eliminating bills - homesteading

[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.

 

[baymule]

We bought 4 bred Katahdin/Dorper cross ewes last fall. They had their lambs in the first 2 weeks of January. We took 3 to slaughter and had 2 1/2 of them sold for $6 a pound, hanging weight plus cut and wrap which was $85. Two of the lambs were small when born and never really grew off. One was a ewe and I didn't want to breed smallness into the flock, so off to slaughter she went. We are keeping 2 of the ewe to join the flock. We kept 1/2 of a lamb, can't wait to try it!

Start out small with just a few. Don't overload yourself. If you get a few customers, then they tell their friends and your customer base grows with your flock. You can't just turn them out in a pasture either, you have to cross fence and rotate them so they don't eat the grass down to the dirt.

I love my sheep!

 

[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....

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Oh man - that sucks! I can only imagine how awful he must've felt. Hope he's well on the road to recovery!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Ugh so sorry for your husband @baymule ! Hope he's feeling better now. How miserable

 

[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.

 

[Mini Horses]

A lot depends on your area -- as you can see. Some sheep or goats go for more/less for the meat market. Bay has been able to begin a market for home grown -- most often this is mostly grass (or all) and most often organic or close, no meds, etc. We used to do cattle that way and always had repeat customers. It can be all you need if you aren't looking to get rich. We met all feed bills, cost of purchase as calves, etc. We made a little and got ours "free" as well as for our 5 kids (blended fam) and our full time farm worker who was provided some. Lot of good pasture to support them.

It's a little like many of our farm "stuff" .... I'm glad to sell eggs to support their feed & have plenty for free at home, 2 kids, some friends on occasion, some to feed other livestock. Happy to raise some chics for sale & butcher. Sell goat kids to help support the does I keep to milk & those I milk to sell for milkers.

If you need/want to actually support your self and your farm then you MUST get more intense. When I raised mini horses, mini donks & Boer goats, you can bet I did it to support the entire farm and all expenses related. My horses were shown nationally and did well. I can tell you they DID support the farm.

Now I am happy for the farm income to be able to support the livestock & their general expenses. It would be nice to "earn" a little more but, that gets back to what "cottage industry" you can support, that supports you. Face it the "farm" can only support what YOU CAN work to produce, grow, harvest & sell -- that includes livestock & other product.