Sheep have not had a large following in the
agricultural industry across the United States in many years.
In the US, sheep have never been used to the extent that is found in
other countries, but in the last few years, they are making a huge
comeback, with sheep popping up on farms all over the place.
Sheep are, for the small farmer, a real opportunity for savings,
profit and a farm crop, without needing large-sized acreage.
For many part-time farmers, large barns,
facilities and big expanses of pasture, with the equipment and other
expenses, are not only unrealistic but undesirable. The small
farmer is looking for a good profit off of a small and easy to
maintain area that does not require expensive equipment and
out-buildings. Many of today’s small farms and homesteads are
run by people who are retired, or still working off the farm, so
they need to be able to complete their chores easily after work and
on weekends. Sheep present a wonderful opportunity to do just
that, and their potential is quite promising for any small place,
from one acre to hundreds.
For many farmers, the potential to expand into
other areas is exciting and rewarding. Sheep are an economical
animal to raise, with minimal hay and feed requirements. Most
breeds are inexpensive as an initial purchase, and are also easy to
raise and care for. Some breeds are more delicate than others,
and a heritage breed might be the best way to start and learn the
ropes with. The ongoing myth that sheep are difficult to raise
and prone to lambing problems is just not true, yet you will hear
this from many people. Breed, husbandry and good health care
can eliminate most problems that occur, making sheep an easy and
profitable alternative, even for the beginning shepherd.
Generally, you can keep 8 - 15 sheep on one acre,
whereas that area would not support even one cow and calf pair,
which require 1.5 to 14 acres depending on the quality of
forage. Cows also require somewhere around 25 pounds of
forage/hay per day, where sheep only need about 2.5 pounds during
normal times, as much as 7 pounds during lactation. So a very
small acreage farm can be utilized as an opportunity to raise a crop
of lambs, wool, and even milk. Most sheep have an average
reproduction rate of about 200% and so you can grow a respectable
flock in just a few years with the purchase of a new ram every year
or two to avoid inbreeding.
As gas prices have soared in the last 7 years or
so, farmers and people with larger lawns are looking for
alternatives to weekly and bi-weekly grass cutting. On our
two-acre yard we would use approximately 2-5 gallons of gas to do
the mowing and all the trimming needed for a nice looking yard,
depending on how heavy the grass is. On average, it costs
about $10 per week for grass mowing, trimming, equipment maintenance
and miscellaneous expenses. To pay for the lawn to be cut, we
would be charged $40-60 per week, and in heavy growth times, the
lawn needs to be cut twice each week. So under these
conditions, a person with a two-acre yard can expect to pay from $10
to as much as $120 per week for lawn maintenance. You are also
committing about 3 to 8 hours of labor a week on lawn care if you
mow yourself. The rising costs of fuel have made lawn
maintenance mildly to moderately expensive for everyone, especially
people in rural areas with larger expanses of lawn.
Here in the mid-west, grass begins growing
strongly, about the end of March. This last year, the grass
was finished growing, and mowing done for the year in the middle of
October. That adds up to about 28 weeks of grass cutting over
the whole season. In spring and fall, the grass needs to be
cut twice per week, and during dry seasons, only every week and a
half, a reasonable average would be about 32 cuttings required to
maintain the lawn at a reasonable length and appearance. At
our lowest cost for our two acre lawn, this added up to $320, and
the highest cost would have been over $1,900 to have the work done
by hire.
We certainly could never afford to have the lawn
cut for us, and with the cost of gas, plus the minimum of 96 hours
in labor -- much of which is hot, sticky and quite unpleasant -- we
were looking for an alternative. Sheep can, and do, provide a
very good solution to this problem. They will graze your extra
areas and keep the grass clipped to a perfect level for most of the
growing season, if you have the proper number grazing on your
lawn. You can use 3-7 sheep for every half acre area,
depending on the breed. They will usually keep most of the
grass well manicured, without overgrazing. We had to cut the
grass twice last year, because in one area they couldn't quite keep
up with the growth in early spring when all the rain came. So
we saved a lot of time, and also quite a lot of money. Of
course the sheep take some care, and labor, plus they incur costs
too, but you can still save quite a lot of time, and money by
avoiding lawn care, besides sheep are more fun than cutting
grass!
