Hello! This video outlines things to consider if you're thinking about adding sheep to your homestead. Our homesteading journey started with sheep and they've been with us ever since. I hope this video helps.
Happy homesteading!
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Artist: Dyalla
Track: Greener Grass
Find the song here: • Greener Grass
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We practice REGENERATIVE agriculture on a small scale.
better soil | better plants | better animals
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• INSTAGRAM ► / highmountai. .
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ABOUT THE HIGH MOUNTAIN HOMESTEAD
Hi! I’m PJ, and my family loves the homesteading life! It’s something my wife and I have always wanted to do, but we grew up with ZERO HOMESTEADING EXPERIENCE!!!!!
We grew up in beautiful southern California, 15 minutes away from the beach. As amazing as that was, we both dreamed of a life closer to land and animals. After getting married and moving to Utah, our family slowly grew. We had become a family of four living in a townhome with a small backyard filled with potted plants.
In 2019 we dipped out feet into homesteading on 1 ¼ acre lot in Utah. In 18 months we were ready to do this for real. So in 2021 we packed everything up (including our sheep) and moved to North Carolina to 12 acres and we love every inch of our homestead!
We raise Dorper sheep and have big plans for:
• grass-fed lamb
• fullblood Dorper breeding stock
• meat chickens
• laying chickens and ducks
• heritage breed pork
• honey
• row crops
• perennial food forest
• and more
I hope you join us on our journey, subscribe and ring the bell if you haven’t yet.
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DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. But don't worry, it doesn't cost you anything extra!
#homesteading #sheep #smallfarm
Goal achieved: I'm thinking about sheep!
You’ll love it! 🐑
That sheep shade is brilliantly simple and we are definitely going to copy you!!!! Thanks!!!!
Glad someone else liked it. It's just so easy, durable, and cheap! Adopted that about 2 years ago and haven't looked back!
Yeah, that's a great idea!
I have Katadin (hair sheep) very parasite resistant. I run 7 ewes and rotate them between three 1 acre fields, works pretty good. You said the rams are very dangerous, i havent found mine to be bad at all, if your not paying attention theyll head butt ya but not hard. They l9ve to get head scratches
I now have raised Katahdins and Dorpers, and what you're saying about Katahdins is true. But my Dorper rams were like different animals completely compared to Katahdin rams. Much more aggressive.
I’ve ran dorper sheep for 2 years now. I rotate them on a 2 day rotation, I have 5 acres. Constantly moving them with the netting is a good amount of work every other day but very rewarding, have to be into it to not get burned out though! Great video PJ!
Every 2 days is a recipe for healthy sheep and great soil. You're doing it right!
Can I ask how many sheep you have? I have 5 acres and I detest mowing so was thinking of getting sheep but didn't know how many to get
@@jenbrez70 there’s really no perfect answer, all depends what your land is like. I’m about 40% pasture and 60% wooded with some shaded pasture. I’m able to run 7 sheep on rotation without revisiting the same area for about 30 days! I’m pretty persistent on my moves so I don’t over graze though. My less desirable wooded areas I throw them a flake or 2 a hay in a day. I could run more sheep easily but I’d have to source more hay…. I could run less sheep and be less aggressive on rotations. Very hard to answer your question lol but I hope that helps!😂
@@Nacastle81 yes that helps thank you
PJ, I plan to raise sheep! Lamb is my favorite meat! Plus, I want to try milking one. The milk is supposed to be good!
Yay! I've heard great things about the milk. But based on the sheep I've raised, I couldn't imagine trying to milk one. Just because they are VERY skittish animals. But I'm sure dairy varieties are friendlier, especially if you are buying an established milker. Best of luck! Sheep are very rewarding animals!
Oooh and sheep cheese is DELICIOUS!
Yummy! Now you are giving me ideas!@@mctrustsnoone3781
Greetings from Australia...yep, sheep are very good to have around. Here in Oz it's not uncommon to have thousands per farm. Not so on our little operation...30 to 40 is about maximum. We have Boer goats too who do a great job of clearing riverbanks of weeds, although they can be quite needy at times (that may be my fault - pampering them in the early days). In any case, thanks for the effort you put into your vids - always look forward to seeing them come through on KZhead. Cheers then...
