We're getting sheep this spring, in addition to our existing flock of poultry and the couple of piglets we'll get around the same time as the sheep. I've been in some denial that we're farmers (much to some friends' amusement) but I am now settling in on the idea. Fino and I with our big city upbringings (Los Angeles and Boston-area respectively), hadn't expected we would fully embrace raising multiple kinds of livestock. Our children however, have had a completely different childhood experience than their parents. To them, being around farm animals is just as normal as pie. Hence, I'm in acceptance mode that sheep are inevitable and I'm going with it.
So it's official - the research phase is over and the commitment phase is underway for the Almeida Fam to raise sheep (and pigs) this year.
Our first foray into learning about raising sheep was a workshop on sheep and goat nutrition sponsored by UMaine's Cooperative Extension folks back in October. The workshop was geared for farmers interested in making their own feed and I knew it would be too advanced for L. and I but thought it would still introduce us to the general topic and help us meet people who raise sheep. The workshop started out with an overview of the rumen (stomach) functions that included a video dissection of a sheep. Although a tad gory, the dissection was actually quite interesting and informative. Then they moved on to the nutritional needs of sheep/goats (sheep and goats have similar digestive system), plants toxic to these animals and then how to make your own feed. The feed part explained balancing a ration and included a complicated (to me) explanation of calculating percentages of protein, energy, minerals and vitamins using the Pearson's Square. L. and I left the workshop giggling about our biggest learning from the workshop: Buy feed in the feed store, don't try to make it yourself. We decided we'd worry about saving money on feed in a few years (or decades) once we got the basics of raising these animals figured out.
After that workshop L. joined a 4H sheep club and for Christmas I bought her "Raising Sheep the Modern Way" on the recommendation from several knowledgeable sheep farmers. They said it was the best resource book they owned. L. spent some time reading this book over the holiday vacation and then decided we needed to visit a couple of sheep farms to see how things were done. She was convinced by then she could raise sheep and I was almost
I asked L. to come up with a list of questions to ask the owner of each farm so we would both have a better idea of what to expect, and what to look out for, with raising sheep on our property. Here were her questions:
The predator question was prompted because late last summer we saw multiple coyotes on our property. They never did bother the pigs and we believed at the time the reason for that was the electric fence. Not only did it serve to keep the pigs contained, but protected them from the predators on the outside of it as well. Both sheep farms we visited shared our theory (although L. tried to convince me at one point before Christmas we needed llamas to protect sheep). So in preparing for our sheep's arrival we need to not only build a shelter (Fino and L. are on the job with building plans), but put up another electric fence pen for them (and standing firm on no llamas).
The first sheep farm we visited also had beef cows, pigs and ducks but not chickens so that farmer couldn't answer L.'s question about the chickens/sheep proximity issue. The reason for that question was because last year she was told that there is a bacteria that chickens carry (naturally) that can kill young piglets so it's important to keep the two species separated. We weren't sure if this was true for sheep as well but after a visit to the second sheep farm, it was confirmed that it's not a problem. That farm has had chickens roaming in the sheep pens for years without a problem and the farmer believed her animals had less issues with worms and bugs in general because of the cohabitation of the chicken flock with her sheep.
The feeding schedule of sheep seems to be about the same as pigs, twice a day, with water readily available at all times. Our pigs had a spigot to drink from last year because their goal in life was to tip over their water dishes at every opportunity. But sheep don't have that same life mission and a simple bucket of water should work just fine for them.
The diseases question on L.'s list prompted both sheep farmers to make suggestions of symptoms to look for and an offer to simply call the farm if L. noticed anything funky. The bottom line we learned from this discussion was that farming is unpredictable so you do your best to know your animals and investigate any variations in their behavior as soon as possible.
The feed question turned out to be a can of worms. The majority of people we know who raise pigs prefer Blue Seal pig feed so that's what L. fed her pigs last year. At 300 pounds a piece at fair time, L.'s pigs clearly did well on that feed. But because our chickens don't do well on that brand, we get their feed from a Nutrena seller at a local hardware store (the chickens look healthier and lay their eggs more consistently on Nutrena).
But the sheep farmers we spoke with prefer Poulin Grain feed, which is from yet another supply store. Fino is sure we do not want to run around for six months buying grain from three different places so we're researching our options (again) to settle on how we're going to handle this issue. Since taking the sheep/goat nutrition workshop, L. and I learned the basics of how to read grain labels so our plan is to visit each feed store to compare them all. I think this is worth the time and effort because people with more experience than us have reasons why they like the feed grain they do and I'm not one to discount the voice of experience in making choices about keeping our animals (and financial investments) healthy. So we're still working out how we plan to handle this part.
I know, this is a long-winded entry about how I came around to agreeing to let L. get sheep this spring. But I thought there might be other people who would find our research helpful in deciding if they might be headed down this farming road with their own kids some day. As I discovered after chatting with the owners of each sheep farm, neither farmer had any experience raising livestock until.... their kids pushed them in to it.
So I guess there is some comfort in knowing that as I stumble my way down this new road, I'm not the only parent who has navigated the steep learning curve of raising livestock at the insistence of their children.
And L., well she's pleased as punch she's won this round, although she had to really work for it. But I admit I'm also a sucker for a kid that can set goals and a learning plan (on her own) for why she wants to do something.
This is the 4H record sheet she has started for her sheep project this year.
And although G. isn't doing a formal 4H sheep project like L., she's looking forward to the photo opportunities she'll have with them around this year. G. had fun taking photos at the sheep farm while L. and I were chatting it up with the owner.
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