Any Shepards on the membership roster?

[Budweiser John]

Now retired and getting caught up on various personal/farmstead projects, I've been thinking about the pros and cons of a small flock of sheep.
We live in central Michigan, so four weather seasons, and I own 80 acres of land. At 74, I'm not interested in bailing my own hay but have a reliable source
I have zero experience with sheep other than helping a late elderly neighbor many years back band a few young bucks.
The $64 question is simply: Is it possible to run a small flock of say 20 to 25 head selling the wool and meat and at a worst case break even or best case show a profit using all purchased inputs?
We still have a three stall stable of pleasure horses and a roster of typical farm equipment including a tractor with FEL, a manure spreader, and stock trailer.

Any thoughts, personal experience, or links to further information are sincerely appreciated.

B. John

 

[jeff9366]

Do you have multiple buyers for your output, so you have the potential for a market price, or just one or two potential buyers so you will be a price taker?
Price takers break even IN THE BEST CASE.

 

[Budweiser John]

I now include "markets" as part of the question.
There are several livestock auctions in close proximity but I'm not sure about the wool.
Wondering too if the polypropylene industry has done a number on the natural fiber demand.
B. John

 

[dmccarty]

Do you have coyotes that will prey on the sheep? If so, you will need some way to protect the sheep such as a sheep dog which will increase expenses.

I know some local sheep raiser sell the wool to people who knit and weave clothes. I do know that there are sheep and there are sheep. Some sheep breeds grow very prized wool. I would think one would need to know the market one is selling sheep products too in order to know which breed of sheep to raise.

When I was buying my truck 16 years ago, there was a lawyer who was working a deal to buy an F650. He had bought some land and was going to raise lots of meat goats that he would take to cities in the NE with the F650. On the way back home, he would carry hay from the areas he passed through. Many immigrant groups like goat meat and transporting the goats to the big NE cities would, in theory, bring a higher price. I was skeptical that he could make money given the cost of the truck, trailer and land but I think he had made enough money in the lawyer trade to become a gentleman farmer and not really worry about money. Most be nice.

Later,
Dan

 

[smstonypoint]

Ag. economics departments at a few land-grant universities publish enterprise budgets for sheep. Check Google. I didn't see Michigan State listed in the first few pages I scanned, but the budgets from nearby states will give you a starting point.

Steve

 

[stuckmotor]

Around 30 years ago, my elderly cousin died leaving his widow with around 12 or 15 sheep. The wool grew out in the hot SC summers and needed to be gotten off. I sheared them for a few years and I don't know if she ever got rid of the wool. We heard that no one wanted to fool with a small quantity. Somehow, she found another shepard and one time we sheared them together then we sheared some of his sheep. For some reason his were much easier to shear. As best I can remember they had less wool around their heads and behinds making them less trouble. The wool around the behinds of her sheep was longer so it collected sheep droppings creating a nasty mess. The sheep must have been different breeds, assuming there's more than one breed of sheep.
My advise is that if you want to enjoy your old age forget about sheep. I'm 66 and wouldn't take a sheep if was free.
If you're bound and determined to raise them do your research as to what kind to get and build enclosures so that it's convenient and comfortable for you and the sheep when you need to shear, sell, or catch them for any reason.
Lastly, find someone to take them off your widow's hands on the day you go to your reward.

 

[twgoats]

We pretty much do this. Currently we have a flock of 22 ewes and 3 rams, and we do our own hay. We raise a heritage breed, Clun Forrest, which is a dual purpose bred. We sell the fiber as fleeces for hand spinners and we also have some (most) processed at a fiber mill into roving and yarn for sale. The fiber sells well though the internet and we are planning on starting to do some fiber festivals/craft fairs. We have taken lambs to auction in the past and have done okay but, most of a our meat sales these days are though an on-line farmers market. We have our meat processed at a local USDA inspected facility, send a list of available cuts to the on-line market, they sell it to their members, we deliver what they sell to their distribution center, and they deliver to their customers. The market runs o n a weekly basis but, we have been selling through them every month or so. So far this has been working well and we are making a small profit. Next year we hope to a least double the size of our flock. As the Cluns are a rare/ heritage breed, we also get a premium price for breeding stock hut, do not rely on that for income per se
Doug J.
D
Dou