"Wooly Lawn Mowers for Fun and Profit" by Allena Jackson page 1

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!

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