Thanks so much! Boer goats are great, and I'd imagine very hardy in your location. Sounds like you have a really fun set up!
Can confirm about the portability. We started a small flock picking up a few ewe lambs in the back of my grandmother's minivan {seats removed, with a tarp in place.} Same thing the following year when we picked up our Ram from a different breeder
Beard is looking good. Yay for more sheep!
Just got my first 3 dorper sheep yesterday! I have an off-grid homestead in Central Portugal and breed kunekune pigs.
Sounds so fun! You'll love it!
I am building my savings to "start" homesteading. I am very interested in sheep and would love to see a video from you on everything you need to know as far as care, immunizations, etc. Thank you for this video!
I've done a few videos like that, but its been a while. Its probably time to get an updated one out there. I'll pencil it in the next few months. Thanks for the suggestion!
Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts about raising sheep PJ. I will be adding sheep to my hobby farm this fall. I really enjoy your videos and have learned so much from you. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
Glad to hear it! Sheep are great on a small scale, wishing you the best in that adventure!
I was around when you sold your sheep video. I am so glad you got more sheep. I raise sheep and agree how wonderful they are to graze all day on my land.
Yes! I love having them back on the farm. If you can keep them alive, rotate them easily, and have the space. They can be very easy keepers. Oh, and good genetics help :)
Bc sheep are much noisier theny.mini.lamancha mixes. More city ppl moving to North Georgia complain and for right now I only have 2 acres. So 4 mini dairy lamancha that we milk have been a good gateway until we move
Glad to see ur raising sheep again. I remember unfollowing when u had a video about stopping ur sheep operations. Its ur specialty , weed em and reap is goats. I agree sheep are very good
Glad your back. The plan was always to do sheep again, I just needed a fresh start.
I'm genuinely curious about the idea of rams being dangerous. Ours is one of my absolute favorite animals. He come when called, eats out of our hands, and is just an extremely gentle and easy to manage animal. Is there something I'm not aware of?
I've had that before, and then one day they turn mean. Sheep are driven by instinct over intelligence. It's possible you have a ram that is a beta ram, and sees you as the leader. But most rams will eventually turn mean when they are out with ewes. I've had too many stories with too many rams to expect anything else. I just don't trust adult rams, even the "nice" ones. I don't know your ram, but in my experience "nice" rams, are not good "stud" rams. I've seen big handsome rams that "respect" humans, but I wouldn't say that they are kind to them.
Sheep are wonderful
❤
I know you are just sharing what your experience has been, but I think some of your points are very situational. For example, my goats are much less likely to get out of their fences than my sheep. If they ever do get out, the goats are super easy to round up because they come when I call, whereas my flighty sheep go crazy and scatter in every direction. Another example is the meat yield - Dorpers produce more than the other hair breeds, but my Boer goats give much more meat than my (mostly) Katahdin herd. Also my goats are more profitable by far since I get both meat and milk from them. Still enjoyed your video, just think that a lot more variables go into some of the points you were making than you may have considered.
All good info and it widens my perspective. Thanks for sharing. Makes me wish I could get my hands on some Boer goats. One day!
Goats are great for fiber if you're like me and want a fiber farm. Angoras and Pygoras are wonderful!
Ah yes! Good point! I'm too lazy for fiber, but my neighbor has some sheep and alpacas for fiber. I think its a pretty cool hobby.
@HighMountainHomestead I'm closing this week on 16 acres, and my goal is Angoras/Pygoras and a few Alpaca. The farmhouse will be renovated so we won't move in until the end of the year, so I'm going to get a few Angora bunnies for fiber then the gateway chickens in spring, then the bigger fiber animals, including sheep! I think Shetland and Finnsheep are small enough for me. Best wishes to you!
I was really wanting sheep here on my homestead. We have a lot of coyotes in my area. I’m sure there are ways to keep them out, but lm not sure I want to take the chance.
