SUSAN SCHOENIAN (Shāy-ne-ŭn)Sheep & Goat SpecialistWestern Maryland Research & Education Center (WMREC)[email protected] - sheepandgoat.com - wormx.info
Alternative Agricultural EnterprisesSHEEP AND GOATS
American agriculture:Where do alternative enterprises fit in?
HISTORICAL, 1940’s Diversified family
farmsMix of farm enterprises
IntegratedCrops + livestock
Mostly subsistence with some supplemental income
MODERN, CONVENTIONAL Larger farms More specialization
Fewer enterprises More purchased inputs
Feed, fertilizer, and pesticides Greater use of technology
Choosing the right enterprise mix for a farmWhat you need to consider
Goals and objectives
Personal preference
Location and climate
Resource inventory Land – feed Buildings, equipment Labor - management Capital - own vs. borrowed Markets - demand
Relationships among enterprises
Three types of farm enterprises
COMPLEMENTARY
COMPETITIVE Enterprises
which require the same resources at the same time.
One enterprise contributes directly to another.
SUPPLEMENTARY Enterprises
which utilize resources that might otherwise go to waste.
Sheep and/or goats assupplementary enterprises
Utilize unused labor. Example: It is common to lamb/kid in
winter when labor is more available vs. spring when field work commences.
Utilize unused land, building(s) or equipment. Example: old poultry houses or tobacco
barns can be used for lambing/kidding and/or feeding. Dairies, hog farms can be repurposed for small ruminants.
Provide an outlet for products or by-products from other enterprises. Examples: a dairy farm could feed waste
milk to orphan lambs/kid.
Sheep and/or goats as complementary enterprises Pasture-crop rotations
Nutrient recycling
Manure for fertilizerOrganic fertilizer
Mixed species grazing Complementary grazing behaviors Improved parasite control
Weed and pest control Biological control (grazing) Wool mulch
Milk for feeding other livestock
Market diversificationFarmer’s market, CSA
When sheep and/or goats are competitive enterprises
When sheep/goats compete with other enterprises for the same labor.
When sheep/goats compete with other enterprises for the same land or feed resources.
When (additional) specialized equipment must be purchased to raise sheep/goats.
You need to determine which enterprise(s) will make better use of competing resources.
Sheep and/or goats as the main enterprise
Meat sheep and dairy goats probably have the most profit potential.
You need a lot of sheep and/or goats to make a significant amount of income (to make a living). Example: 500 ewes x $30
profit/head = $15000/year. Production most likely
needs to be intensive or semi-intensive, unless a significant amount of land is owned and/or rented.
Sheep and goats are multi-purpose animals.
Meat
Fiber and skins (pelts)
Milk (dairy)
Land managementVegetation control
Agritourism
Meat production(under 1 year of age - lamb, over 1 year - mutton)
Primary reason sheep and goats are raised.
Meat production is a by-product of dairy and fiber production.
Half of lambs and almost all goats produced in U.S. are consumed by non-traditional (non-commodity) markets (e.g. ethnic and direct markets).
Prices, especially for lambs, tend to peak prior to or at various religious holidays, e.g. Orthodox Easter, Muslim Festival of the Sacrifice.
Prices can fluctuate widely due to differences in supply and demand and poor and/or lack of infrastructure.
US imports more than 50% of sheep and goat meat, mostly from New Zealand and Australia.
Marketing sheep and goatsThere are pros and cons to different marketing options.
COMMODITY (LIVE ANIMAL)
Public auctionPrimary method sheep/goats are sold.
1. Local (e.g. Westminster)2. Terminal (regional, e.g. New Holland)3. Special sale(s) (e.g. Easter)
Feeder, grazer
Middleman 1. Broker, dealer, order buyer2. Co-op or pool3. Direct marketer4. Abattoir (meat processor)5. Live market
Marketing sheep and goatsThere are pros and cons to different marketing options.
DIRECT
Meat (carcass, cuts, processed)Requires USDA-inspection and labeling Farmer’s Market Farm store Restaurant Retail store CSA Internet
Live animals Ethnic customers
May include on-farm slaughter by customer (you may not assist)
Freezer trade Facilitate slaughter at local abattoir. Customer buys live animal and pays
processing costs. Breeding stock and youth projects.
Fiber productionSheep and goats produce a variety of usable and valuable fibers.
SHEEP Fine wool
Rambouillet, Merino Medium wool
Dorset, Polypay, Columbia, Finn Coarse (long) wool
Romney, Lincoln, Border Leicester Specialty wools
Breed, type, color, heritage breed
Hair or hair x wool crossesFiber/fleeces generally not marketable and will lower value of wool clips, if mixed in. Pelts are marketable.
