Intro to small ruminant enterprises

An introduction to small ruminant enterprise$
SUSAN SCHOENIANSheep & Goat SpecialistWestern Maryland Research & Education Centersschoen@umd.edu – www.sheepandgoat.com

Introduction
Sheep and goat enterprises
What you need to raise sheep/goats
Breed resources
Getting started
Economics
Presentation topics

Monogastric
Simple stomach
Pigs and poultry (and people)
Ruminant
Cud-chewing
4 compartment stomach.- Cows, sheep, and goats
Pseudo-ruminant (3 compartment stomach)- Alpacas and llamas
Hind-gut fermenter
Fermentation occurs in the caecum and/or large intestine
Horses and rabbits
Classification of farm livestockBy their digestive systems

Economic
Profit
Tax advantages
Lifestyle
Self-sufficiency produce own food, fiber
Landscape management
Why raise sheep and/or goats?

Less acreage required
Less investment
Ease of handling
Multi-purpose
Reproductive efficiency
Grazing behavior
Niche demand for products
Complement other farm enterprises
Pros and cons: PROS

Small industry.
Lack of infrastructure.
Lack of mainstream demand for products.
Fencing requirements.
Labor requirements.
Predator risk.
Pros and cons: CONS

Similar production practices and inputs.
Same diseases.
Similar niche and ethnic demand for products.
Similar constraints to production: the 3 P’s.
Prices
Predators
Parasites
Sheep vs. goatsMore similarities than differences

Differences
SHEEP
GOATS
Grazer
Prefer forbs
Graze close to ground
Grow faster
Produce better milk
More genetic diversity
Strong flocking instinct and group mentality
Traditional enterprise
Browser
Prefer shrubs
Top-down grazer
Grow slow
Produce more milk
Less genetic diversity
Curious and independent
New and growing industry

Meat
Dairy
Fiber
Agri-tourism
Sheep and goat enterprises

Primary income is from the sale of live animals for meat and/or the sale of meat.
Most popular sheep and goat enterprise.
There is a demand for many different kinds of lambs and goats.
Marketing infrastructure is already in place.
Meat production

Dairy production
Primary income is from the sale of milk, cheese, and/or other dairy products.
In most states, operation must be certified grade A or B to sell food products.
Usually requires own product development and marketing.

Fiber sales comprise a significant portion of the income from the enterprise.
Wool
Mohair
Cashmere
Alpaca
Must direct market to make a profit.
Fiber production

Land improvement on your own farm.
Fee-based grazing“Turn-key” operation
Animals
Transportation
Fencing
Care
Greatest economic potential ! ?

Agri-tourism : trophy hunting
Sell stock for trophy hunting or operate your own hunting reserve. Usually hair sheep rams.

Agri-entertainment

Feed
Fencing
Housing and shelter
Feeders
Watering system
Labor
What do you need to raise sheep and goats?

Pasture and browse
Hay
Grain
Alternative feedstuffs
Feed resourceThe largest cost associated with raising livestock is feed.

Purpose
To keep livestock contained
To keep predators out
To control grazing and manage livestock
Three kinds
Perimeter or boundary
Interior or cross
Heavy use areas
Fencing
Possible cost share from NRCS (EQUIP program) for rotational grazing.

Multi-strand, high-tensile, electric.
Woven wire with extra barbed and electric offset wires.
Barbed wire
Adapt existing fences.
Perimeter fencingYour first line of defense against predators.

Permanent
Semi-permanent
Temporary, electric
Smooth wire
Polywire, tape, or rope
Electric netting
Interior fencingFor rotational grazing and animal management.

Outdoor lots
Holding areas
Working corrals
Net wire
Metal gates
Solid panels
Livestock panels
Non-electric
Heavy use areas

Purpose
Animal management
Isolation area
Feed storage
Equipment storage
Human comfort
Needs vary by
Climate
Production system
Timing of lambing and kidding
Availability of natural shelter.
Personal preference
Housing and shelter

Space requirements

Do grazing animals require shelter?
Maybe not, but if they have access to it, they will usually use it.
They “appreciate” protection from bad weather.

