SUSAN SCHOENIAN (Shāy-ne-ŭn)Sheep & Goat SpecialistWestern Maryland Research & Education Center (WMREC)sschoen@umd.edu - 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: sschoen@umd.edu

Thank you for your attention.

Do you have any questions?