From the Pastures: Consider sheep?

Hello from Graze-N-Grow. Earlier this month, I was beginning to think we might have a dry summer and poor pasture conditions, but the rains since the Fourth of July have alleviated my concerns. We’ve had enough, but not too much and have been spared from wind damage so the pastures and crops are looking good around here.

With good yields come low prices, so at times like these it’s good to have some diversification. If you don’t have livestock in your portfolio yet, now would be a good time to consider, yep, sheep. Now, some of you are reeling from the cost of jumping into the cattle game, so consider that for every cow you own or buy at current prices you could have about 12 ewes.

If you sold their offspring in the fall of next year you could, at current prices, get maybe $2,200, 550 pounds at $4, while the ewes easily produce 125% crop, 80 pounds at $2.50, or 15 lambs at $200, or $3,000. But, wait, it gets even better.

The next year you will probably only have 90% conception on the cows while the ewes can — and have for us — have a 98% rate. And if you keep back 10% of females for replacements, those ewe lambs, even at only 50% conception, will give you three or four extra lambs along with the full flock lambing, while only 90% as many calves will be born, because you will have to carry that replacement heifer another year before she can pay you back for carrying her.

All of this is on an equal amount of acres initially. Of course, with the sheep multiplying like compound interest, you may have to buy or rent more pasture. Another thing to consider is that when many of those black bovine are under shade and not gaining, most of our flock is white and they will continue to graze and grow — get it? And for more peace of mind with sheep you will never get kicked and never slip and fall on a cow pie.

There are so many more advantages to raising sheep that I will run out of room here so I’m content to let you discover them on your own. Just remember, as farmers were all in this together. Happy trails.