Income opportunities with sheep and goats
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Transcript of Income opportunities with sheep and goats
Income opportunities with sheep and goats
SUSAN SCHOENIANSheep & Goat Specialist
Western Maryland Research & Education [email protected] – 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 animalsBy their digestive systems
Sheep Goats Cervids (deer) Camelids (alpacas and llamas)
Small ruminants
Economic◦ Profit◦ Tax advantages
Lifestyle – quality of life
Self-sufficiency produce own food, fiber
Landscape management
Why raise sheep and/or goats?
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
Small industries
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 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
Meat Dairy Fiber Landscape
management Agritourism
Sheep and goat enterprises
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
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.
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
Land improvement on your own farm or property.
Fee-based grazing
“Turn-key” operation Animals Transportation Fencing Care
◦ Perhaps, greatest economic potential ! ?
Landscape management
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?
Usually pasture and browse Hay Grain Alternative feedstuffs
Feed resourceThe largest cost associated with raising livestock is feed.
Purpose1) To keep livestock contained2) To keep predators out3) To control grazing and
manage livestock
Three kinds of fencing1) Perimeter or boundary2) Interior or cross3) Heavy use areas
FencingA major investment
Possible cost share from NRCS (EQIP 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.
For Outdoor lots Holding areas Working corrals
Materials Net wire Metal gates Solid panels Livestock panels High-tensile, 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
Maybe not, but if they have access to it, they will usually use it.
They “appreciate” protection from bad weather.
Do grazing animals require shelter?
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
Hand / manual watering◦ Buckets◦ Troughs◦ Tanks◦ Tubs
Automatic waterers◦ Possible cost share from
NRCS (EQIP program) for pasture watering systems.
Water
Daily care of animals Twice daily milking Annual shearing Pasture management Lambing and kidding Parasite control Hoof trimming
Labor
1) Purposemeat, milk, or wool
2) Usesire or dam
3) Wool or coat typefine, medium, long, carpet, or hair (shedding)
4) Othertail, prolificacy, 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
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.
Long woolBorder Leicester, Coopworth, Cotswold, Lincoln, Perendale, Romney, Wensleydale
Romney
Lincoln
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
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 breeds1. East Friesian – dairy2. Finnsheep – prolific3. Polypay – 4 way cross
Medium wool, dual-purposeColumbia, Corriedale, East Friesian, Finnsheep, Panama, Polypay, Targhee
Columbia Finnsheep
East Friesian
Polypay
Hair coats or hair/wool mix.
Do not require shearing or tail docking.
Possess some unique characteristics:◦ Caribbean-type
Resistant 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
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.
Minor breedsBlack Welsh Mountain, Blueface Leicester, California Varietated Mutant, Clun Forest, Gulf Coast, Icelandic, Jacob, Karakaul, Navajo-Churro, Scottish Blackface, Shetland, Wiltshire Horn
Karakul
Blueface Leicester
Classify according to purpose . . . ◦ Dairy◦ Meat◦ Fiber
◦ Miniature (small)
Goat breeds (~20 in U.S.)
Boer
Boer Kiko Myotonic
Tennessee fainting goat
Spanish (brush)Not really a breed; a type
Pygmy Savannah
Meat goat breedsBoer
SavannahPygmy
SpanishMyotonic
Kiko
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
La Mancha
Oberhasli
Nubian
Toggenburg
Alpine
Alpin
e
La M
anch
a
Niger
ian
Dwarf
Nubia
n
Oberh
asli
Saan
en
Togg
enbu
rg
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
Milk productionlbs., 275-305 days in milk
Source: Breed averages, ADGA, 2008
Percent butterfat Percent, 275-305 days in milk
Alpin
e
La M
anch
aNig
erian
Dwarf
Nubian
Oberh
asli
Saan
en
Togg
enbu
rg
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
Source: Breed averages, ADGA, 2008
Angora Cashmere
More of a fiber type than a breed
PygoraPygma x Angora
CashgoraCashmere x Angora
Fiber goat breeds
Angora
CashgoraPygora
Cashmere
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 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
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
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
Reputable breeders Dispersal sales Performance and production sales Consignment sales Local salebarn Free
Sources of breeding stock
Web-based directorieswww.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
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?