Urban's Journal- It is no more.

[freemotion]

Navajo-Churro sound cool! Long staple wool, supposedly very easy to spin. But what would I know!

 

[colowyo0809]

I plan on doing both. Getting sheep and goats I mean. This way, we can raise the goats and butcher them at the right age and sell them into the ethnic markets and do the same with the lambs. Plus, we'll have the milk to make cheeses and soaps and chesus with And we'll have the fibers to sell to weavers or to trade for finished products
ETA: both would be used jointly to control grass/weeds plus, i plan on having a mixed herd of 10-20 and have a plan to sell our services to the county/town to take care of the ditches so they don't have to and for cheaper than they have to spend to run those mowers and pay the wages of the people running them and etc

 

[patandchickens]

I do not know if British Milksheep and crosses thereof are available in the States -- they weren't ten years ago but I think they are now? -- and even if they aren't, there seem to be many more people breeding traditional sheep breeds such as Icelandics for milk production. So it is certainly possible to have "some reasonable amount" of milk AND a useful fleece. Particularly if you are willing to buy faraway animals and have them shipped.

However, that said, IMO if you want an efficient economical source of milk AND fleece, the smartest thing would probably be to buy one or two good dairy goats (note that in most places you can find someone willing to do driveway breedings to their buck so you would not need to own one, or do AI) AND ALSO one or two sheeps of whatever breed has the wool you want. (You really need to research that, as there are vast differences in what different sheeps' fleeces are good for, between and even *within* breeds)

The goats would be a more time-and-labor-efficient way of getting milk, and for a larger time period before needing freshening (rebreeding); and the sheeps, which could be girls or wethers as you prefer or as convenient cheap sheep-supply dictates, need not ever be bred even if they are female, just use them as lawnmowers and goat companions and shear them once or twice a year

Mind you I say this as someone who GOT a coupla dairybred sheep for milking. I still think it's the right choice for me. But for you, maybe not so much (you definitely get more bang for your buck and more simplicity from separating milk needs and fleece needs and getting *both*. Or as someone said, just buying or swapping for a fleece)

JMHO, good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[urban dreamer]

 

[freemotion]

If you want to be really economical, skip the wether. He will be a pet only, and you can smooch up the does just as much. If you are like me, you will be feeding older does eventually, that are no longer earning their keep. This is the main reason why I don't keep wethers. Then you spend many dollars over the years that the goat/sheep hasn't "earned."

Just a thought. Feed can get expensive!

 

[ksalvagno]

Although with the sheep you will be getting the wool every year. If sheep are like alpacas, the wether's wool may stay softer with no hormones and breeding to worry about.

 

[freemotion]

Oh, I automatically think like a goat owner when I see the word "wether!"

 

[Wannabefree]

Oh, I automatically think like a goat owner when I see the word "wether!"

I thought the same exact thing though...because I had goats too, and not sheep

 

[urban dreamer]

 

[colowyo0809]

what does weather change have to do with a computer virus?