Interested in trying your hand at raising sheep and goats? For the small, self-sustaining farmer they make excellent choices. Pound for pound, they are among nature's most efficient grazers. However, take care they don't become your pets! Both sheep and goats have similar needs and are ideal for the small homestead of three to five acres, for example.
Choosing Your Stock
The choice of which species is largely determined by your own goals. Do you want milk, meat, wool, sale of surplus animals? How about considering the difficulty of caring for them. If you want milk and meat, goats alone may be ideal for your needs. If however you have plans to obtain fiber, possibly sheep are on your horizon. Know that there are also breeds of goats which produce lustrous, highly valued fiber.
In terms of meat, some sheep breeds have been bred especially for high quality meats and also there is a breed of goat which notably produces good quality meat as well. But what about the taste? Some people who have tasted these meats consider them "gamey." However the food livestock eat directly contributes to the quality of their meat. Young sheep and goats are mild tasting meats, tender and moist. They are easily broiled or roasted with excellent results.
And when managed well, both species enjoy good health naturally. So providing your animals with appropriate food, water and shelter, as well as fencing to give protection from predators, namely domestic dogs, are the primary aspects of their care and management. Still interested? Well then, let's get started!
In terms of meat, some sheep breeds have been bred especially for high quality meats and also there is a breed of goat which notably produces good quality meat as well. But what about the taste? Some people who have tasted these meats consider them "gamey." However the food livestock eat directly contributes to the quality of their meat. Young sheep and goats are mild tasting meats, tender and moist. They are easily broiled or roasted with excellent results.
And when managed well, both species enjoy good health naturally. So providing your animals with appropriate food, water and shelter, as well as fencing to give protection from predators, namely domestic dogs, are the primary aspects of their care and management. Still interested? Well then, let's get started!
Care of Animals
While there are many resources for those just starting out, this article serves as an introduction to the topic. Whether you choose sheep, goats or both, you must first prepare the place that they will live, and learn a few things about their natural, instinctive behaviors. First both require some form of shelter. Goats may appreciate a bit more shelter than sheep; while both can be housed in a traditional barn in pens, sheep, especially due to their wool coats, require only shelter from the wind and do well in even the most challenging climates when provided with ample food and drinkable water. This simpler form of three sided shelter gives shade when a roof or sturdy tarp is included in the warm, summer months, and protection from the wind in cold, winter months. It should be located so that it gives protection from the north and west winds in winter and shade from the hot south and west summer sun. Placing it near a stand of trees when available is excellent for this purpose. But watch out if you plan to plant a few trees in your pasture. While they provide excellent shade when they grow large enough, your sheep and especially goats may try to eat them! They enjoy the bark of saplings in particular. Place sturdy fencing around any young trees to keep the animals away from the tree trunks. Make it tall enough they cannot stand on their hind legs to reach them, usually about four feet.
Some raisers may choose to allow their animals to remain outside day and night, especially in mild weather. Whatever shelter you provide for your animals, they must have protection from predators. This is accomplished in two ways. Primarily you must provide good, study fencing made for sheep and goats. This is usually the same type of woven wire. Do not use strands of barbed wire alone as predators easily pass through it. Secondly nature has a system in place that better enables these species by alerting them to danger for quick response, which is running as fast as they can! How does it work? Research in animal behavior shows that when a flock or herd is a minimum of three animals they are more vigilant, better able to engage their natural protective behaviors.
When cornered both species will use their heads protectively to butt. A well aimed butt from a large ram or billy goat (a buck) can kill a man. So watch out. Animals with and without horns do this. One more thing, don't skimp on the gates. They should be well constructed, hung with sturdy hinges and have good latches. Take care to design gates with spacing that prevents an animal from becoming trapped in it accidentally. And also remember that sheep and goats are pretty decent crawlers and climbers!
Easy enough-- get three animals or more, good fencing with good gates and that part is covered.
Some raisers may choose to allow their animals to remain outside day and night, especially in mild weather. Whatever shelter you provide for your animals, they must have protection from predators. This is accomplished in two ways. Primarily you must provide good, study fencing made for sheep and goats. This is usually the same type of woven wire. Do not use strands of barbed wire alone as predators easily pass through it. Secondly nature has a system in place that better enables these species by alerting them to danger for quick response, which is running as fast as they can! How does it work? Research in animal behavior shows that when a flock or herd is a minimum of three animals they are more vigilant, better able to engage their natural protective behaviors.
