More sheep coming next week! (was: need encouragement)

[Wildsky]

The amounts of copper that are safe for goats are toxic for sheep. Otherwise they get along with each other quite well.

OK, I have to watch that with the horse and goat as well - the goat gets to eat horse feed... all I could find goat wise at the feed store was for meat goats and had copper so I skipped it.

 

[Blackbird]

I wouldn't omit the copper entirely; it is important for a goat's bone & nervous system growth as well as maintaining their coat. If you ever see a black goat who's coat is turning a rusty brown or red color, that can mean that it is deficient in copper, selenium, zinc, or some other minerals.

Boer goats are a meat breed to begin with, so the feed at the store might be alright with it - not sure what context it is being sold for though. Then again I don't have meat goats... Sorry!

 

[Wildsky]

I wouldn't omit the copper entirely; it is important for a goat's bone & nervous system growth as well as maintaining their coat. If you ever see a black goat who's coat is turning a rusty brown or red color, that can mean that it is deficient in copper, selenium, zinc, or some other minerals.

Boer goats are a meat breed to begin with, so the feed at the store might be alright with it - not sure what context it is being sold for though. Then again I don't have meat goats... Sorry!

I just figured the meat goat feed was to build em up or something and I didn't want that... mind you - he must weigh close to 200 pounds now, big fat spoiled goat, he's too chubby to hop over fences and who would want to escape?

 

[patandchickens]

OK, so I am now officially In Search Of Milking Sheep I emailed a Friesian breeder about 45 min away (THANK YOU for that list, miss_thenorth, I would not have found it otherwise) and have also left a phone message for someone closer who one of the feedstores thinks "at least used to" milk her sheep.

Of course, the lady at the other feedstore, the local one, looked at me like I had two heads when I asked if she knew anyone with milking sheep, and she tried fairly hard to persuade me that sheeps milk is inedible and there are no cheeses made with it and that a cow would be cheaper and easier As when she gives me poultry nutrition advice, I chiefly ignored her

I sure hope I can find SOMEone around with usable sheep, and -- possibly the bigger problem -- some way of getting them reBRED this fall.

Thanks again for all the help and encouraging words,

Pat, who has pretty much figured out what needs to be done in the barn but is still mulling over fences.

 

[big brown horse]

OK, so I am now officially In Search Of Milking Sheep I emailed a Friesian breeder about 45 min away (THANK YOU for that list, miss_thenorth, I would not have found it otherwise) and have also left a phone message for someone closer who one of the feedstores thinks "at least used to" milk her sheep.

Of course, the lady at the other feedstore, the local one, looked at me like I had two heads when I asked if she knew anyone with milking sheep, and she tried fairly hard to persuade me that sheeps milk is inedible and there are no cheeses made with it and that a cow would be cheaper and easier As when she gives me poultry nutrition advice, I chiefly ignored her

I sure hope I can find SOMEone around with usable sheep, and -- possibly the bigger problem -- some way of getting them reBRED this fall.

Thanks again for all the help and encouraging words,

Pat, who has pretty much figured out what needs to be done in the barn but is still mulling over fences.

I'm so excited for you!

 

[patandchickens]

Hmmmm... :/

I just got off the phone with the person relatively nearby, recommended by the feedstore. She has about 70 British Milksheep-Dorset crosses, and has ewe lambs for sale (at like $250 a pop!) but no grown ewes. And she doesn't think anyone *else* is likely to have grown, bred-or-milking ewes for sale this time of year either :/

Sigh, have to do some more calling around,

Pat

 

[miss_thenorth]

I believe, but I could be wrong, that they can be bred at four months of age, but not sure how long pregnancy is. If she's selling them, they are probably around four months old, which is market age. If all else fails, maybe she could breed them for you?

 

[FarmGirl]

Hi there,

I'm in Ontario too and while I don't currently have any sheep, that is my plan when we move to the country full time. I LOVE sheeps milk cheese

Last year I spoke with Larry Kupecz of the Ontario Dairy Sheep Association and he said that you can milk any sheep that you can catch - .

If you want to email me offline, I'll get you his contact information.

 

[lupinfarm]

Hmm.. also this talk of goats and sheep..

And I'm going to look at some Boer/Nubians and Boer/Sanaan's today...

 

[big brown horse]

Hi there,

I'm in Ontario too and while I don't currently have any sheep, that is my plan when we move to the country full time. I LOVE sheeps milk cheese

Last year I spoke with Larry Kupecz of the Ontario Dairy Sheep Association and he said that you can milk any sheep that you can catch - .

If you want to email me offline, I'll get you his contact information.

I was told that too.