wipers, one from each side. While … Ensure that the sheep are wormed regularly with a commercial worming paste suitable for sheep. Every state offers some type of tax incentive to protect land from development. Not all of them may be palatable. Thanks, Jane. Consider the quantity and cost of their feed and care when deciding if keeping sheep is financially possible. I tried to link to them, but it didn't work. You’ll want to trim hooves to prevent hoof rot, which is more likely for sheep in damp areas, and shear sheep annually to prevent skin afflictions and other problems. Specific reasons for Sheep housing: 1. As mentioned before, contacting the man who runs the cattle is the first step. Roosters are necessary if you want to grow your flock. Multi-species grazing. The nutritional value and flavor of your pasture will vary by season, so expect to rotate pastures to keep plants in a vegetative state. Visit The Livestock Conservancy learn more about heritage breeds. The following are some of the fences that you can use. Some people even like to raise sheep as a replacement for empty nest syndrome. Spending time with your sheep every day is a good way to manage flock health. Whether you’re exploring a new animal to keep on your farm or are specifically after the products that sheep can provide, it’s important to ensure you have the time and resources to provide for them. Maybe you two can work out a fencing deal. Keep your used tea bags and soak them in the citronella oil available at hardware stores, the type that's used to burn in barbecue lamps to keep mozzies away. I wouldn't lease something for grazing when the animals can't be contained where they are supposed to be. Until you can afford a fence, a garden is going to be nothing more than a hot visiting place for the cattle. Some shearers also trim hooves. But keep in mind they are not allowed in most urban and suburban areas due to their noisy crowing. there are spring loaded electric fence gates that push out of the way by your truck and spring back after you drive through. Sheep are generally categorized into wool, meat and dairy breeds, but certain breeds can do double- or even triple-duty. To get homemade organic products 4. 5. Dogs need feed, time, shelter, vetting. A lamb for the freezer If you have some grassland and would like to produce a couple of lambs for your freezer, then running a couple of lambs from weaning in June / July until slaughter in October / November is probably the simplest way to start keeping sheep. Suite 500, Troy, Michigan 48084 USA. ", You could try hotwire -- Farmergirl, what is that? Five of last year's lambs are due to be slaughtered this coming weekend, so the inn – as they say – is full. Sheep thrive in a wide range of shelters. 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