ADVENTURE'S DOWNUNDER OR FARMING IN PARADISE:An Old Rams view.

[framing fowl]

DL: Do you ever have people in your area selling sheep on craigslist or can you google sheep farms within a reasonable driving distance? I've found that most people are excited to share their knowledge if we just ask. Maybe you could strike up an aquaintance that way? Or do they have a livestock auction? That would be another good place to meet people.

 

[dragonlaurel]

They are pretty unusual in the area. It's too hot here for some of the breeds. There aren't any wool co-ops in this part of the state either. I'm not worried about the co-op situation, since I am in SCA and know spinners. I'll be learning how to spin too . . .

I searched the animals section at our last fair. There were about a thousand chickens, about 40 goats and just 1 lonely looking sheep. The pen didn't have a sign on it and I couldn't find the owners to talk to them. Maybe they will be back at the next one.
fixed typo

 

[framing fowl]

Are you going to stay in that general area of the state, just not in the city? If so, I guess the good news is you don't have any competition!

 

[dragonlaurel]

Yes- Three nearby counties would work better as far as zoning restrictions and rural land prices. They are all in the Ouachitas, so I wouldn't have to give up my mountains.

I even looked up where the Ag kids buy club lambs and it was on the other side of the state. No local competition, but some spinners buy wool online. The local spinners would rather be able to see it and and touch the fibers though. Some things sell easier face to face.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day gang ,just a quick note,the paving job is going OK,on the farm ,we lost two old rams the other night ,one was fighting over the girls and suffered a fatal head wound and the other one just died chasing the girls(damm inconsiderate of them to both die in one night)....Now have a large amount of "dog meat"..................

Q & A:..DL.To get you started ,how long before you make the move,within12 months,2/5 years or 6/10yrs?........Have you settled yet on a State/District?If you have, what are the reasons for your choice?

THE CHAT:Healthy Soils,Healthy Stock.I know it seems obvious but its all about your "grass", minimum use of artificial ferts, herbicides and using grazing management to increase your grass species,assist water penetration,build soil carbon and get the soil biology working for you.Set aside areas of "remnant native species"(say around a group of boulders)and allow them to seed and spread to a joining area of pasture.Natives will always survive "droughts and wet spells",because that how they evolved,but they NEED protection from continual grazing pressure.
Well I guess thats about all for "Preparing for the next drought".I do hope you have enjoyed the journey and it has caused you to stop and think about how you manage your own farm and take a little time with management decisions that can have a long term effect on the farm(good or bad).

So ,what do you all want the next Chat to be about?Let me know so I can start studying up(LOL).Because of the "paving job 'there will be a short period of "sleep mode",look forward to seeing you all back again,regards...............................T.O.R.........................

 

[dragonlaurel]

Sorry about your rams. Do you have many of their young still in your herd?

I would like to get land yesterday, but 2-5 years is more likely. Waiting another 6-10 years might drive me crazy. I live in Arkansas and want to stay in the Ouachita Mountains, which still gives us a few counties to look for land in. I really like this climate and it's good for growing most crops.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day gang,Today(thur) was "retail therapy"so no farm news.On the question of the rams we normally run 7 rams with the breeders and I selected 10 ram lambs to carry over of which we will keep the best 2/3 as future sires...Its a curse when they die"blood in" as the blood causes the meat to go off a lot quicker.

Q&A:..DL.The first thing that strikes me is that there are "no" sheep being bred in your area,WHY?..As sheep are a principal part of your plan(what will be your focus)Wool or Meat?You made mention of a couple of breeds,how far away would be the closest growers?..Could you outline your climate ,ie:snow,how long?summer drought?..You spoke about the mountains,what is the likely elevation of your farm?Is there anywhere you can gain an understanding of local livestock farming(State Ag Dept)............. BTW,I'm not being "nosy",I'm trying to get you to focus on the environment in which you are going to undertake your dream,(you may recall I spoke about the "perils" of trying to "bend" nature to your will.)...

Take a look at the Farm listings of local Real Estate agents on the Internet,maybe take a drive out to these areas and have a look around,if you can do it on a week day call into any Rural Supply stores you come across and ask about what sort of livestock are farmed in that area.I would suggest you examine "whats possible" first,then we can look to possibility's.Anyway thats enough to consider for tonight...Good Luck and I look forward to you comments,re the above.

THE CHAT.Any suggestions anybody?.................Til next time,best wishes ................T.O.R..........................
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[framing fowl]

I'd be interested in how you group your flocks and do the rotations on your grazing. Do you let the rams run with the ewes year round? When do you wean the lambs? I think I read where you send a couple of grandmothers with the older lambs?

 

[dragonlaurel]

DL.The first thing that strikes me is that there are "no" sheep being bred in your area,WHY?..
- The main reason is probably the climate. Our winters are fairly wet but mild, but our summers are hot and humid. That's why I've picked these breeds. They handle this climate well and are good on grazing/forage so they work in low input systems. I also prefer the smaller breeds of sheep, since I would be the primary person handling them. I'd rather not deal with a animal that's twice my weight that's feeling feeling stubborn, scared, or cranky.

http://gulfcoastsheep.info/about-the-breed/characteristics/
www.tunissheep.org
http://www.caredsheep.com/

As sheep are a principal part of your plan (what will be your focus) Wool or Meat?
Wool. We have local spinners that normally have to order their fibers. I would prefer to start with a few bred ewes and a unrelated ram lamb, since we don't have many local sheep. That would give me 2 generations he could breed before I need to be expanding the gene pool.

