What to Consider Before Making A Purchase

Many people look to goats and sheep when choosing livestock for their small farms. Often depicted as cute and gentle, many folks have an affection for these animals. It’s true raising sheep and goats is comparatively less complex than other livestock options, but goats and sheep still present the backyard farmer with their own, unique challenges. Before making a purchase, having clear goals and a realistic understanding of your available resources will be useful when determining which species is right for you.

Market Research & Your Goals

Of course, a basic consideration is which animal you want to work with. Farming, being the 24/7, 365-day-a-year job that it is, is hard enough. Liking your animals will go a long way toward motivating you every day to get out and do what needs doing. Are you interested in milk and cheese? Fiber? Is your plan to raise goats for breeding stock? For show? It will be important to understand the markets for the products you want to produce.

While goat meat is consumed at an enormous rate worldwide, it doesn’t match beef, chicken, or pork in the US. However, there are niche markets for both lamb and goat meat, not to mention milk and cheese from each animal. You’ll have to do your research and think creatively about marketing your product. For instance, many ethnic communities consume goat and lamb. Also, goat and lamb are often consumed during religious holidays. Outreach to local markets and both ethnic and religious communities will be a smart move and likely clarify which animal will be most profitable for you.

How Many Sheep & Goats Per Acre?

How much land you have at your disposal will be a determining factor for the size of your flock or herd. 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.

Goats are similar to sheep in that you can support about 6-8 goats on an acre of land. Because goats are browsers, not grazers, it will be important that the land you have will supply them with the sort of forage they like to eat—see below. If your space is limited, it will be a smart decision to raise fewer animals, either sheep or goats, rather than more. You don’t want to put a strain on both your resources and your livestock.

Additional considerations are available shade and protection from wind. Sheep can put up with more weather than goats. Goats like to be kept dry and they’ll need a place to get out of the elements.

Browsers vs Grazers

Sheep will graze your grass. In fact, before the lawn mower was created, sheep and the scythe were the main tools for keeping lawns and yards tidy. They’ll do a great job but will not eat the grass where they defecate. If your pasture is healthy, your sheep will be happy.

Goats, on the other hand, are browsers. They enjoy roughage. Goats like to eat at chin level and will strip shrubs and trees of leaves and twigs before they’ll turn to grass, which they will do, but not with the consistency of sheep.

If you own more than an acre, you’ll have the ability to rotate your livestock, allowing grass and other forage to replenish. Dividing your pasture into paddocks and rotating your animals has advantages for the animals, as well. By rotating your animals, you’ll spread manure more evenly, your animals will get more exercise, and you’ll expose them to a greater variety of forage.

Depending on which area in the country you live in, winter will be a major consideration in terms of available food. In northern areas, the ground will be covered with snow and most bushes will have lost their leaves. If this is the case, you’ll need to think about meeting your animals’ feeding requirements with hay and livestock feeding equipment. You will also need a dry place to store your hay.

Sheep & Goat Fence

Livestock fencing needs are different for these two backyard animals. A great type of fencing for sheep is smooth electric wire or non-electric woven wire. Goats, because they will challenge fencing and are able climbers and jumpers, require a little more thought. Even a little gap in your fence will be discovered by your curious goats. High tensile, smooth electric wire will work. Wooden fencing, stockade panels, and chain link fencing also can work well. Woven wire combined with wooden rails should do the job, too. The main thing is to make the fence high enough and make sure your goat house is not near the fence. If your goat house happens to be near your perimeter, you’ll want a climb-proof roof to keep your goats grounded.

Another essential consideration is keeping predators away from your livestock. Bear, bobcats, coyotes, and even dogs will easily kill a sheep or a goat. Whatever fencing option you choose, make protection an equal consideration along with containment.

Housing Sheep & Goats

Housing costs can significantly add to your overall operational costs. Do research to figure out how many shelters your animals will need. And don’t forget you’ll be out there, too, working with them. Take into consideration your comfort level, as well. Whatever the case, housing should be built on well-drained and elevated land, whenever possible.

Sheep and goats don’t require sophisticated housing, generally speaking. Both will do just fine with a simple structure. As long as they feel safe, have enough space, and have shelter from the elements, you should be pretty good to go. A three-walled shed can be an adequate structure. If you happen to have old buildings on your land—a barn or shed—that you can incorporate, that’s even better. If you have more than a few sheep or goats, there are many shelter designs available to you.

Keep in mind your space needs will be different if you are breeding sheep or goats. You’ll want separate lambing and kidding facilities. It’s also smart to have an isolation pen for sick animals.

Springtime Shearing

Your sheep will need to be sheared unless you raise “hair” sheep, which do not require shearing. Early spring is typically the time for shearing as it will relieve your sheep of their warm coats and keep them cool for the warm months ahead. By the following winter, their coats will be long once again. Often it is smart to coordinate shearing with lambing. Shearing ewes about a month before they’re due will encourage them to take shelter for warmth. It will also encourage them to eat more (digestion increases body temperature) and that will provide more nutrients for the unborn lamb. Sheared ewes will have a more hygienic environment for lambing, as well.

If you’re raising goats for fiber, you’ll have to shear as well. Angora goats are sheared twice a year, in early spring and early fall, usually, to maximize fiber. Cashmere is not sheared as this will mix the valuable cashmere fiber with the less valuable and coarser guard hair. Cashmere is combed and plucked.

Shearing does require some physical ability and the right tools for the job. You may get away with shearing a goat with scissors or hand shears. For more sheep, you may want electric sheep shears. If you don’t think you can do it on your own, you’ll have to seek out a professional to do it for you.

While many first-timers are interested in sheep or goats because they think they’re cute and simple to raise and care for, be warned. Even if you own a few animals, you’ll be attending to them and their specific needs daily. That shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone serious about getting into livestock. But if you have a love for what you do, a clear plan for your operation, and have done your market research, then you’ll be well underway toward turning a profit.

Shop our products designed for Sheep & Goats here.

We know our QC Supply customers are a hard-working and savvy bunch. Do you own sheep or goats? Leave us a comment and tell us all about it!