Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

maybe @baymule will have some culls you could pick up as starters? trying to save the little guys as long as i can!

Ya never know! But Baymule is a long way from me...not overcome-able but...

Most economical way to buy sheep I've found is to get bottle lambs from someone who doesnt want to raise them. Mine were $35 each. A weaned lamb or a ewe would run $120+. Just dont hand feed a bottle ram! Keep them afraid of you!!

IF I go through with it, that might be what I do. I won't keep a ram a ram either so if one comes here with dangly bits - he won't have them long lol! Don't need to deal with that!

I saw two kathadin/dorper cross rams (3 months old) listed for $250 each or $425 for both. Ewes about the same. (2) dorper ram lamb lambs 3 months sheep - farm & garden - by owner... (craigslist.org)

St. Croix hair sheep ewe lamb for sale - farm & garden - by owner -... (craigslist.org)

Still in the "tossing it around" phase. Probably be cheaper and less hassle to just pay the ridiculous prices for lamb chops, lol!

 

[tortoise]

Ya never know! But Baymule is a long way from me...not overcome-able but...



IF I go through with it, that might be what I do. I won't keep a ram a ram either so if one comes here with dangly bits - he won't have them long lol! Don't need to deal with that!

I saw two kathadin/dorper cross rams (3 months old) listed for $250 each or $425 for both. Ewes about the same. (2) dorper ram lamb lambs 3 months sheep - farm & garden - by owner... (craigslist.org)

St. Croix hair sheep ewe lamb for sale - farm & garden - by owner -... (craigslist.org)

Still in the "tossing it around" phase. Probably be cheaper and less hassle to just pay the ridiculous prices for lamb chops, lol!

Y'know how you enable everyone around here to get goats? ... my turn! Get sheep! You wont regret it

 

[frustratedearthmother]

@tortoise
I guess "payback" is fair, lol!

Won't even think about a bottle baby until I have goat milk...and by the time I have goat milk again I'll have baby goats to take care of. Of course, one could use the argument "what's one more baby" I guess, lol.

Heck - I don't even know if you can raise a lamb on goats milk.... so much to think about!

 

[tortoise]

@tortoise
I guess "payback" is fair, lol!

Won't even think about a bottle baby until I have goat milk...and by the time I have goat milk again I'll have baby goats to take care of. Of course, one could use the argument "what's one more baby" I guess, lol.

Heck - I don't even know if you can raise a lamb on goats milk.... so much to think about!

You can raise lambs on goat milk.

 

[Mini Horses]

I've thought about a lamb, in the past. I like lamb but, I just buy a few chops at discount every so often. Works for me. Love the meat from my AGHs but, not doing those again -- although almost did with freebees a while back. Super glad a did a "no" on that. I'm feeling good with these decisions because it's extra work and I just truly don't need a lot of the extra meat. sure don't need the additional work....figured that out at feeding in 27 degrees this morning. .

But things change, especially in Spring!

 

[baymule]

Even if I just butchered two pigs a year - with what I have now I have 7 years of pigs, lol. After that, not sure I want to butcher 'em anyway. I'll probably be eating pureed food by then, lol. Heck, by then some of those pigs will probably have died of old age..

Here's a mind blower for you. I'm thinking about adding sheep to the mix. I love lamb and I'm looking at maybe, maybe picking up a couple of lambs in the spring to raise for meat. Don't want anything else to feed over winter. I've already given a glance at Craigslist for prices. YIKES! Let's see if that idea lasts for a couple more months, lol.

7 years of pigs......Yeah, that's probably enough. Then you can do what I do and just buy feeder pigs. LOL

Lamb is good! What are prices for lambs in your area?

 

[baymule]

$250?? For ONE? I have a ram and ewe lamb now that will be two months old on December 18. I'm going to wean the ram and leave the ewe lamb on for another month, then they are for sale. They are half Katahdin, the ewe is a Dorper/Katahdin mix. You can have them both for $300. They are being creep fed in addition to Momma's milk and all the hay they want. The rest of my ewes are due in February-ish.

Mmmmmm....... Lamb chops! Leg O' Lamb! Ground lamb, stew meat. Heck, I have the legs cut into round steaks and tenderized. Chicken fried steak! LOL LOL

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Dang it - ya'll are determined that I get sheep aren't ya, lol! I appreciate the offer @baymule... just not ready to pull the trigger yet - won't even be ready by January. I'm thinking March/April-ish (IF I do it at all )and have something ready to butcher late fall. Might just do like @Mini Horses does and buy the lamb chops/leg o' lamb, ground lamb, stew meat...

 

[baymule]

Home grown is sooooo much better! But you already knew that!

I'll have lambs ready to go in May...........

 

[tortoise]

But you've sold so many goats this year, surely you have space! And your 3 puppies will be past the worst of puppy raising before bottle lamb season?