Yup, there's that. Luckily, I've never lost a sheep to a predator. Parasites, yes. But an actual predator, not yet [knock on wood].
It’s risky. We have wire fence plus electric and still had a lamb taken a few months back. But when we searched the area to see where it came in we noticed a hole that had been covered with weeds, now exposed with a fresh path leading straight to the pasture. We’ve heard most coyotes won’t jump a fence but we’re bringing them in at nights now anyway.
Sheeps and chiks are best
I am looking for my homestead, going to get heritage meat chickens, duck at some point, then sheep, ( thinking maybe kahatin so can get meat and milk?) Then possibly goats. You won me over
Yes!!!
Welcome !!!!
I am in the planning phase abs I am totally sold on sheep. I LOVE goats and think they are so cool, but realistically I don’t think they’ll be a good fit for my personality. I want something more chill. I am gravitating towards Icelandics! Then just a few chickens for eggs (I don’t like chicken meat so much), and maybe meat rabbits. As a carnivore, I love the idea of a nice garden for my animals.
Love it! I've never worked with Icelandics, but they sound super chill. Your dream set up sounds like, well... a Dream!
You should get you a start of comfrey because it’s excellent feed for your animals and it’s excellent for composting
We LOVE comfrey! We grow some in our chicken run, but haven't fed it to our sheep yet. The next time they get a treat, I will tear up some comfrey and include it the treat.
Our sheep turn their noses up 😳. I guess their salad bar is too good 😂
I brought sheep home in my Chevy Volt lol, it's a lil 4 door, I just laid down the back seats and put them in a large dog kennel on top of a tarp. I also brought home a bull calf that way and two feeder pigs. We slaughter our own sheep and pigs but we pay a service to take our steers to the butcher, it's only $200 so it's cheaper than buying a trailer and truck.
Yeah, that's a good deal.
How do I get paster good enough for 4 to 6 sheep. I have about 5 acres at my home. I do also have 20 acres 6 miles away.
Bale grazing is a good way to improve pasture fertility. Also, throwing out grass seeds in the fall helps. If weeds are your problem, mowing it will help.
Homesteaders butcher cattle. You hav to be organized, have a tractor is helpful & good size fridge to put the quarters in until you break it down further. Having good knives & a bandsaw is a must. Precessors can really screw you. PermaPastures got 113lbs back from a 600lb animal. No bones, tongue, liver & more.
Only 113 pounds back from a 600 pound animal? That's criminal! But yes, the right people can make it work at their home. But it's quite an investment for everything.
Excellent video, thank you. We are just getting started on our homestead journey, we’ve had a handful of chickens for a few months now. Looking into sheep but have a lot to learn and lots of questions. We have a total of 5 acres, but about 3 could become pasture. It was just a bean fiend from the previous owner, so we’re starting from scratch in every way. If we were to home butcher, is it legal to sell to friends and family (in IL)? No one USDA in our area will process sheep. What about a herd share situation where people buy a share of your flock and help process the meat? Have you tried milking?
I'm not a lawyer, and I can't give legal advice. That being said, I know many people who sell "live animals" and then do the courtesy of butchering them for the individual who bought the live animal. So long as the money changes hands while the animal is alive, and it's clear that they are buying it "live" you can of course "give" the meat to your friends 😉 Haven't tried milking. I have a raw (cow) milk connection, and we support him by purchasing two gallons a week. Can't beat raw milk!
We just got our first set of sheep. What are the best minerals you use for your sheep?
I like Redmond selenium 90
@HighMountainHomestead yea we are getting that as well.
We literally call people who are easier to control or manipulate sheep. Wonder where we got that from. Case in point.
Hello, great videos! At what age did you buy your rams for the freezer and at what age did you put them in there.
I buy them when they are weaned, 60-90 days old. Process them when they are at the right size, which for my Dorpers was like 10-14 months. But these Katahdins will probably need at least 12 months but probably longer.
Seeing that you have a video about sheep on a small amount of land in another video would you say youve changed your tune? I have about only one workable acre in an area where it snows for 5 months of the year. Hay in the winter for sure but im even wondering if its feaaible in the warmer months
Depends on your goals. You could make it work by finishing out a few rams and using hay in the cold months. But it may be too small for a full scale breeding operation. With the right person, they can make anything work.
