Keep Sheep – Which sheep are right for you?
Which sheep are right for me?
Sheep are the most handy of animals. They are almost perfect for providing everything that humans need to survive. Their meat is tasty, nutritious and a valuable component of a healthy diet. The skin is ideal for clothing and shelter. This animal can keep you well fed, warm and dry. The wool producing sheep can produce vast amounts of useful material. Some sheep can produce up to 10kg of wool per year. This is enough for 17 wool sweaters or 140 pairs of men’s business socks – This will vary depending on the thickness of the yarn and the size of the jumpers. It is possible that some sheep could produce up to 100kg of wool in its lifetime.
The sheep is an ideal size to be handled by humans not so big that special equipment is required but small enough to be easily handled by one person.
Sheep are prolific breeders and a single ewe may produce as many as 25 offspring in its lifetime. More common would be half this number (10-12). They are efficient converters of grass to meat. They will eat a variety of foods but thrive on rye grass and clovers.
Sheep are ideal for small block farms and make wonderful pets as they are very ‘children friendly’.
It is important to be selective of breed when you are picking which sheep are right for you and your small block e.g. Romney, Pitt Island, Suffolk etc.
Some sheep require more attention than others. It depends on how much time and effort you intend expending on your sheep. It also depends on your intended use for the sheep. Look at the list below to see the large number of uses sheep have. You may have a single purpose for your sheep or a combination of uses. Your preference might change over time.
| 1. | Meat for the family | 12. | Lanolin from wool |
| 2. | Lawn mower | 13. | Insulate you home |
| 3. | Wool for spinning | 14. | Horns |
| 4. | Family pets | 15. | Cross breeding |
| 5. | Sheepskin rug | 16. | Composite |
| 6. | Breeding for lambs | 17. | Recording for breeding |
| 7. | Rare breeds | 18. | Playing farmers |
| 8. | Selling offspring | 19. | Rotational grazing |
| 9. | Fattening and selling | 20. | Show sheep |
| 10. | Selling strong lambs | 21. | Tourist sheep |
| 11. | Wool to sell | 22. | Trick sheep |
Our very own dubdub is a sheep dog too!
If you would like to learn more about sheep, call the lifestyle specialists at goodGround Real Estate.
