I want sheep, can I put them in cut over land (timbered with regrowth) with the cows, will electric fence be enough? I want them for eating and maybe breed one. Thanks Oh...what kind are hardiest for this purpose?

-- julie (jbritt@ceva.net), April 22, 2002

Answers

Where? Climate and weather (rainfall, temperatures, averages, extremes) make a big difference. Sheep do better on shorter grass than do cattle, but then the cattle are making the grass shorter.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), April 22, 2002.

Companion grazing sheep and cattle is fine. The only thing to think of is the different mineral sheep and cows need. No copper for sheep. Where etc. is important but North County Cheviots are good range sheep, independant and hardy.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), April 22, 2002.

Ewe breeds have the best wool and are known for being good mothers and having a good reproductive efficiency. They are also the most gragarious (like to stay in heard). Some examples are Merino, Rambrouillet, Targhee. Targhee are the most in MT which leads me to believe they are a pretty hardy breed. Ram breeds are meat type animals with a better finishing weight and carcass quality. Examples are the Southdown, dorsett, Suffolk, and Hampshire. It might be a good idea to have ewes of one of the Ewe breeds and a ram of a meat breed. I have also heard a lot of good things about suffolk sheep. They're a primitive or unimproved breed and are extremely self sufficent. The wool is different colors and so hand s[pinners like it since it doesn't have to be dyed. I hear it's also surprisingly fine and of above average quality. (That's just what I've heard.) It also seems like a breed that sells for a higher price (for good quality animals) because it is something of an "exotic" breed if you will and so people keep it for it's uniqueness etc.

-- Erika (misserika129@hotmail.com), April 22, 2002.

We liked our Dorset ewe as she was calm and easy to be around. They are excellent mothers and often have multiple births. Are supposed to have several heats a year but ours never did. Suffolk were rather wild and hard to work with. Don't know about the wool as we were only interested in the meat. Seemed the wool was a nuisance.

-- Hank (hsnrs@att.net), April 23, 2002.

Erika's post reminded me of a sheep world fact. The regional differences in sheep breeds can be quite amazing. I would never have called a Suffolk unimproved. Around here that breed must be one of the most improved breeds you can find!! Improved for meat not wool though. Terminology is different too, what she calls a "ewe breed" is called a maternal breed, and a "ram breed" would be a terminal breed here. You wanted to eat most so a terminal line or cross bred fills the bill a bit better. You could always keep a different type to breed, but please keep more than one back, sheep need company.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), April 23, 2002.

I'm in central Va.

-- julie (jbritt@ceva.net), April 23, 2002.

if you're planning to eat them, buy from a scrapies free herd to be on the safe side. besides, if you sell them they have to have scrapies tags, anyway, if they are breedable animals, at least here in ok. goats would probably do good on that type of land, btw,and they taste great.

-- laura (okgoatgal@hotmail.com), April 24, 2002.