Craigslist Sheep For Sale (2024)

FAQs

How many acres do 2 sheep need? ›

In higher rainfall areas (e.g., Mid-Atlantic), a common rule of thumb is that one animal unit (1000 lbs) requires two acres of pasture. So that would mean one acre could support 2-3 sheep or 4-5 goats. Of course, it would also depend upon the size (weight) of the animals. Lambs/kids add to the weight.

Market lambs sell for between $2.50 and $4.00 a pound with an average price of $3.25 per pound. Processing fees (butchering, cutting, and wrapping) vary based on the butcher.

According to Paul Rodgers, director of producer services for the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI), the conventional approach of adding 20 to 100 ewes to a farm operation can be profitable. Other approaches require careful marketing and would be more difficult and risky.

Normally sheep should be treated every three to four weeks. Keep in mind that worms may develop resistance to a drug if exposed frequently. Lower stocking rates will reduce the intensity of the deworming program. Fewer sheep result in fewer shed worm eggs within a given area, and thereby reducing parasite loads.

The length of time that sheep will spend on your property depends on several variables: the amount of space being grazed; the number of sheep on site; the plant species present; and the density of those species. As a rule of thumb, projects under an acre in size will take about a week or less.

Sheep probably respond more to proper care and attention than any other farm animal. For the most part, the labor is not hard, but they require quality time and quality labor. Timeliness of sheep management tasks is very important.

Beef cattle are generally the most profitable and easiest livestock to raise for profit. Beef cattle simply require good pasture, supplemental hay during the winter, fresh water, vaccinations and plenty of room to roam.

The bottom line of this comparison is that if you are in a dry (28″ of rain or less), brushy climate goats will indeed be more profitable than sheep. However, if you live in the grassy, high rainfall area the 22% increase that goats bring will likely be eaten up by increased labor in parasite management.

The EasyCareTM Sheep is a revolutionary breed of sheep which requires minimal shepherding and veterinary care, sheds its fleece in the summer, does not need shearing and yet offers excellent meat yields and lambing ratios. The fleece is kempy, leaving a dense hair covered in lanolin.

The Ryeland and the Southdown are equally well known for their docility, quickly becoming hand-tame, and seeming to enjoy human company more so than other breeds of sheep.

What is the best tasting sheep breed? ›

Some breeds, like Cheviot, Dorset, Rambouillet, or Suffolk sheep, are best for succulent meat. Selective breeding over the centuries has created sheep dedicated to wool, milk, or meat, although some breeds are good for all three.

You can reasonably expect to keep 6-10 sheep on an acre of grass and as many as 100 sheep on 30 acres of pasture. If you want to keep more than an acre can sustain, you'll have to look into purchasing additional land as you'll likely need to rotate your flock to keep them fed.

I have spent as little as $65 a sheep, but it was over 50 sheep that I bought too. You will have to figure out the price of hay in your area, but a sheep consumes about 1-1/2 bales here for the winter season. In Maine that is 150 days.

Sheep are not difficult animals to raise; however, they do require a higher level of management than beef cattle. Therefore, if you have never raised sheep before, the first suggestion would be to begin with 20 to 50 ewes and then increase numbers in future years, if the sheep business is for you.

Space requirements vary depending on the breed and size of the ewes. A good rule of thumb is 10 to 12 square feet of shelter space per ewe, 12 to 16 square feet per ewe and lamb pair, and 6 to 8 square feet per feeder lamb.

If you are new to Soay sheep, we recommend a starter flock consisting of at least three or four ewes, along with a ram or two, and a wether. Why a wether? Because the ram really needs to have a companion or he will behave badly.

How many sheep should I purchase? Sheep are a flock animal. This means that they need to live with other sheep. I recommend a flock no smaller than five sheep, but have seen flocks of 3 or 4 do well.

Profitability can be challenging, but with productive sheep and close control of expenses, a profit is possible. Sheep produce income from the sale of meat, wool and milk. The highest-quality meat is produced from lambs, young sheep under one year of age. Most sheep are sheared once per year to produce wool.