When cornered both species will use their heads protectively to butt. A well aimed butt from a large ram or billy goat (a buck) can kill a man. So watch out. Animals with and without horns do this. One more thing, don't skimp on the gates. They should be well constructed, hung with sturdy hinges and have good latches. Take care to design gates with spacing that prevents an animal from becoming trapped in it accidentally. And also remember that sheep and goats are pretty decent crawlers and climbers!
Easy enough-- get three animals or more, good fencing with good gates and that part is covered.
Feeding your Animals
Both species are herbivores. That means they eat primarily grasses and grains. However both species love other things as well such as leaves, twigs, garden flowers, certain fruits and many garden vegetables, starting with lettuce, potatoes, cucumbers etc. First provide your stock with ample, cool water. Place their water out of the direct sun in summer to keep it cool. Providing clean water regularly will naturally benefit their health. The primary feed for both species, sheep and goats is good quality pasture or hay supplemented with small amounts of grain, or a commercially prepared feed.
If you choose commercial feed, USE CAUTION! Goats tolerate the nutrient copper in their diets. Indeed most mammal species include trace amounts of copper in the diet; sheep are extremely sensitive to this element. In fact it is poison for sheep. Check for copper in any supplemental salt licks or commercial feeds intended for use with sheep. Most sheep feeds clearly state they are manufactured without added copper.
If you choose commercial feed, USE CAUTION! Goats tolerate the nutrient copper in their diets. Indeed most mammal species include trace amounts of copper in the diet; sheep are extremely sensitive to this element. In fact it is poison for sheep. Check for copper in any supplemental salt licks or commercial feeds intended for use with sheep. Most sheep feeds clearly state they are manufactured without added copper.
How to Locate and Buy Hay
In some parts of the country, at present due to drought conditions, hay is a necessity year round and expensive. There is also a lot of product out there that is not suitable for consumption by these species. Hay, you will quickly learn, is vastly different from straw, and while research shows sheep can successfully digest good oat straw when fed from weaning time onward, most raisers would avoid a steady diet of straw for concern of nutritional deficiency. If this feeding method interests you, contact your state agricultural university or extension agent for more information. For the majority of raisers, good hay follows a six to nine month season of grazing on fresh pasture. When using hay, you will want to locate feedstuffs that are well cut, cured and stored. There may be a number of outlets in your area offering a good quality product.
How to tell quality? First observe the place in which it is stored. It should be clean, not dusty, well ventilated and dry without excess lighting. Clean hay has that lovely fresh mowed smell. Stick your nose into a bale you are considering for purchase and inhale deeply. It should smell clean, free of weed smells or dust. When you break open the bale there will be a variety of grasses and minimal or no weeds. Clovers or alfalfas, by the way, are not weeds in hay. Better hays also have a low count of tough grass stems and a majority of leafy grasses. Avoid overly dried hay or hay that has been exposed to water after baling. Overly dry hay crumbles in storage. The driest hays of this type will actually become powdery. Your stock will not eat 'hay dust', and all dusty feeds are undesirable. Avoid also hay that has been rained on after baling.
Wet hay is a prime source of illness in farm animals. It allows molds and fungus, some toxic, to grow within the bale. Do not feed this spoiled hay. Additionally in cold weather it is very important that hay be stored without soil contact. In winter months several disease causing microbes become active in soils. If your stock then consume contaminated feeds, they risk illness or death. It is best to store all your feeds on concrete, wood pallets or other means off the ground.
Can't find good hay? Check with your county extension agent. The help is free and valuable. Alternatively hay is available in pelleted form from feed dealers, but it is expensive.
How to tell quality? First observe the place in which it is stored. It should be clean, not dusty, well ventilated and dry without excess lighting. Clean hay has that lovely fresh mowed smell. Stick your nose into a bale you are considering for purchase and inhale deeply. It should smell clean, free of weed smells or dust. When you break open the bale there will be a variety of grasses and minimal or no weeds. Clovers or alfalfas, by the way, are not weeds in hay. Better hays also have a low count of tough grass stems and a majority of leafy grasses. Avoid overly dried hay or hay that has been exposed to water after baling. Overly dry hay crumbles in storage. The driest hays of this type will actually become powdery. Your stock will not eat 'hay dust', and all dusty feeds are undesirable. Avoid also hay that has been rained on after baling.
