Wooly Lawn Mowers for Fun and Profit

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by Allena Jackson

Most sheep do not require much or any grain, so that cost is very minimal, but varies from breed to breed.  It is a good idea to feed grain to ewes just prior to, and during breeding as well as the rams, as this increases your lamb crop, and improves overall flock health.  Some grain supplementation is also recommended during lactation as well.  The cost of providing these feeds is minimal and somewhat up to the farmer, they are also dependent upon the type of sheep you decide to raise.  Grain is often optional, depending on your flock's breed, and your farm goals. 

Hay prices vary considerably, and hay will be your major expense for raising sheep.  Round or square bales can be used, according to the individual needs and feed options of each farm.  Your hay needs will also be affected by the choices you make with your grain ration, as the grain can provide some of the needed nutrients and offset a poorer quality hay.  Hay will be your biggest feed expense and in some years can be quite high, but the cost is still significantly less than for other livestock such as cows.  Cows can require 25 pounds of hay per day but sheep only need a small amount of 2.5 -5 pounds per sheep, each day.  The actual cost of maintaining your sheep will vary widely from area to area, but with these general guides you should be able to tell about how much they will cost to keep.  A rough estimate of medium quality hay will be about 10 - 15 square bales per winter, per sheep.  Hay prices vary, but sheep are a very economical animal to raise because of the small amount of hay they need to maintain body condition.

The last consideration to raising sheep is that you will need to provide good, tight fencing for the sheep, to keep them in, and predators out.  Many shepherds use field fence with electric on top and bottom to prevent climbing, and tunneling under.  This again will vary widely from area to area, and can be a big obstacle for the new shepherd.  Another option available is to use the movable electric mesh fencing.  Many people have used this with great success, but for sheep, you must train them to it when they are freshly shorn, as the wool insulates them, and they will not feel the shock when sporting a full wool coat.  There are many fencing options available for sheep, but it is necessary to have some sort of woven wire, as barbed wire, electric stranded and other conventional wire type fences will not keep sheep in, nor will it keep dogs, and coyotes out.  Even with a woven type wire, you may have a Houdini who will slip under a loose section.  An electric wire, or stakes between posts easily prevents this and tightens up your fence against predators.  The benefit to this type of fence is that it is usable for all animals if it is well built.  Sheep do need very good fencing, to keep them in their area, but also to protect them from dogs and predators. 

Sheep do have some special needs to consider, the most expensive being fencing.  If you have acreage that you are cutting as lawn, you may very well be able to graze sheep on this area and save some money and time in the process.  Sheep are interesting and fun creatures to keep and will provide lots of entertainment and enjoyment.  From romping lambs to favorite ewes, they will often steal into your heart a life long love of these wonderful animals.  Sheep can keep your lawn maintained quite well, for less money.  They will also provide you with wool, milk and lamb for your table, or to send to market.  So sit back with a glass of lemonade and enjoy some sheep watching instead of mowing the grass, trust me it's a lot of fun.

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