You made mention of a couple of breeds,how far away would be the closest growers?..
- The nearest breeders I know of yet:
Gulf Coast sheep- Texas, Louisiana, Missouri
Tunis- Missouri
California Red- Alabama
Jacob sheep- (Another possibility) a couple hours northwest of here.

Could you outline your climate ,ie:snow,how long?summer drought?..
Our growing season is early April to late October. Veggies that like cold can get planted in mid Sept, or mid Feb with some protection.
We rarely get more than 3 snows per winter and usually about ankle deep. It melts in a few days to a week.
Last year we were dry most of July and August, but I heard that was not normal. This year I've made notes of rain, or severe weather on the calendar.

Average rainfall is around 50-55 inches annually. This shows our average annual weather patterns: http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/D...ne&IATA=HOT&lastyear=on&normals=on&records=on

You spoke about the mountains,what is the likely elevation of your farm?
- The Ouachita Mts are an ancient chain, so they're not as tall as they used to be. This property's elevation is 630 ft (roughly 200 meters) above sea level. We have some very steep rocky areas in town. Lots of the land out of town is more rolling terrain. The area I'm interested in varies from around 500 ft - 1200 ft.

Is there anywhere you can gain an understanding of local livestock farming(State Ag Dept).............
- I probably have 1/2 of the pamphlets that the county Ag service carries. They seem more oriented to huge farms, but some of the info still applies.

BTW,I'm not being "nosy",I'm trying to get you to focus on the environment in which you are going to undertake your dream,(you may recall I spoke about the "perils" of trying to "bend" nature to your will.)...
- It's not nosy. You are being helpful. Thank you. I agree about trying to pick plants and animals that will thrive where you're at, instead of struggling to get by there.

Take a look at the Farm listings of local Real Estate agents on the Internet,maybe take a drive out to these areas and have a look around,
- I check the real estate listings for acreage frequently and sometimes for farms/ranches/improved land.

if you can do it on a week day call into any Rural Supply stores you come across and ask about what sort of livestock are farmed in that area.
- Mostly chickens - including huge egg suppliers. Goats are pretty popular, and sometimes pigs, ducks or guineas.
Oaklawn racetrack is in this town, so every spring there's lots of race horses.

I would suggest you examine "whats possible" first,then we can look to possibility's.Anyway thats enough to consider for tonight...Good Luck and I look forward to you comments,re the above.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day Gang, glad you took the time to stop by,its Sun night here and we have had a little shower of rain ,with more to come (we hope)

The paving is going well and all the brickwork is done,next will be a few(quite a few)loads of sand and then the paving will begin.

Q & A:..DLs project.I had a look at the Tunis and the Cal Red,I must say that I like the Dorset/Tunis X....Lets say first of all" YOU" speak to the spinners who are going to be your market.Which one would "they" prefer?..The Cal Red at 30 mic is really good for beanies, scarfs,bulky knits,etc.(I did not see what the Tunis is?)..I had a look at Hot Springs,it seems like a bit of a tourist town(but healthy one's at that,healing waters etc)...So I guess you have some large hotels, restaurants,etc.Do they have Lamb on the menu?..When are the peak times for visitors?..The year round breeding is an important factor in your choice.....The answers to the above will have a bearing on your breeding program.....

Lets think a little about your farm purchase....How will you fund it?..Will you need to have a "full time" job as well as the farm?..What does the farm have to have when you get it.ie: House, barn,power,good grazing, etc,list priority's?..Do you have family commitments who have to be considered in your decision?....Having established what you need ,how much will it cost?

The above should keep you "out of mischief"for a while(LOL).I must say how much I am enjoying your little project.................

THE CHATF/Fs request)The idea behind Rotational Grazing Systems is to have as many paddocks as you can afford and to be "resting as much country"at any one time as possible.....We try to have a max of 4 groups(3 if we can is ideal)...1Rams and wether lambs...2:breeder ewe's..3:maiden ewe's....At present our 300 ac breeder block has 14 paddocks of sizes ranging from 5/50 acs ea....To control stock movements and grazing records I use simple spreadsheets..Columns across the top for months(make each col wide enough to store 5 weeks) and columns down for the paddock names(I update these each Sun night)......Each of our paddocks have been assigned a total number of "grazing days"for the year,based on size and the individuals condition....I have this year started another one which will give me "total sheep grazing days for the year,by paddock(sat 10 sheep in pad 1 for 7 days...10x7 =70 sheep grazing days for that week)....I think I have said before that I have a photo point in each paddock and the first week of each month I take a photo of the general conditions and another one straight down to show "ground-cover".(over the last 5 years I have taken "random photos" of the conditions,but since last Aug,I have done each paddock every month)......Once I get 12 mths I will be able to compare year on year,that will show wether we are improving the overall condition of the "farm",or not.

We run the Rams with the Ewe's for 12 weeks,to achieve "lambing "when we desire it,based on the likely pasture conditions and the weather.(It's a bit of "crystal balling",sometimes your right and other times you "lamb"in a snow storm.LOL)

Your right about the "grandmothers",when you first wean the lambs they are "stressed out of their minds"(when we had the goats ,we did some trials on "weaning stress",with a Govt Ag guy,the kids lost a kg a day for 5 days before they started to regain weight again),by having some "older ewes"in the mob they teach them to start grazing and water and to head to shelter each night and are a "settling influence" on them........We like to leave them on their mothers until they are 5 mths old if we can.

Well I think I have covered all the "outstanding items",we hope you have enjoyed your visit with "us",and you might stop by again in the future,don't forget its your "questions" that keeps it interesting,best wishes for now........................T.O.R..........................