{"id":35,"date":"2020-11-13T01:30:38","date_gmt":"2020-11-13T01:30:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homesteadinghero.com\/?p=35"},"modified":"2020-11-13T01:34:05","modified_gmt":"2020-11-13T01:34:05","slug":"how-much-does-a-sheep-cost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homesteadinghero.com\/how-much-does-a-sheep-cost\/","title":{"rendered":"How Much Does A Sheep Cost"},"content":{"rendered":"
Many of us who are homesteading minded quickly turn our thoughts to all of the animals we can keep once we have some land to raise them on.\u00a0 From chickens and ducks to goats or even rabbits, there are a lot of worthwhile animals to keep on your homestead which can help feed your family or bring a profit from your land.\u00a0 But what about sheep? How much will it cost to buy a sheep and then to maintain it?\u00a0 And is it profitable to keep sheep, or is it more of a passion project?\u00a0 Let\u2019s take a look.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The initial expense of buying sheep is actually surprisingly inexpensive, and without the need for substantial structures to see them well taken care of, it doesn\u2019t take too much to get into sheep tending once you have the land (with a general rule of 2, to a maximum of 4 sheep per acre).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Firstly, however, you need to make sure you know the specific reason you\u2019re buying a sheep. Knowing if you want to raise sheep for a profit, vs reclaiming some money while having them more as pets and as living lawnmowers, or having them for show competitions are all very different purposes, and a corresponding more ideal breed. Purebreds for shows will be much more expensive than breeds most popular for profit.\u00a0 Purebreds will also be less resilient against health problems than their profit oriented counterparts.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We won\u2019t go into a full discussion on breeds here today, but we\u2019ll list the most commonly preferred breeds for each main purpose shortly.\u00a0 For now, just know that breed selection is very important to fit your intentions and situation, and will affect the price.\u00a0 We will also be angling our discussion towards the intentions of generating a profit from keeping sheep, even if it\u2019s just to at least reclaim some cost from owning sheep you intend to keep as pets.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Depending on the breed, and varying on your region, ewes (adult female sheep) will cost you about $200-250, to 3-400 each.\u00a0 Their price will drop as they are older and have less productive time left in their lives. If you purchase a bred ewe (pregnant) it will cost you a bit more, but you won\u2019t have to deal with the expense of a ram for that lambing season, if lambing is your goal. Just make sure you\u2019re ready to care for a pregnant ewe, knowing what you need to to see the pregnancy go off smoothly.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Buying a lamb will cost you about $100-200. If you\u2019re looking to buy a ram, a good quality ram may cost up to $500.\u00a0 If you\u2019re concerned about that price, \u2018rent\u2019 one, but don\u2019t go for a cheap ram with bad genetics.<\/span><\/p>\n These are all generalized price ranges, but they give you a good idea of what kind of cost you\u2019re going to be looking at.\u00a0 You\u2019ll need to check into resources for your local market to make sure your expectations are accurate at the time and place you are looking to buy to get the most for your money (and know to be suspicious if the market value is $200 for a lamb and someone is charging $120).<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n While the prices above will change from season to season, there\u2019s a lot more you can do to make sure you\u2019re not over paying or getting a sheep in bad health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are a few common places to shop for sheep.\u00a0 Sale barns and sheep auctions are popular sources in many areas.\u00a0 Another option is going straight to breeders.\u00a0 Breeders raise sheep specifically to sell and oftentimes you can go straight to their farm to check out what\u2019s for sale, and see how they\u2019re raised.<\/span><\/p>\n We personally avoid sale barns and auctions, which may be cheaper than other sources, but their selections are often pulled from breeders rejects.\u00a0 Sometimes that may not be the case, or it may work out anyway, especially if you find a trustworthy source and know how to inspect your sheep before a purchase, but you may just be buying an expensive problem for the future.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Shopping at any form of auction house will also make it impossible to properly inspect the herd the sheep up for sale have come from, which hides important signs of things you may want to avoid.\u00a0 Our preferred suggestion is finding a local breeder with a good reputation so that you know what you\u2019re getting, and can fully vet the health and quality of your future sheep.<\/span><\/p>\n Once you do get to a breeders facility, take a look around.\u00a0 I want to see how well it\u2019s taken care of.\u00a0 Does it look to be in disrepair, or is well maintained?\u00a0 The whole place should look like the people who run it care about what they\u2019re doing, and aren\u2019t going to cut corners to try to get away with doing less.\u00a0 If the facility looks good, there is a very real chance the sheep will be better taken care of.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Another important thing to do before setting out for your purchase, is to make sure you\u2019re familiar with the livestock\/breeding regulations in your state or area, and check that the breeder is following them.\u00a0 Most important of these is checking for individual ear tags and certificates supporting healthy sheep.\u00a0 You definitely don\u2019t want to work with a breeder who is resistant to showing these documents or acts evasive about them, like you\u2019re being unreasonable.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nHow Much Does It Cost To Buy A Sheep<\/span><\/h2>\n
Purchasing Your First Sheep<\/span><\/h3>\n
Some Tips On Buying Sheep<\/span><\/h3>\n
Where To Buy Sheep<\/span><\/h4>\n