• Sheep 201 Index
  • About Sheep 201
  • Getting started
    • Why do you want to raise sheep?
    • Meat, milk, or wool?
    • Breed Selection
  • Facilities
    • Housing
    • Feed and water
    • Fencing
    • Handling
    • Behavior
  • Breeding
    • Ewe reproduction
    • Ram reproduction
    • Breeding systems
    • Selecting breeding stock
  • Lambing
    • Lambing systems
    • Getting ready
    • Lambing process
    • Newborn care
    • Docking and castrating
    • Weaning
  • Health
    • Biosecurity
    • Diseases A-Z
    • Vaccinations
    • Internal parasite control
    • Drug use
  • Management
    • Hoof care
    • Shearing
    • Record keeping
    • Calculating adj. weaning weights
  • Feeding
    • Nutrient requirements
    • Feedstuffs
    • Balancing rations
    • Feeding ewes
    • Feeding lambs
    • Pasture
    • Grazing
  • Predators
    • Predator control
    • Guardians
  • Environment
    • Deadstock disposal
    • Nutrient management
  • Marketing
    • Lamb marketing
    • Wool marketing
    • Selling breeding stock
  • Economics
    • Tax implications
    • Business planning
    • Enterprise budgeting
  • Glossary
• Sheep 101
• Other web sites
  • Maryland Small Ruminant Page
  • Shepherd's Notebook Blog
  • Wild & Woolly Newsletter
  • Sheep and goat marketing
  • The Baalands
  • Flickr sheep and goat images
  • D-S Livestock Equipment
• Send e-mail

Why do you want to raise sheep?

The reason(s) for keeping sheep will have a siginificant impact on the breed(s) chosen and the manner in which the sheep are fed and managed. There are many reasons to raise or keep sheep.

Economic

Traditionally, sheep have been raised on farms and ranches for the purpose of generating an income for the farm and family. While some farms make a majority of their income from raising sheep, sheep production is more often a secondary or tertiary enterprise on a farm. In fact, sheep raising compliments many other agricultural enterprises. Sheep production is a popular enterprise for many part-time farmers.

There can be numerous tax advantages to raising sheep or engaging in similar agricultural activities. Some people raise sheep for the primary purpose of having their land holdings taxed at (lower) agricultural rates. The legal definition of a farm (for real estate tax purposes) varies by state.

While all agricultural enterprises are expected to eventually generate a profit, many people raise sheep (and other livestock) as a tax write-off. Farm expenditures, including capital purchases, can be written off against ordinary income.

Environmental

Some people keep sheep to improve and/or maintain their landscapes. Due to their small size, upland grazing preferences, and desire for a mixed diet, sheep are ideal for vegetation control. In fact, the opportunities for fee-based grazing by sheep (and goats) are expanding. Sheep and other livestock grazing is a way to keep land open and preserve agricultural landscapes.

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Quality of life

Many families enjoy an agricultural lifestyle and wish to expose their children to plant cultivation, animal husbandry, and other aspects of the rural way-of-life. Sheep are an ideal project for women and children, due to their small size and gentle nature.

Exhibiting sheep can be an enjoyable activity for people of all ages, but especially youth. Sheep and lambs make excellent 4-H and FFA projects. In fact, 4-H and FFA is how many people get started in the sheep business. Sheep are suitable projects for home schoolers.

There is a certain satisfaction to growing your own food and fiber. Many people keep a few sheep to provide meat, dairy products, and/or fiber for their family. Some people wish to support livestock conservation efforts by raising and propogating a rare or heritage breed of sheep.

Many people raise sheep because of their desire to train and trial herding dogs, usually Border Collies. It is hard to train and work a herding dog without having access to a flock of sheep. Hair sheep are usually kept for this task, as they are more tolerent of the heat and rigorous workouts. Wethers are often preferred because they can be worked on a year-round basis.

Sheep raising can be an enjoyable activity for retired persons. Sheep are easier to handle than larger livestock and the investment in breeding stock and facilities is usually is much less. In some situations, the sheep enterprise can supplement the retirement income. Empty-nesters and single people may keep sheep so they have something to care for.

Increasingly, people are keeping sheep (and other farm animals) as pets or companions. Wethers and ewes should be chosen for this purpose. Intact males and horned animals should not be kept as pets. Hair sheep are a good choice because they do not require shearing. Bottle babies make the best pets because they will bond to whoever feeds them. Sheep are social animals. Pet sheep should be kept in pairs or small flocks. They should not be kept with horned animals.

The love of sheep and animal husbandry is the motivation for many shepherds, both commercial producers and life style farmers. In fact, if you don't genuinely like sheep, there's a lot easier ways to make money or spend your leisure time.

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Goal and objectives

Once you have decided to raise sheep and have defined your reasons for raising sheep, it's time to set goals for the sheep operation, especially if it is a commercial undertaking. Goal-setting includes determining which aspect(s( of sheep production (meat, fiber, or dairy) will be the focus of the operation, what products will be sold, how they will be sold, and who will be the primary customer(s).

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Success - a favorable outcome; accomplishing what was proposed; an event that accomplishes its intended purpose; the achievement of one's aim or goal; financial profitability.

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Define success

Success will be defined differently by different producers. For the commercial producer, success will be to make a financial profit and return on investment, though the farm may have additional goals that pertain to quality-of-life and stewardship of their farm.

Winning shows or selling expensive breeding stock or club lambs may define success for some producers. For the performance-minded seedstock producers, having the ram that ranks the highest in the breed's sire summary or has the highest EPD for maternal milk may be the mark of success.

Some producers will measure success by achieving certain production goals. Marketing a 200 percent lamb crop would be a tremendous accomplishment for most producers. Not losing a single lamb during the lambing season may be a goal of some small-scale producers.

Raising thoughtful, responsible children that respect animals and the environment could define success for many families that undertake sheep raising as 4-H or home school projects.


<== SHEEP 201 INDEX