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Getting started with sheep

 
Posts: 4
Location: Southern Brazil
chicken sheep homestead
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I'm planning to rise 2 sheep in a small space I have in my property. Neve rised sheep before, so I have a lot of questions about.
For now I need to know if there's possible to rise the 2 sheep I want in a 0.6 acre pasture I have already clean. I have rye growing there right now since the winter is coming right here (Southern Brazil).
For this space, is there paddocks better, or I don't need to divide the area? Once the winter is gone, I'm planning to seed some summer pastures there to improve the quality and production of mass in the area.
For now, these informations will give the confidence to start.
Thank you all, I'm always learning something new around here!
 
pollinator
Posts: 1702
Location: southern Illinois, USA
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I have had 2-4 hair sheep in a similar sized area for several years.  You will definitely need to subdivide the area, and preferably also have a smaller pen or shelter into which you can shut them in when needed.  This will help maintain the pasture, and you can keep them out of one area while newly seeded stuff comes up and establishes, then put them on it and seed the area they were just in.  I also cut hay and make silage from mowed grass and weeds on the rest of my property, as well as feed them all manner of weeds and prunings.  Some breeds are less picky about this than others and that's why I like my hair sheep because they will eat almost anything, like a goat.  If you want lambs, of course, then you need a ram....or the ability to have a ram come visit or take your ewes to have a date with one somewhere.  A ram can be big and mean and that's why I am now considering dwarf goats rather than sheep, just to be able to single-handedly manage them....
 
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Depends on the size of the sheep.  The very rough rule of thumb is you can graze 500 lbs of animal on one acre of good pasture.  Scale up or down as you have room.  
 
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