GOATS Mohair
Angora goats Cashmere
CashgoraCashmere x Angora crosses
PygoraPygmy x Angora crosses
Marketing fiber
COMMODITY MARKET
There are no commercial (commodity) markets for fibers other than white wool. Annual Maryland Wool
PoolMaryland State FairgroundsMid-June
DIRECT MARKETING
Fleeces (raw) Direct to hand spinners Fleece shows and sales
▪ Maryland Sheep & Wool FestivalMay 7-8, 2016www.sheepandwool.org
Value-added On-farm processing Custom processing
▪ Yarn▪ Batting▪ Roving▪ Bedding
New productsinsulation, fertilizer, packing boxes
Custom processing of fiber in MarylandMILL AT MEADOWLANDS Randallstown
www.themillmeadowlands.com
SINGLETON FIBER PROCESSING LLC Frederick www.singletonfiber.com
Dairy production Sheep and goats were domesticated
and milked long before cows.
Sheep and goats vary in their ability to produce milk (quantity + quality)
There are specific breeds of sheep and goats that have been bred and selected for dairy production.
Goats produce more milk whereas sheep produce higher quality milk (better cheese yield).
Some people that are unable to tolerate cow’s milk may be able to drink goat or sheep milk and/or consume products made from their milk.
Marketing dairy productsCertification is not usually practical on small scale.
ALLOWED
1. Grade A dairyFluid milk, cheese, and other products manufactured from milk.
2. Grade B dairy Cheese and other products manufactured from milk.
3. No certification requiredTo sell soap or lotionDairy products for personal consumption
WHAT ABOUT RAW MILK? Illegal for human consumption in
Maryland; legal in 37 states via sales or shares
Can sell raw milk cheese, with certain restrictions.
Must register with state to sell raw milk for pet food
Vegetation controlPerhaps, the greatest value of sheep and goats
Goats are natural browsers and prefer to eat brush, briars browse, tree seedlings, and twigs, whereas sheep are grazers and prefer to eat grass and forbs.
Getting popular!sheep + solar panels
Fee-based grazing Lease sheep and/or goats
for grazing jobs. Operate a turn-key
operation: provide transportation, fencing, water, shelter, and expertise.
I should be paid to eat this.
Agritourism Petting farm
Farm tours
Farm store
Farm Education
School field trips
Spring shearing
Spring lambing, kidding
Sheep and goat races
What you need to raise sheep and/or goats Land and feed
Shelter
Machinery and Equipment
Predator control
Labor
Capital
Market(s)
Land and feed Feed is the major cost associated
with raising any livestock (usually more than 70% of production costs) and the female (ewe or doe) consumes most of the feed.
Forage (pasture and hay) can provide the majority of nutrients required by sheep and goats.
However, forage does not usually meet the nutritional needs of all small ruminants, especially high-producing ones (e.g. young and lactating) or during periods of poor forage production (e.g. summer, winter).
Land requirements How many animals one
acre of pasture can support varies and depends upon many factors including…
▪ Season▪ Plant species▪ Rainfall▪ Grazing management▪ Length of grazing season▪ Amount of supplemental feeding
A common rule of thumb is 2 acres per cow (1000 lbs.) or 500 lbs. of grazing animal per acre (e.g. 500 lbs. ÷ 160 lbs. = ~3 ewes per acre).
Land requirements With cool season grasses, there
is usually too much forage in the spring, not enough in the summer, and practically none in the winter.
These inequalities can be managed by…
Mowing pasture(s) in spring or removing a hay crop.
Adjusting animal numbers according to forage availability.
Providing supplemental feed as necessary.
Planting legumes and warm season plants to improve summer grazing.
Extending the grazing season by grazing stockpiled forage (e.g. fescue) or annuals (brassicas, small grains). annuals.
Feed requirements
Unless you have enough land to provide year-round grazing, you will have a winter feeding period; sometimes a summer feeding period.
How much harvested feed you need depends upon species, size (weight), productivity, and duration of feeding period.Winter: usually ¼ to ½ ton per femalee.g. 120 days x 4 lbs/head = 480 lbs.
Good quality grass hay can usually meet the nutritional needs of dry females – but not growing lambs and kids or (late) pregnant/lactating females.
Grain is usually given to females during late pregnancy and/or early lactation to meet their increased nutrient requirements and improve productivity.½ -1 lb. per head during late gestation1 to 3 lbs. per head during lactation
Supplemental feed is usually given to young stock if higher levels of performance are needed and/or desired.
Housing, shelter needs A building that can house
animals (or provide cover) to protect them from cold, heat, or other inclement weather. ~15 ft2 per female housed 16-202 for females + offspring Standing room for shelter
on pasture.
A place to store feed and equipment. ¼ to ⅓ ton of hay per female
A place to work the animals.
A place to isolate new or sick animals.
Comfort for humans!
