For years I wanted sheep and for some reason everyone told me to get goats instead. Not sure why after all of my research other than I think it must be the popular things these days to adopt a few pet goats.
In my research, I have learned that goats really live up to their biblical meaning. But all jokes aside, a friend told me that the reason they refused to have goats again was the day they woke up to their new SUV with dents all over it from their goats who like to climb on cars.
So let's talk about why sheep. Sheep are gentle and actually easy to keep alive. They stay within their gates as long as you feed them well. And I should add that they eat more native grasses unlike goats. Thus, supplemental feed is not usually necessary unless you live in a desert location with little life in your yard.
One reason why I decided sheep over goats is they are good for their fleece. One day I would love to make my own clothes and sheep wool is perfect. The benefits for wool for fiber is another blog, but I love the many benefits of it. Also, you can get good creamy milk from sheep and mutton is a delicacy in America. People pay top dollar for it...if you choose to butcher. We are vegan and will not eat our babies but definitely use their milk for soap and their wool for clothes!
Basically, here is what we have done to get ready for our sheepie friends:
➡️ Install protective sheep fencing. The one we chose is perfect for keeping coyotes out. It is a bit more expensive but definitely worth it.
➡️ Build a small structure to protect from wind or weather. Where we live there is lots of wind in the winter and lots of sun in the summer. Sheep would rather be protected from both.
➡️ And research how to feed your sheep. Our location has some of the best foraging for sheep and cattle. I have found that this area use to be settled by the Spaniards who raised sheep on our prairies until beef became America's favorite. Another question is how to feed sheep during the winter months. One thing I have researched is growing food hydroponically for sheep but that is something I cannot tell if it works or not. We have chosen to feed our sheepies stored hay until we know we can master the hydroponics for them.
Other things to consider when adopting sheep is if you need a guard and/or herding dog. We decided with the fact we have bears, mountain lions, and coyotes that a guard dog is the best. Maybe one day we will get a herding pup but since we live on only a few acres I am not sure that is a concern as of yet.
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