I went to the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival this past Saturday and I feel like I died and went to heaven. I've been thinking about getting some sheep for raising wool and thought I would go there to learn some things and see the different animals. They were wonderful. I watched a shearing demo and visited all the sheep barns. They even had some alpacas, which is what my husband wants, and they were just so cute. I also learned about English angora rabbits. I think I would like to raise some of those as well. But, I did decide that I better go find out how to spin before I got carried away. So, I contacted my local spinning guild and hope to soon be on my way. If I like spinning, I will definitely get some of these animals. Hubby even agreed that he didn't mind feeding them so I can get them before I retire which is about eight years away. I'm gone all day and hubby is home but I didn't want to give him the added work of the animals if he didn't have an interest. I'm pleased to say that he does have an interest. I'll make that city boy into a country boy one of these days!! (He's halfway there anyway because he loves the gardening aspects.) I also got the chance to meet Laura from the CS forum and we chatted for awhile about our homesteads and our dreams. It was fun to meet someone from these forums. So, can anyone tell me their experiences with these animals, good and bad, to help prepare me for raising them? I know, that is a big request, so just one or two stories will be fine. I'm just excited and want to talk with others about raising wool. (The llama is actually just for the purpose of protecting the other animals.)

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2001

Answers

We have sheep for meat, milk and wool, probably in that order. We started with four ewes and added a ram a year later. We've slowly increased the flock through keeping good ewe lambs. Our choice was Rambouillet, because they have great wool with a good crimp. We also have a Suffolk ewe, whose lambs go only for meat.

We bought a spinning wheel the first year we had the sheep, but so far have just saved all the wool. It's a long term plan. We use a professional shearer, tried doing it ourselves one year and decided it wasn't worth the time or trouble.

Sheep are not a lot of work once you have good fencing up. We are firm believers in rotational grazing, and have had very few health problems. We keep (and breed) Great Pyrenees dogs to protect them.

Our greatest problem has been with insecure grain storage - 4 of our lambs have eaten themselves to death (bloating).

We try to expand by no more than one animal species per year, since it takes a while to figure them out, they all have different needs and personalities. Hope this helps, I could say a lot more if you have more specific questions. You could also scan throught the Countryside archives - there has been a lot of sheep talk over the years.

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2001

By the time I've got enough land, I'll probably be too old to learn all those skills . . . But I've always been attracted to sheep. Small, easy to manage, cute sheep. Did any of you notice the pic of the Soay lamb in the latest CS issue? Adorable! Sort of like a cross between a lamb and a fawn.

Someone mentioned keeping rabbits mainly for their ability to produce good garden manure. How about sheep manure -- does it need to be composted before garden application or is it also non-burning?

Back to rabbits: I was thinking about rabbits as a more manageable sort of livestock, plus their fertilizer producing capacities. Living in the glaciated north (according to Polly), I would think that Angora rabbits would grow great coats here (even better up north with Julie) and could "justify" their existence on their coats and poop. I've eaten rabbit, but if I have to kill it, I don't think I'll be eating it. How well do Angoras produce coats in the warmer areas? I was under the impression that they need colder weather to have the good coats. And how about the heat? Somebody, maybe Suzy in 'Bama, mentioned giving them bottles of ice in the summer. Can you clip their belly hair short in the summer so that they're cooler?

Well, if people know the answers, fine, but I'm mostly musing in print. I know I should research if I want to know!

