Thanks, great info! I plan on getting a couple sheep in the near future. When you don't want to supplement much/any feed, Is that about 2 sheep per acre in Northeast winter climates where snow covers the ground for several months of the year, or 2 sheep per acre in like Georgia/Tennessee where graze is accessible year-round without snow cover? How does climate effect space allocation for bailage and the number of sheep you can have? Also would you divide the acre into like 4 rotational paddocks, each being 1/4 acre? Maybe this could be another video.
Thanks! Yes, climate will definitely affect how much space you need. Where we are in east Tn, we figure 2 sheep/acre. In the northeast, you may be fine with 2 sheep/acre in spring-fall, but will need to feed hay for longer over the winter than we do here. Out west, where it is much drier, you are generally going to need more acreage per animal. We would definitely recommend dividing whatever space you have and doing rotational grazing. More on this in another video :)
While you can line breed (half siblings, or cousins to each other), it is better not to if you have the option. The more genetic diversity you have in your flock, the healthier your sheep will generally be. As far as yield, we usually figure about 40% yield on the live weight of the animal. Different breeds will have different growth rates. For us, we like to process at about 18 months and usually get about 50lbs/animal. Some of the more standard meat breeds will have a faster rate of growth.
Great info. Thanks. Love the Llama soap.
Thanks!
Great facts thanks for the knowledge
Thanks, great info! I plan on getting a couple sheep in the near future. When you don't want to supplement much/any feed, Is that about 2 sheep per acre in Northeast winter climates where snow covers the ground for several months of the year, or 2 sheep per acre in like Georgia/Tennessee where graze is accessible year-round without snow cover? How does climate effect space allocation for bailage and the number of sheep you can have? Also would you divide the acre into like 4 rotational paddocks, each being 1/4 acre? Maybe this could be another video.
Thanks! Yes, climate will definitely affect how much space you need. Where we are in east Tn, we figure 2 sheep/acre. In the northeast, you may be fine with 2 sheep/acre in spring-fall, but will need to feed hay for longer over the winter than we do here. Out west, where it is much drier, you are generally going to need more acreage per animal.
We would definitely recommend dividing whatever space you have and doing rotational grazing. More on this in another video :)
what level of the family tree can be bred? dad to daughter, granddaughter and so on? and also what is the amount of meat you get back on average?
While you can line breed (half siblings, or cousins to each other), it is better not to if you have the option. The more genetic diversity you have in your flock, the healthier your sheep will generally be.
As far as yield, we usually figure about 40% yield on the live weight of the animal. Different breeds will have different growth rates. For us, we like to process at about 18 months and usually get about 50lbs/animal. Some of the more standard meat breeds will have a faster rate of growth.
Chickens seem pretty easy, I put them in a pen and feed em. Plus you get eggs, to feed my neo-gastonism