How do they do in your woods?
They do okay. They browse a lot for sure, but they do best in the thinnest parts of the woods, where enough sunlight creeps in to give the grass what it needs.
Do you have chickens also? They can eat the bugs. Curious what you may reply and the same source mentions having a goat and or a burro or mule for purposes listed for the chickens protection and protecting the sheep from wild canines.
We do have chickens, but probably not enough to make an impact with all the bugs on the pasture.
PJ - you seem to be set on mainly dorpers, but have you tried to introduce other breeds? I am curious if some of the issues you discussed that you face with sheep might be overcome introducing more varied genetics
I'm raising katahdins now. I've considered st croix, blackbellies, and painted desert sheep too.
can you do a video on what plants are poisonous to sheep? I want to get sheep but I would love to look at the examples of the weeds.
Can you take some time to explain handling and keeping a breeding ram and what other options are there to having a ram??
Here's a video I did a while back that covers these things. kzhead.info/sun/Za6vhbiFjpuVbIE/bejne.html
We keep a breeding ram separated with a wether or young ram lamb for most of the year and then let him in with the ewes for 1 1/2 months (2 female cycles) for breeding. He’s a big baby but also a massive ram who can be quite dangerous. Our electric fences are VERY hot and none of us goes into him unless we drench/trim hooves/shear. It’s tricky but more than doable. It takes 4 adults to hold him! It really helps to have a narrow containment area.
Can you do a video breaking down the lingo like "finishing out" or "lambing"? Also, do you HAVE to breed them?
One of my earlier videos is about the language of sheep. I can't remember everything I covered in there. But this should help any one wanting to learn how to "speak sheep." kzhead.info/sun/a8qRYNulq4CkgGw/bejne.html
Thank you! I'll be checking it out soon, I appreciate it!
You don’t HAVE TO breed at all. You could just get some ewes or rams or wethers (castrated rams) as lawn mowers for your grass and grow them out to under a year for meat or keep them as pets 😃
👆@@spoolsandbobbins
fun video. i laughed with the pig part and the feed. im in the same boat to an extent. 5 hogs, brought in 1.5 tonnes. they are ready for butcher now but the feed is about gone. nuts! if you can find a plastic water tote, buying bulk is cheaper... since the pandemic, feed costs are 30 percent higher for bagged feed. in order to stay within 2020 prices, i have to buy a tonne or more at a time. one tonne will feed four feeder pigs from start to finish though. chores is right on too. open the gate in the morning. let out the sheep. call them in the evening, close the gate to the barn. easy peasy. are you going to be having help with loading your pigs come D day then? thats my least favourite day on the farm... loading pigs...
Next time we do pigs, I'll certainly be buying in bulk at the start. We already sent off the pigs, and should be picking up the meat today or tomorrow. Man, I can tell you that loading pigs was the single hardest homesteading chore I've ever had to do. I want to try your bucket over the head trick if/when I do it again. We ended up calling our neighbor for help, who had his two brothers in town. So the five of us (including my wife and I) ended up using tie down straps and wrangling the pigs one by one onto the trailer. It was a utterly terrible. But, we got it done.
@@homesteadingwithPJcrazy!! Was the meat any tougher or did you notice?
It's the best pork I've ever had. Hands down.@@spoolsandbobbins
How cold would it be where you need shelter for sheep?
I've seen folks in Canada raise sheep on pasture with minus 20-40 degrees out, and the sheep are still exposes to the elements. So I'm not really sure where the cut off is.
Does anyone know of a source for recipes for lamb/ mutton? Is there any special knowledge we need to have to prepare and cook the sheep meat?
Look up Middle Eastern recipes! Lamb kofta is a favorite in our house. Hair sheep are pretty mild, so you can basically cook it like you would beef.
I love sheep, and i agree they are overlooked in homesteading, but i love cows too, so i’m wondering which one should i go with? Sheep or cows? I don’t have very much acreage for cows, so should i choose sheep and how many?