-- Anonymous, May 07, 2001

I just found this forum and just had to answer your note. May I suggest you get a subscription to SpinOff magazine for the information it includes not only on spinning but about different animals and breeds. It also has great information resources included in its advertisements. I would suggest getting some books on angoras before getting them. In my experience they require quite a bit of care but can be lovely animals. We have angora and cashmere goats as well as sheep. Believe it or not, you can shear these animals with scissors. It does take a while but an angora goat can be done in 1 hour maybe less as you get experience. Of course, hiring a shearer is a good way to go as you get older (and the back and knees give out). I would suggest you do get those spinning lessons and buy different kinds of fleeces before picking the animals you wish to raise. Personally, I like the longer, coarser wools for certain things (Cotswold, Lincoln) and finer wools for others (Targhee, Columbia). I love mohair and cashgora. Alpacas are still kind of pricey to purchase but they are cute, aren't they? Goats have more personality than sheep but stay away from rams till you get more experience. That's not to say you won't find a perfectly lovely one but you might also get one like the one I'm going to make a jacket out of. Thankfully the guardian dog saved me that time. Hope this helps a tiny bit.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

Sandra, thanks for the suggestion that I subscribe to SpinOff. It sounds like it would be something I would like. I got a book on spinning from the library by Lee Raven and it seems to be excellent. I also found a contact person for my local spinning guild and I talked to her last night. The guild meets once a month and they also have a studio where they work so I am looking forward to the first meeting that I can attend. I am still pumped up about this.

-- Anonymous, May 21, 2001

I just found this forum and thought I'd add my 1 cents worth. David, there is a vaccination for 'overeat' disease. Sheep will eat until they're stuffed. We use a tetanus/overeat combination shot when the lambs are a couple of weeks old. There is also a remedy for bloating called 'Therabloat'. You use it as a drench when you observe problems. We also use bloatguard blocks, which resemble a salt block lick, but contains ingredients to help prevent bloat when turned out on alfalfa. We use rotational grazing on 4 acres, and the perimeter of a 5 acre alfalfa patch, for weed control. We have been using electric twine, with a fence charger, to keep them in. The twine is easily moved to whatever location we wish them to graze. Right now we have about 35 Suffolk/Hampshire cross lambs from 1 week old to 1 month old. We're raising them to sell for 4-H and FFA projects. We've had pretty good luck so far. Plus it gives my kids a free animal, and a pretty good income. Last year they each sold their lambs at the fair and made $700 profit. Not to bad!

-- Anonymous, June 18, 2001

Cindy, vaccinating against overeating will not guarantee success when a ruminant gets into a gross amount of grain, but its great you brought the subject up, especially for beginnners.

Welcome to our forum!

-- Anonymous, June 18, 2001

I have raised English angora rabbits in the mountains of central california for over ten years. I raised them for their wool and it is terrific. I am a spinner and knitter. Also I garden extensively so the fertilizer is a big help. I have my last three that I am trying to find a home for. White, fullblood, 5 year old male; white, fullblood, 4 year old female, (his daughter), and a black and white spotted 3 year old female, crossed out to a fuzzy lop. They are gentle, and need a loving home. Anyone interested?

-- Anonymous, June 30, 2001

Colleen, The llama being only used as a guard animal isn't giving him a fair chance!! I love my llamas and shear yearly as the heat of summer is too much on them if they aren't shorn. I have 9 llamas and have plenty of roving( actually about 13 pounds of it) in my wool closet. I take it to the woolen mill in Sardinia, Ohio to have it processed while I watch!! That is a lot of fun. My llamas aren't anything fancy they were purchased for pack animals but the woman at the woolen mill says my wool is some of the better that she has seen. My llamas have a dual coat, meaning they have guard hair that shunts the water from their bodies, and under the hair they have wool. I spend some time picking the guard hair out but not a lot. The thing about llamas is they are suseptible to Meningeal Worm. This is a parasite that is carried by white tailed deer and it will destroy a llamas nervous system. The only thing they know that prevents this parasite is Ivermectin Injectable on a monthly basis. Thus, the most difficult task there is to good llama husbandry, monthly catching everybody and giving them their shot. Other than that they are a dream.

The other thing I have that I'm not so sure I could do without is an Angora Goat. I LOVE my angora...she produces Mohair for me to spin. Their only drawback is that they have to be shorn twice a year, not just once. But the wool my Isabella produces is a joy to spin!

Good luck with your endeavours, and if I can be of any assistance to you let me know!

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2001