FeedersFor supplemental feeding

Ample feed storage protects your investment in feed and allows you to make bulk purchases.
Annual hay requirements
¼ to ⅓ ton per animal
Hay storage
180 to 240 ft3 per ton
Uncovered hay deteriorates rapidly in quality.
StorageFeed and equipment

Water
Hand
Buckets
Troughs
Tanks
Tubs
Automatic waterers
Possible cost share from NRCS (EQUIP program) for pasture watering systems.

Daily care of animals
Twice daily milking
Annual shearing
Pasture management
Lambing and kidding
Parasite control
Hoof trimming
Labor

Purposemeat, milk, or wool
Usesire or dam
Wool or coat typefine, medium, long, carpet, or hair (shedding)
Othertail, prolificy, minor, rare, heritage
Sheep breeds (~50 in U.S.)

Classification of U.S. sheep breeds

Grow wool with the smallest fiber diameter.
Their wool is the most valuable in the commodity wool market.
They are best adapted to hot, dry climates.
They are hardy and long-lived, gregarious, and less seasonal in their breeding habits.
50 percent of the world’s sheep population are fine wool based.
Fine wool Rambouillet, Delaine Merino, Debouillet, Booroola Merino, American Cormo
Rambouillet
Merino

Medium wool dual-purposeColumbia, Corriedale, East Friesian, Finnsheep, Panama, Polypay, Targhee
Crosses between fine and medium wool.
Whiteface sheep raised for meat, but have better quality wool than the medium meat-type wool breeds.
A few specialty breeds
East Friesian – dairy
Finnsheep – prolific
Polypay – 4 way cross
East Friesian
Columbia
Finnsheep
Polypay

Grow wool that is intermediate in fiber diameter and staple length.
Excel in meat production (growth and carcass).
Mostly of British origin.
Most popular : Suffolk, Dorset, Hampshire, and Southdown.
Comprise 15 percent of the world’s sheep population.
Medium wool (meat)Cheviot, Dorset (polled and horned) North Country Cheviot, Hampshire,Oxford, Shropshire, Southdown, Suffolk, Texel, Tunis
Suffolk
Polled Dorset

Long woolBorder Leicester, Coopworth, Cotswold, Lincoln, Perendale, Romney, Wensleydale
Romney
Grow wool that has the largest fiber diameter, staple length, and yield.
Their wool is popular among hand spinners.
Best-adapted to high rainfall areas with abundant forage.
Lincoln
Romney

Their bodies are covered by hair or a mixture of hair and wool that is naturally shed.
Do not require shearing or tail docking.
Possess some unique characteristics:
Caribbean-typeResistant to parasites (worms)
Romanov - very prolific
10 percent of the world’s sheep population.
Growing in popularity in the U.S. and other western countries.
Katahdin and Dorper most popular.
Hair (or shedding) sheepAmerican Blackbelly, Barbados Blackbelly, California Red, Dorper, Katahdin, Romanov, Royal White, St. Croix
Katahdin
Romanov

Minor breedsBlack Welsh Mountain, Blueface Leicester, California Varietated Mutant, Clun Forest, Gulf Coast, Icelandic, Jacob, Karakaul, Navajo-Churro, Scottish Blackface, Shetland, Wiltshire Horn
Blueface Leicester
Vary in the type and quantify of wool they produce.
Vary in characteristics.
Possess some unique characteristics
Double-coated
Carpet wool
Four horns
Rat tails
Solid black color
Persian lamb skin
Many are heritage breeds.
Karakul

Classify according to purpose . . .
Dairy
Meat
Fiber
Miniature (small)
Goat breeds (~20 in U.S.)
Boer

