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Adding sheep to a cattle operation

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LCP

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north central SD
I've had a lot of wild ideas lately, this being the most recent. We run about 425 cows and raise our own replacements. We've got a lot of buckbrush (snowberry). I am looking for excuses to sell the haying equipment and buy whatever hay I need (a whole different topic for another time). If I'm not putting up hay all summer, I figured I could do a better job of managing my grass and make up some of the cost of buying hay. With all the buck brush, I'm thinking a flock of sheep might futher add value to the time I'd have by not making hay. The problem is I am rather clueless about sheep. Does anyone run them together, or leader/follower with the cattle? What advice would you give a cattleman about getting into sheep? Any good resources I should look up? Thanks much. I always appreciate the folks on this site willing to share their experiences.
 
Our neighbor has sheep and cattle or did he's retireing so he's cut back on both. He's never had a job in town and has been very successful I'd say the sheep and hard work were the main factor's that and he's an excellent farmer weather he's raiseing crops ,hay or livestock. And don't do goats.
 
Denny said:
Our neighbor has sheep and cattle or did he's retireing so he's cut back on both. He's never had a job in town and has been very successful I'd say the sheep and hard work were the main factor's that and he's an excellent farmer weather he's raiseing crops ,hay or livestock. And don't do goats.
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I agree with Denny.
 
jodywy said:
A good guard dog can save a lot of lambs , and mine won't let the sheep next to a hot wire, so old fences we just run a hot wire next to them.
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Any recommendations on sourcing a good dog? Are you talking about something like a great pyrenees that stays out there with the flock? Since I'm fairly clueless about handling sheep I had thought maybe a good herding dog (border collie I suppose) would be in order. Can you have both guard dogs and herding dogs at the same time or do the guards see the others as a predator? From what I've read I can add a ewe for every cow I run and not have to reduce cow inventory. 400 sheep sounds like a lot for me. I'll probably start on a smaller scale...that is, if I get the rest of the crew to go along with my wild idea.
 
great Pyrenees ,akbash work good , mine is spayed females she lets my old male border collie work the sheep but won't let the young female work. but then that my dog.
 
I've seen some articles on the current ideas for running cows and sheep together. Maybe from SDSU? Not sure. Just skimmed a little of it. Maybe a problem with weeds, noxious and nuisance weeds, could be improved. And the differences in preferred grazing between sheep and cows seems like it would make sense.

But hasn't the lamb, sheep market been depressed lately? Could be opportunity to get them at low cost.......or one could end up with TWO species which aren't selling well, tho some say the cattle market is going up. Costs seem to be going up faster, but that's no new situation, either. Sort of like double cropping so might be a good thing if labor isn't a problem. good luck in whichever decision you make.

mrj
 
I've seen some articles on the current ideas for running cows and sheep together. Maybe from SDSU? Not sure. Just skimmed a little of it. Maybe a problem with weeds, noxious and nuisance weeds, could be improved. And the differences in preferred grazing between sheep and cows seems like it would make sense.

But hasn't the lamb, sheep market been depressed lately? Could be opportunity to get them at low cost.......or one could end up with TWO species which aren't selling well, tho some say the cattle market is going up. Costs seem to be going up faster, but that's no new situation, either. Sort of like double cropping so might be a good thing if labor isn't a problem. good luck in whichever decision you make.

mrj













u
 
That sounds great, Jody. Added to ewes like that one you showed us with a new lamb at age 13........makes it look pretty good to raise sheep, whether with cows, or on their own.

I should have checked it out before writing based on info from a year or more ago.

mrj
 
Pertnear said:
Fence :roll:
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Neighbor only has a double hot wire. Never see any sheep out of his pasture. I don't see it being that big of an issue if you have a good fence for your cows to begin with and make a wire or two hot. Judging from your post you must not.
 
Denny said:
Our neighbor has sheep and cattle or did he's retireing so he's cut back on both. He's never had a job in town and has been very successful I'd say the sheep and hard work were the main factor's that and he's an excellent farmer weather he's raiseing crops ,hay or livestock. And don't do goats.
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The growing Muslim population around here will take every goat you can raise. They will even come and kill it right after the money (cash) has changed hands. My Father in Law raises goats and sheep and can't keep up to the demand. They actually tolerate the pigs he raises.
 
ANGUS327 said:
Denny said:
Our neighbor has sheep and cattle or did he's retireing so he's cut back on both. He's never had a job in town and has been very successful I'd say the sheep and hard work were the main factor's that and he's an excellent farmer weather he's raiseing crops ,hay or livestock. And don't do goats.
Click to expand...

The growing Muslim population around here will take every goat you can raise. They will even come and kill it right after the money (cash) has changed hands. My Father in Law raises goats and sheep and can't keep up to the demand. They actually tolerate the pigs he raises.
Click to expand...

Problem with goats here is they never get very high in price and were to far from the culture centers to sell direct so salebarn is the avenue for sale. That and they seam to grow slower than sheep.Everyday you own them they cost you money and goats like the best feed first not weeds like many think.
 

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