Those are all big questions, hard for me to know without seeing your property. I started with sheep, and I'm gonna try raising cows next year to see which I prefer. My assumption, having not raised cows myself, but know many folks who do, sheep take more management, but you harvest a crop faster. Cows need much more space (you can fit 3-5 sheep in the space you give one cow), also cows take much longer to finish out.
To raise sheep on a large scale, I find it helps to be a government who has total control of the education system!
😂 and that’s why we homeschool!
Very witty!
I have been surprised at the small amount of water my 3 sheep drink..I guess I am used to horses.
Same. They drink very little in the winter months.
Sheep are the best ♡
You can buy mini goats for much cheaper than sheep. I think that's why many people do goats before sheep.
But, in all seriousness, do you actually do with a mini goat? Don't get me wrong, they are cute. But what function can they provide?
@homesteadingwithPJ I use them for meat and milk. Any excess babies are easy to sell. They don't provide as much meat as a sheep, but they also require a lot less feed, so you can keep more per acre.
Goats seem to know whether you like 'em or not. If you do, they feel safe, and they can be so affectionate. Milk, yes; meat, yes; but they can sure be pets, and that's worth something.
I had a pair of goats that someone gave me, and I did not like them. But they would always be up in my business while doing chores. Sweet animals, but always getting into trouble.
I think its because they are harder to care for. You have parasites, hoof trimming, birthing. You have a lot that can go wrong. With cattle, theyre very easy
Watch out for Blackbelly sheep, because they can jump right over your 4-foot fence and they're terrified of 'most anything. Brr.
I've heard the same. I've also talked with others who have said they didn't jump.
I wonder if people don't want to get into sheep is because they're being told there's no money and sheep also wonder if they're being told that they're hard to raise.
🤔
Lev_11:7 and the pig, though it has a split hoof, completely divided, yet does not chew the cud, it is unclean to you. Deu_14:8 “And the pig is unclean for you, because it has a split hoof, but does not chew the cud. You do not eat their flesh or touch their dead carcasses.
Sheep in my lifetime (31 years old) will overtake beef in America is my personal opinion. As America continues to change with more cultures who eat lamb more than they care for beef. Beef will become luxurious as we continue to try to adapt to climate change
Title small scale but need LARGE plot of land 😂
My fear with sheep is their reputation for being fragile, disease prone, and very susceptible to predators.
I mean, its a reality. But I've never had a predator problem, probably because I'm so close to a city and there are lots of neighbor dogs around. But still, one day, I'm sure it will happen. I wouldn't say they are fragile animals or disease really. But parasites are a big concern.
Like anything, there’s work involved, and risk. But it’s well worth it!
Why are rams so dangerous?
Their form of "play time" in knocking heads. Their "fight time" is similar. An intact ram around his harem of ewes is dangerous. Everything is a threat to him. And unfortunately, our knees/hips/butts are at their head level. They give you a knock there, get you to the ground and now what's at their head's height? Yup, your head. I've seen pictures of people who need reconstructive facial surgery or worse from a ram encounter.
@@homesteadingwithPJhave you tried AI? A video on the topic, developing good genetics on your land while staying safe from rams would be interesting. I don't yet know of a trustworthy farm with a stud or that we would want to keep getting animals from... I like the idea of producing quality genetics on our land but a ram presents real risk. Anyway, thanks for considering sharing your thoughts, I know its a big topic to present both facts and thoughts on.
@@homesteadingwithPJ yikes🙈
@@homesteadingwithPJevery animal is different and part of it goes into how you raise them. I had an Icelandic Ram who would never bother with you even while the ewes were in heat {of course being seasonal breeders, I only had to go into extra careful mode in October and November} One of his sons, however, turned into a real asshole eventually. But he sure tasted good. (We weren't super prompt about harvesting the males, sort of just whenever we got around to it. No harvesting females at all since we were working on building up our flock from a small beginning}
@@l0gic23 I have not. I find that for sheep, its not too worth it for my scale. However I have a friend in UT doing really cool things with South African Dorper genetics and AI.