I know a lot of you keep sheep, so maybe some of you can pass on some information as to purebred breeds of sheep for a small farm flock (up to about thirty head) that needs to make a profit. (Not to make the owner rich !! just to make at least a little over expenses!) I've helped neighbors quite a bit with their merinos and shetlands; we've had a couple of Romney ewes and a number of merino-shetland crosses (from the aforesaid neighbors). Given those experiences, I'd like to find a different breed when we get sheep again. The article in Countryside Mag. about Cotswolds sounded good -- but I know there are usually downsides that don't get mentioned when a breed is being promoted. So if anybody can share their thoughts on sheep breeds and making a profit from them, I'd appreciate it.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), April 21, 2000

Answers

i can't say much about the profit thing, but i do know that romney rams stay gentle. had one for 9 years, called him "buster". he was the sweetest guy ever. alot of sheep people agree that the romney rams are great rams. had a coltswold ram for a year. couldn't turn my back on him. one day he got me. had a five galloon pail between us and he made it look like a sunflower. broke my fingers and dislocated my forearm and elbow, hasn't been right since. the horsetrader that came to pick him up, said he would be dogfood within the week. thank god. laura

-- laura cavallari (ladygoat13@aol.com), April 21, 2000.

You really have to watch those rams! Ours was a bottle baby just a year ago, and now is over 250 lbs. He fools you with his cunning little "pet me, rub my nose" attitude when you are on your own side of the fence, but get in the pen with him, and WATCH OUT! I thought he had broken my leg once when he rammed me and hooked my knee with his horn! He will be going this summer or fall. Jan

-- Jan B (Janice12@aol.com), April 21, 2000.

We make our living with sheep. After 20 years with sheep, there is no way we would even consider raising sheep without the Romanov genetics.

Same time, same work, same facilities, but triple the output. They are the total package: mothering, milking, hardiness, breed any month, lots of quadruplets and quintuplets.

But, we are predjudiced. We raise Romanovs and they have been very good to us. They took us from "us keeping the sheep" to "the sheep keeping us." www.marietta.edu/~blacksto

Better quit. Sounds like one of our ads, but you get the idea about how we feel about Romanovs. Been raising them for fourteen years.

Got a guest house. Come stay, see and learn.

-- homestead2 (homestead@monroecty.net), April 21, 2000.

Do you want the sheep for meat, or wool, or some combo of the two? I am a spinner, and have been kinda looking into the different breeds; seems that there is a breed out there for every purpose, if you know what you want!

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), April 21, 2000.

We don't have any sheep. But my wife is fasinated by Jacobs Sheep. It is an unusual breed that a couple of groups are trying to save in pure bred form. Probably money in breeding. She saw some ewe lambs on the web for sale about $230. They are hardy, smart and lamb easily. Do a web search for Jacobs+sheep.

-- Vaughn (vdcjm5@juno.com), April 21, 2000.

Go to pipevet.com and ask for their catalog, they sell great products, great books, have great information, an information number where you can talk to their vets, a sheep newsletter and Ram face shields! They work psychologically on the ram, he won't butt what he can't see in front of him. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 22, 2000.

I want sheep with meat that tastes good, wool that's worth more than wool pool prices, and purebred so we can sell lambs for breeding stock as well as meat. Don't want to show. Oh, and lean meat, too, not fatty, that will finish without too much grain. The merinos our neighbors were raising had beautiful fleeces, but were a bit difficult to shear, shetlands have beautiful fleeces but very light and not really consistent -- also, they are good fence jumpers and escape artists. (Twinning, easy lambing, good mothering -- all should go without saying.) Thanks for all the answers so far.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), April 22, 2000.

We have raised commercial sheep in the past and have been sheepless for about 5 years. It was truly difficult to make any money over the expenses. We have recently, within the last year, gotten back into raising sheep. We have a small, but growing, flock of Jacob sheep. We looked hard at why we wanted to get sheep again. Jacob sheep are a rare breed and part of our decision making process was based on our desire to conserve rare and endangered breeds. The Jacob sheep are a smaller breed, females mature around 100 pounds, with a family of young children this played a role in our decision making. Jacobs have a beautiful fleece, excellent for hand spinners. Their meat is low fat and tasteful.

Polly

-- Polly (oakridge@netcommander.com), April 22, 2000.

We raise Rambouillet and suffolk. If I were you I would go online to American Sheep Industry for starters. There is also a good sheep line. You are coming up on the time when there will be lots of sheep shows and festivals going on. Go and talk to folks, especially ones in your area. We have learned that the different breeds are quite different. What you may do for one might not be the best for another breed. University of Ok. also has a good sheep site as well as the National Sheep breeders assc. Pipestone has alway been a tremendous help to us as local vets don't know much about sheep. Some are beautiful and useless when it comes to money others are maybe not so pretty but really bring in the bucks.

-- Susie (goodartfarm@msn.com), April 24, 2000.

If you are only going to keep 30 head, why don't you consider one of the minor breeds. We have Tunis sheep,(a red face sheep good for meat and wool) and Pure Horn Dorsets, also a dual breed, both breeds that are rare today. American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is a good information site. www.albc-usa.org/ By raising an endangered breed you are helping to keep the genetic pool going and help contribute to the preservation of another old style farm breed. By the way , the cotswald are very rare. For anyone else interested, other species that are featured on this site are cattle, goats, pigs, horses , poultry, geese and ducks. kate-NY

-- Kate Henderson (sheeplady@catskill.net), April 26, 2000.

Hello, Below is my web site address. Has a couple of rare breeds on it. I am totally sold of of lambs this year, but willing to help you find someone in your area.( I sell out of lambs fast, and have a waiting list) I have to have sheep on my place that are gentle, mellow, smaller and easy to deal with that can give me very good quality wool, meat and milk. That are very hardy, and do not challenge fencing!!!!

http://hometown.aol.com/danishpb/myhomepage/index.html

-- Bergere (autumnhaus@aol.com), April 26, 2000.