Machinery and equipment needs Fencing – major expense
Perimeter1. Woven wire with extra wires2. Multi-strand, high-tensile, electric3. Adapt existing fences
Interior ▪ Permanent or temporary
Temporary▪ Electric netting▪ Polywire, tape, or rope
Own equipment vs. custom hire.
Small equipment for docking, castrating, shearing, etc.
Predator controlAll producers need a predator management program.
Sheep and goats, especially lambs and kids, are very vulnerable to an array of predators including domestic and wild dogs, coyotes, bears, foxes, bobcats, cougars, wolves, and various birds of prey.
Predator control starts with a good fence. Also helps with neighbor relations.
Livestock guardians can be effective deterrents to predators: livestock guardian dogs, donkeys, and llamas.
Other options include night penning, shed (indoor) lambing/kidding, and fall or winter lambing/kidding, scare tactics, and lethal methods, such as shooting, trapping, and denning.
LaborConsideration: amount and distribution of labor
BreedingNatural < artificialPen or pasture < hand mating
Lambing and kiddingpasture lambing < shed (indoor) lambingspring < winter
Health careEspecially parasite control
Hoof care Shearing
Hair sheep Marketing
commodity < directlive animal < carcass or meat
Market(s)
Who? What? Where? When?
Do you need any special permits to raise sheep and/or goats?
SCRAPIE ERADICATION All sheep and goats must
be identified with official USDA scrapie tags when they leave their place of birth and enter commerce (with few exceptions). NUTRIENT
MANAGEMENT A nutrient management
plan is required for all livestock farms than have more than 8 animal units (8000 lbs) or more than $2,500 in gross income.
Understanding slaughter regulationsThere are three levels of meat inspection in Maryland.
1) Federal (USDA) inspection• Includes pre and post-mortem inspection• Can sell meat, if properly labeled• For all sales of meat, including interstate
2) **Personal exemption**• Owner processes animal (on farm) for own use;
can share meat with family, friends, unpaid employees.
• Is permissible for buyer to slaughter animal on farm, if no assistance is provided by seller; meat can be shared with family, friends, unpaid employees.
3) Custom-Exempt• Animal is processed for owner• Inspection of facility; no animal inspection• Meat labeled NOT FOR RESALE• Suitable for freezer trade (whole/half carcasses)
American Lamb Check-offhttp://lambresourcecenter.com/lamb-checkoff/checkoff-process/
All sheep and lambs are subject to check-off assessment, regardless of what kind of sheep they are or how they are sold.
Established in 2002.
Established 13-member American Lamb Board whose purpose is to increase demand for American lamb and increase the value of American Lamb for all segments contributing to the check-off.
Approved by majority of producers who represent a majority of the volume of lambs sold.
$ 0.007 per lb. of live animal + $0.42 per carcass = $1.12 for a 100-lb. lamb
New Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD)December 2016
Veterinary prescriptions will be required for antibiotics which are put in feed or water for livestock.
Aureomycin (oxytetracyline) only antibiotic FDA-approved to put in sheep feed (to control abortions caused by vibrio and chlamydia). Current labeled dose is ineffective. No extra-label drug will be allowed.
Also FDA-approved to feed to lambs to improve growth and feed efficiency. Won’t be allowed anymore. Label claim will need to change from
growth promotion to disease prevention.
No antibiotics approved to feed to goats or add to drinking water. No extra label drug will be allowed
New VFD will affect how some antibiotics are marketed. Transition from OTC to prescription (Rx) Example: sulfa drugs for coccidiosis
Why small ruminants make ideal alternative farm enterprises
Easy to handle Minimal capital investment Can adapt existing facilities/fencing Quick return on investment Greater reproductive potential Adaptable to different production
systems and philosophies Multi-purpose, different profit
centers Growing demand for products Demand is often inelastic Access to best markets in US for
sheep and goats.
Biggest challenges to small ruminant production Marketing
Low per capita consumption Competition from imports
Lack of infrastructure Status as minor species Animal health products Veterinary services and
expertise Shearers Slaughter capacity Access to credit
Production risks Predators (high fencing costs) Parasites (dewormer resistance) High labor requirements
Tips for success with small ruminants
Choose the right speciesGrass pastures – sheepBrowse, woodland - goats
Choose the right breeds or crosses.
Start with sound, healthy animals.
“You get what you pay for.”
Good biosecurity; most diseases walk onto the farm in an infected animal.
Proper nutrition usually includes pasture, hay, grain, and minerals.
Don’t get sheep and/or goats if you don’t genuinely like them.
More information Web portal: www.sheepandgoat.com
Social media Wild & Woolly Quarterly Newsletter Webinar short courses All-day conferences Integrated Parasite Management Workshops Western Maryland Pasture-based Meat Goat
Performance Test and carcass contest 4-H animal science program
E-mail: [email protected]
Thank you for your attention.
Do you have any questions?