Wet hay is a prime source of illness in farm animals. It allows molds and fungus, some toxic, to grow within the bale. Do not feed this spoiled hay. Additionally in cold weather it is very important that hay be stored without soil contact. In winter months several disease causing microbes become active in soils. If your stock then consume contaminated feeds, they risk illness or death. It is best to store all your feeds on concrete, wood pallets or other means off the ground.
Can't find good hay? Check with your county extension agent. The help is free and valuable. Alternatively hay is available in pelleted form from feed dealers, but it is expensive.
Feeding Grains
Both sheep and goats love grains. They will at times, if allowed, eat until they are sick on their favorite foods. Typically they are fed oats and some corn but the choice depends upon locally available feeds. Limit their grain consumption. Feed according to the animals' age and weight. Ask your feed dealer about amounts to feed when purchasing feeds or consult with the county extension agent. Pregnant or milking animals have specific requirements. Again check with your state agriculture university or extension agent about feeding these animals.
Ensuring Health
State laws vary as to health requirements. However you can safely assume that your animals have been tested for Scrapies, a potentially deadly disease which is highly transmittable. Insist on a health certificate which indicates the animal has been tested for Scrapies and found negative. Also expect that your animals have been vaccinated for distemper and rabies, and if over the age of six months been given a worming. If the seller cannot produce a state health certificate or a veterinarian certificate, ask for more information as to why. Do not accept any promises for a future time to see the certificates. The law requires certain certificates at the time of sale. Check with your veterinarian prior to purchasing your stock about which certificates are required in your state and what is required to bring an animal in from another state. If the seller claims to vaccinate animals himself, then ask for proof or indication that this has been done. For example a sales receipt from a farm store indicating the vaccines were purchased. If still in doubt about vaccines, plan on arranging for vaccination when you return home. Do not accept any animal without a valid Scrapies test result. It should say 'Negative.' You may infect your soil for many years to come with this pathogen if you bring an infected animal onto your property. It's not worth it.
The feet of sheep and goats is a horny substance very much like your own finger nails. It requires regular trimming. Failing to trim their hooves may render your animals crippled. Trimming is not difficult to learn. A tool with a long handle is made for this purpose. It looks something like a large garden pruning shear. Plan to trim hooves about every two months. At first your animal may not stand still for this procedure. Try feeding grain when you clip. If you find it quite difficult still, using a stanchion or a sheep cradle will make the process quick and easy. An experienced person can clip a goat or sheeps' feet in about 10 minutes. It is best to first clip the feet when the animals are young, starting by simply handling their feet and then clipping when they will allow you to pick them up and hold each leg in turn. Adults are most easily clipped with the animal standing calmly in an upright position, presuming they have been taught to do this and are accustomed to it.
Both sheep and goats need to be wormed for parasites, usually two times a year. You may be able to do this procedure yourself. Consult with a veterinarian or your extension agent for details.
The feet of sheep and goats is a horny substance very much like your own finger nails. It requires regular trimming. Failing to trim their hooves may render your animals crippled. Trimming is not difficult to learn. A tool with a long handle is made for this purpose. It looks something like a large garden pruning shear. Plan to trim hooves about every two months. At first your animal may not stand still for this procedure. Try feeding grain when you clip. If you find it quite difficult still, using a stanchion or a sheep cradle will make the process quick and easy. An experienced person can clip a goat or sheeps' feet in about 10 minutes. It is best to first clip the feet when the animals are young, starting by simply handling their feet and then clipping when they will allow you to pick them up and hold each leg in turn. Adults are most easily clipped with the animal standing calmly in an upright position, presuming they have been taught to do this and are accustomed to it.
Both sheep and goats need to be wormed for parasites, usually two times a year. You may be able to do this procedure yourself. Consult with a veterinarian or your extension agent for details.
Bringing Betty Home
By now you have a secure, clean shelter, you have located and installed good fencing and have a supply of food, and plenty of water. Bringing your stock home may be as easy as walking them into your barn or you may need to hire transportation. Many persons will agree to transport your animals a short distance for a fee. Often the seller may have access to transport if you do not. Determine how they will arrive before your purchase stock.
