eliminating bills - homesteading

[Britesea]

I wonder if they are different enough from regular sheep that I could eat the meat? I am allergic to lamb and mutton apparently-- throw up if I try to eat it-- but I can eat goat just fine.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Yay no sheep stink! Sorry but wool sheep are kind of gross. Katahdins sound a lot like goats! And I LOVE my goats!

I might start with two ewes and go from there. I kept goats as pets for a while before breeding, might get some ewe lambs in the spring and go from there.

This is exciting! Lol!

 

[abigalerose]

I'm right there with ya! I might get a couple ewes in the spring too. But I'll have to decide if it's worth it or not, I'd probably only want to use two acres.. so six ewes. Would that yield much profit?
Of course if it were going well and they weren't burning through the grass I could always add more. But just in case, would it be worth having them to only have 6?
And I don't know anything about sheep. Since they're hair sheep can you use the hair for anything?

 

[abigalerose]

Wait scratch the hair question, I just looked them up and by the looks of it they don't have much hair

 

[NH Homesteader]

It depends on what you want to get out of them I guess. If I can fill my freezer I'm happy. If they clear brush for me and make a few bucks selling excess lambs , even better.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

@baymule Soooooo, why haven't you tried your lamb yet? Leg o' lamb in the crock pot, with a generous pouring of red wine, garlic, rosemary (if you like it) and onions. Nothing better!

 

[baymule]

@baymule Soooooo, why haven't you tried your lamb yet? Leg o' lamb in the crock pot, with a generous pouring of red wine, garlic, rosemary (if you like it) and onions. Nothing better!

Just picked up the meat Friday morning, took DH to hospital Friday night, he got out Monday. He has a antibiotic resistant bacterial UTI and he couldn't pee. It was awful for him. Sunday night I cooked a beef roast with carrots, potatoes and onions so I would only have to heat it up for him when he got out of the hospital. Just haven't had time....

 

[Beekissed]

I'm right there with ya! I might get a couple ewes in the spring too. But I'll have to decide if it's worth it or not, I'd probably only want to use two acres.. so six ewes. Would that yield much profit?
Of course if it were going well and they weren't burning through the grass I could always add more. But just in case, would it be worth having them to only have 6?
And I don't know anything about sheep. Since they're hair sheep can you use the hair for anything?

Yep...it's worth having them. Around here hair sheep ram lambs (sold before they are a year old) will bring $200+ per head....you can buy a young ewe for around $150-$175 right off the farm. If she twins and they make it to market, you've already made your initial investment back and then some. After her first lambing, she's making you profit every year, while also providing you herd replacement ewes.

 

[NH Homesteader]

I don't go into animals expecting them to make me money, I go in expecting to substitute my grocery bills for feed bills and get a product from them instead of buying it. Selling kids buys hay for my milkers, etc. So I'm in a totally different place than someone who wants to make money (not save money) farming. It's more fun for me that way. If I was doing it full time trying to make a bunch of money I would probably not love it as much!

 

[NH Homesteader]

OK @Beekissed and @baymule what is the parasite/deworming deal with sheep? Similar to goats? And no grain necessary for Katahdins?

My husband goes wow... You seriously really want these darn sheep don't you? Haha! He's getting his bees in the spring, and I downsized my goat herd to 6 so I consider this a fair deal!

plus he is the one who insists on breeding pigs and heritage turkeys!