J&D Cattle
Well-known member
Anybody on here raise Hair Sheep? Thinking of buying some Katahdin for my wife and kids. Looking for a good website to do some learning or locate a mentor that can do some teaching. Thanks
Hair Sheep
- Thread starter J&D Cattle
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fenceman
Well-known member
I raised hair sheep for about 15 years. We have several auctions here to sell them through. We had herd of around 100 head half would be rams.
My uncle keeps around 2_ 300 All rams. The biggest market her is selling mature rams that go to high fenced hunting ranches. The ewe lambs would go to a commercial auction. They are very hardy . somewhat like brahman cattle . they can eat anything , are very resistant to disease and parasites. They have 1 to 4 lambs per year with very few problems. They will compliment cattle well eating weeds and brush cattle wont. I sold out early 2015. Just had to many irons in fire.
Around here the one big problem is coyotes. The sheep must be penned every night. It got were I just didn't have time and the market was very strong so I sold everything. If you have any questions , I would be tickled to help.
The day I sold out.
My uncle keeps around 2_ 300 All rams. The biggest market her is selling mature rams that go to high fenced hunting ranches. The ewe lambs would go to a commercial auction. They are very hardy . somewhat like brahman cattle . they can eat anything , are very resistant to disease and parasites. They have 1 to 4 lambs per year with very few problems. They will compliment cattle well eating weeds and brush cattle wont. I sold out early 2015. Just had to many irons in fire.
Around here the one big problem is coyotes. The sheep must be penned every night. It got were I just didn't have time and the market was very strong so I sold everything. If you have any questions , I would be tickled to help.
The day I sold out.
J&D Cattle
Well-known member
Thank you for the reply. My wife and I are planning on purchasing a few in the spring. Right now I'm working on my fences and getting ready to build a shelter that will serve the sheep as well as my son's 4-H hogs and a coop for my wife's chickens. May be an odd looking dude when I'm finished.
Speaking of fencing, I have 5 strand barbed wire on my external lines. Internally I have single strand electric. What was the minimum you would recommend for both external and internal cross fencing?
Speaking of fencing, I have 5 strand barbed wire on my external lines. Internally I have single strand electric. What was the minimum you would recommend for both external and internal cross fencing?
fenceman
Well-known member
We modified quite a bit of 5 wire by adding 5 wires to the lower 2/3 striving for nothing wider than 3 inches up to 12 inches then 4 inches up the next 12 inches. You can also just add net wire right on top of the barbwire.
9/39/ 12 is inexpensive and adequate. 4x4x 48 is better but expensive. Electric is good for deterring predators . On your interior electric you'll probably want to add a wire to keep lambs from going under. Sheep have dense hair and require a good powerful charger.
One thing with sheep or goats. Net wire with 4" or 12" vertical wires is fine. Avoid it with 6" vertical spaced wires.
9/39/ 12 is inexpensive and adequate. 4x4x 48 is better but expensive. Electric is good for deterring predators . On your interior electric you'll probably want to add a wire to keep lambs from going under. Sheep have dense hair and require a good powerful charger.
One thing with sheep or goats. Net wire with 4" or 12" vertical wires is fine. Avoid it with 6" vertical spaced wires.