Fortunately both sheep and goats may be transported short distances in the back of a pick up truck out-fitted with high side walls to form a secure pen. Remember these guys can be accomplished jumpers, especially when under stress. Transporting them in pairs or groups is calming to the animals. Another option for immature or smaller animals may be a large dog crate. Since many of the species are about the size of a mature Saint Bernard dog, using a dog carrying crate just might be ideal. I have seen lambs and kids transported in the back seat of cars this way. These crates are available at pet supply stores.
For short distances, with transport times of about two hours or less, you may successfully bring your animals back without concern for feeding or watering them prior to arrival. In extreme weather conditions all animals need a lot of water. Use caution when deciding. Also it is normal for sheep and goats to pant when they are hot or over-heated. Watch for signs of stress in hot weather. Have water available if needed.
Traditionally goats wear collars, similar to dog collars. They may be then taught to lead which makes handling easier. Sheep may also use collars, but their wool makes using one more difficult. If you try one, choose a loose fitting chain that can be slipped over the head. For both, invest in a six foot lead line, often used for horses.
Sheep herding may also require the use of a staff. Modern staffs look like a walking canes and are available at farm supply stores or on-line internet supply outlets. To use, you position yourself close to the animal and quickly catch it about the neck with the crook of the staff.
WARNING: avoid play butting or encouraging your animals to butt. It can be deadly, especially to children who may be most easily injured. Avoid handling your animal about the top of the head as this triggers the butting instinct.
Once you arrive at home, unload your animals into a place where they can rest and drink if they wish. If these are your first animals, allow them out into their fenced area when they have had some time to adjust, an hour or more. Before allowing them to graze on fresh grass, know what they have been eating the past 10 to 14 days. Animals that have subsisted on a dry diet will often develop diarrhea initially when allowed free access to grass. If your animals ate a strict hay or pelleted diet, or you do not know, allow them on grass for a limited period starting with one hour and extending daily until they can eat grass full time, a period of several weeks. Feed hay, as much as they like, when they are not grazing on pasture each day. Watch for illness during the adjustment period.
How many is too many? There are several ways of estimating the proper number of animals to an acre of land. However the method you choose must take into account the amount of time you will spend tending your pasture and things as varied as how much rainfall you receive in any given year. Too many animals, the land can't support their growth or health needs, not to mention an excess of manure which leads to excess flies and other unwanted insects.
So to figure this important number, also known as the 'stocking' number, consider the species of animal, the condition of your pasture, the quality of the grasses available for forage, anticipated rainfall in a typical year and check with published charts indicating the number of each species when stocked on optimum or average pasture to determine the ideal number for your pasture.
A very important behavior of sheep and goats to keep in mind is that they will graze a pasture very, very low, often killing the grasses if you don't move them regularly, every few days or a week at most. And like your lawn, in cooler, wetter weather grass regrows in about a week at which time the animals may return to re-graze until they are moved again. So dividing your pasture into smaller sections to preserve it also may have an effect on the number of animals you pasture. An acre of intensively managed pasture with the highest quality forage for sheep and goats may allow for stocking rates of 25 animals or more; a more typical pasture of one acre is likely to support 10 to 12 animals maximum, or even less in areas of insufficient rainfall. Remember the minimum number of animals is three because of their natural, instinctive behaviors as previously mentioned.
If you are unable to stock a number the same species, please do not allow a single animal of any species to live alone! It is quite cruel to the animal mentally. All domesticated farm animals are herd or group based. Alone many will fail to thrive; so let the animals be the creatures they are, choose three or more of similar or related species. For example, two sheep and a goat, or vice versa; a pony and several sheep, etc. If you plan to have a pony or horse, remember this has a direct effect on the safe stocking rate for your pasture so as to provide adequate food for all species. Horses and ponies are covered in a separate article.
For more about milk goats: http://oncollinspond.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-goat-for-milking.html
Fortunately both sheep and goats may be transported short distances in the back of a pick up truck out-fitted with high side walls to form a secure pen. Remember these guys can be accomplished jumpers, especially when under stress. Transporting them in pairs or groups is calming to the animals. Another option for immature or smaller animals may be a large dog crate. Since many of the species are about the size of a mature Saint Bernard dog, using a dog carrying crate just might be ideal. I have seen lambs and kids transported in the back seat of cars this way. These crates are available at pet supply stores.
For short distances, with transport times of about two hours or less, you may successfully bring your animals back without concern for feeding or watering them prior to arrival. In extreme weather conditions all animals need a lot of water. Use caution when deciding. Also it is normal for sheep and goats to pant when they are hot or over-heated. Watch for signs of stress in hot weather. Have water available if needed.
