1. Income opportunities with sheep and goats SUSAN SCHOENIANSheep & Goat SpecialistWestern Maryland Research & Education Centersschoen@umd.edu – www.sheepandgoat.com

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

3. 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 animalsBy their digestive systems

5. GoatsCervids(deer) Camelids (alpacas and llamas) Small ruminants

6. Economic Profit Tax advantages Lifestyle – quality of life Self-sufficiency produce own food, fiber Landscape management Why raise sheep and/or goats?

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

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

9. 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

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

11. Meat Dairy Fiber Landscape management Agritourism Sheep and goat enterprises

12. Most popular sheep and goat enterprise. Primary income is from the sale of live animals for meat and/or the sale of fresh, frozen, or processed meat products. There is a demand for many different kinds and sizes of market lambs and goats. Primarily an ethnic demand. A marketing infrastructure is already in place for meat animals. Meat production

13. 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 dairy products for human consumption. Usually requires own product development and marketing. More investment required, but greater income potential.

14. Fiber sales comprise a significant portion of the income from the enterprise. Wool (many kinds) Mohair (Angora goats) Cashmere Alpaca Prices in commodity market (wool pool) don’t usually cover costs of production and marketing. Must direct market to make a profit. Fiber production

15. Land improvement on your own farm or property. Fee-based grazing“Turn-key” operation Animals Transportation Fencing Care Perhaps, greatest economic potential ! ? Landscape management

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

17. Agri-entertainment

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

22. For Outdoor lots Holding areas Working corrals Materials Net wire Metal gates Solid panels Livestock panels High-tensile, non-electric Heavy use areas

23. 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

24. Space requirements

25. 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.

26. FeedersFor supplemental feeding

27. 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

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

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

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

31. Classification of U.S. sheep breeds

32. 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

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

34. Grow wool that is intermediate in fiber diameter and staple length. Excel in meat production (growth and carcass). Mostly of British origin. Most popular breeds: 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

35. 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

36. Hair coats or hair/wool mix. 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 and suitable for meat production. Hair (or shedding) sheepAmerican Blackbelly, Barbados Blackbelly, California Red, Dorper, Katahdin, Romanov, Royal White, St. Croix Katahdin Romanov

37. 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

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

39. Meat goat breeds Boer Kiko Boer Kiko MyotonicTennessee fainting goat Spanish (brush)Not really a breed; a type Pygmy Savannah Spanish Myotonic Savannah Pygmy

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

41. Milk productionlbs., 275-305 days in milk Source: Breed averages, ADGA, 2008

42. Percent butterfat Percent, 275-305 days in milk Source: Breed averages, ADGA, 2008

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

44. 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

45. 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

46. Mating animals from different breeds or breed types. Maximizes performance and profitability. Hybrid vigor Crossbred offspring are superior to their purebred parents. Breed complementarity Balances strengths and weaknesses of breeds. Use breeds in their appropriate roles Crossbreeding Systematic, not random Boer x Kiko x Alpine

47. If you want to show purebred 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

48. 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. e.g. 5x the value of a market lamb Getting started

50. FreeSources of breeding stock

51. Web-based directories www.sheepgoatmarketing.info Breed associationshttp://www.sheepandgoat.com/goatbreedassoc.htmlhttp://www.sheepandgoat.com/sheepbreedassoc.html Maryland Sheep Breeders Association http://www.mdsheepbreeders.org MPWV Meat Goat Producers Associationhttp://www.meatgoat.biz Maryland Dairy Goat Associationhttp://www.marylanddairygoat.org Frederick County Sheep Breeders Associationhttp://www.fredericksheepbreeders.com 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

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

53. 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

54. 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

55. 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)

56. 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

57. Thank you for your attention. Any questions?