Meat goat breeds
Boer
Kiko
Boer
Kiko
MyotonicTennessee fainting goat
Spanish (brush)
Pygmy
Savannah
Spanish
Myotonic
Savannah
Pygmy

ADGA recognized
Swiss
Saanen
Alpine
Toggenburg
Oberhasli
Nubian
La Mancha
Nigerian Dwarf
Other
Sable (colored Saanens)
Golden Guernsey
Mini dairy goats
Dairy goat breeds
Saanen
Alpine
Toggenburg
Oberhasli
Nubian
La Mancha

Angora
CashmereMore of a fiber type than a breed
PygoraPygma x Angora
CashgoraCashmere x Angora
Fiber goat breeds
Angora
Cashmere
Cashgora
Pygora

Pygmy (meat)
Nigerian Dwarf (dairy)
KinderPygmy x Nubian
Mini SilkyMyotonic x Nigerian Dwarf ?
Mini dairy goats Nigerian Dwarf x standard dairy
Mini goat breeds
Pygmy
Nigerian Dwarf

There is a great deal of variation among sheep breeds; less among goat breeds, especially meat.
There are no “perfect” breeds.
All breeds have strengths and weaknesses.
There is usually as much difference within a breed as between breeds.
Sheep and goat breeds
Saanen

Mating animals from different breeds or breed types.
Maximizes performance and profitability
Hybrid vigorCrossbred offspring are superior to their purebred parents
Breed complementarityUse breeds in their appropriate roles
Crossbreeding Systematic, not random
Boer x Kiko x Alpine

If you want to show breeding stock
If you want to sell purebred and/or registered breeding stock
To produce a specific type of fiber.
To produce a consistent type and quality of fiber.
To preserve a rare or heritage breed.
When to raise purebreds
Southdown

Get pastures and facilities ready before buying your first sheep or goats.
Start small and gradually increase size of herd.
Start with healthy animals.
Ewe lambs/doelings vs. mature females.
Spend more money on ram and buck.
Getting started

Reputable breeders
Dispersal sales
Performance and production sales
Consignment sales
Local salebarn
Free
Sources of breeding stock

Web-based directories
www.sheepgoatmarketing.info
Breed associationshttp://www.sheepandgoat.com/goatbreedassoc.htmlhttp://www.sheepandgoat.com/sheepbreedassoc.html
West Virginia Shepherd’s Federation http://www.sheepwv.org/
MPWV Meat Goat Producers Associationhttp://www.meatgoat.biz
West Virginia Market Bulletinhttp://www.wvagriculture.org/market_bulletin/market_bulletin.html
Virginia sheep and goat clearinghouse listshttp://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/livestock/
Lancaster Farminghttp://lancasterfarming.com
Where to find breeding stock

EconomicsCan you make any money raising sheep and/or goats?
Yes or No

Business planning
Enterprise budgeting
File a schedule F
Record keeping
Make decisions based on science and economics.
Control costs
Production efficiency
Smart marketing
How to make a profit

Know your costs!
Feed least-cost rations.
Shop around for feed ingredients.
Balance your own rations.
Maximize forage resource.
Do you own vet work.
Cull non-productive and problematic animals.
Control costs

Feed balanced rations.
Aim for a 200% (or more) lamb/kid crop.
Select for lbs. of quality lamb or goat weaned.
Cull animals that fail to raise a lamb or kid.
Manage to breed ewe lambs and doe kids to lamb or kid by the time they are 12 to 15 months of age.
Use performance tested rams and bucks.
Production efficiency (meat)

Aim for the highest “net” price, not necessarily the highest price.
Evaluate direct marketing as a means to increase profitability.
Consider marketing alliances with other like-minded producers and/or entities.
Choose one or two target markets.
Don’t let higher market prices compensate for poor production efficiency.
Smart marketing

Thank you for your attention. Any questions?

Intro to small ruminant enterprises

by University of Maryland Extension Small Ruminant Program

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