Traditionally goats wear collars, similar to dog collars. They may be then taught to lead which makes handling easier. Sheep may also use collars, but their wool makes using one more difficult. If you try one, choose a loose fitting chain that can be slipped over the head. For both, invest in a six foot lead line, often used for horses.
Sheep herding may also require the use of a staff. Modern staffs look like a walking canes and are available at farm supply stores or on-line internet supply outlets. To use, you position yourself close to the animal and quickly catch it about the neck with the crook of the staff.
WARNING: avoid play butting or encouraging your animals to butt. It can be deadly, especially to children who may be most easily injured. Avoid handling your animal about the top of the head as this triggers the butting instinct.
Once you arrive at home, unload your animals into a place where they can rest and drink if they wish. If these are your first animals, allow them out into their fenced area when they have had some time to adjust, an hour or more. Before allowing them to graze on fresh grass, know what they have been eating the past 10 to 14 days. Animals that have subsisted on a dry diet will often develop diarrhea initially when allowed free access to grass. If your animals ate a strict hay or pelleted diet, or you do not know, allow them on grass for a limited period starting with one hour and extending daily until they can eat grass full time, a period of several weeks. Feed hay, as much as they like, when they are not grazing on pasture each day. Watch for illness during the adjustment period.
How many is too many? There are several ways of estimating the proper number of animals to an acre of land. However the method you choose must take into account the amount of time you will spend tending your pasture and things as varied as how much rainfall you receive in any given year. Too many animals, the land can't support their growth or health needs, not to mention an excess of manure which leads to excess flies and other unwanted insects.
So to figure this important number, also known as the 'stocking' number, consider the species of animal, the condition of your pasture, the quality of the grasses available for forage, anticipated rainfall in a typical year and check with published charts indicating the number of each species when stocked on optimum or average pasture to determine the ideal number for your pasture.
A very important behavior of sheep and goats to keep in mind is that they will graze a pasture very, very low, often killing the grasses if you don't move them regularly, every few days or a week at most. And like your lawn, in cooler, wetter weather grass regrows in about a week at which time the animals may return to re-graze until they are moved again. So dividing your pasture into smaller sections to preserve it also may have an effect on the number of animals you pasture. An acre of intensively managed pasture with the highest quality forage for sheep and goats may allow for stocking rates of 25 animals or more; a more typical pasture of one acre is likely to support 10 to 12 animals maximum, or even less in areas of insufficient rainfall. Remember the minimum number of animals is three because of their natural, instinctive behaviors as previously mentioned.
If you are unable to stock a number the same species, please do not allow a single animal of any species to live alone! It is quite cruel to the animal mentally. All domesticated farm animals are herd or group based. Alone many will fail to thrive; so let the animals be the creatures they are, choose three or more of similar or related species. For example, two sheep and a goat, or vice versa; a pony and several sheep, etc. If you plan to have a pony or horse, remember this has a direct effect on the safe stocking rate for your pasture so as to provide adequate food for all species. Horses and ponies are covered in a separate article.
For more about milk goats: http://oncollinspond.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-goat-for-milking.html
A Note About Predators
For the most part all domesticated farm animals are preyed upon. The predator species varies with the stock; for sheep and goats, domestic dogs are their prime predator. If you have a dog, restrain it, at least initially until you can better assess its interest in your new animals. Instinctively sheep and goats regard your dog as a serious threat to their safety and will take appropriate measures against the dog without hesitation. Your dog may be playing, but your sheep or goat sees it as a serious threat. It is their instinct to do so.
If you have a sheep-herding breed, it has been bred to chase your animals but not attack or bite them. While the stock may activate the dog's herding instinct, unless you have a real need for its services, leave your dog out of the pasture. It will only worry and exhaust your animals.
Other frequent predators are dependent upon the region in which you live. This may include wolves, coyotes, bears, and foxes among others. For young animals the list is longer.
If you have a sheep-herding breed, it has been bred to chase your animals but not attack or bite them. While the stock may activate the dog's herding instinct, unless you have a real need for its services, leave your dog out of the pasture. It will only worry and exhaust your animals.
Other frequent predators are dependent upon the region in which you live. This may include wolves, coyotes, bears, and foxes among others. For young animals the list is longer.
No comments:
Post a Comment