[Jacob-list] Jacob-list Digest, Vol 61, Issue 13

[southwindfarms at frontiernet.net]

We normally breed about 20 Jacob ewes.  This year the boss said to retain as many ewe lambs as I could.  So we will be upsizing some.  I probably won't breed the ewe lambs this year.  

Laura
Southwind Farms
www.southwindfarms.org

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Subject: Jacob-list Digest, Vol 61, Issue 13

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: downsize of herd (upsize, stay the same? (ARTHUR PARTRIDGE)
   2. Downsizing (Susan J Martin)
   3. downsizing (Betty Berlenbach)
   4. Re: downsize of herd (upsize, stay the same? (Linda)
   5. Re: downsizing (Linda)


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Message: 1
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 11:26:10 -0700
From: "ARTHUR PARTRIDGE" <aztreaz at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] downsize of herd (upsize, stay the same?
To: "jacob-list" <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Message-ID: <410-220098023182610109 at earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

--Linda asked:

>I'm curious as to who is downsizing, staying the same, or increasing 

>flock size.

==========
Due to our increasing age and the price of livestock feed, vet care, etc.,
we are staying the same, maybe will have two or three ewes bred for meat or
replacement animals.  We now have 12 ewes, one ram, two lamb wethers, one
castrated (done after sexual maturity so the horns grow) ram lamb, three
adult wethers, and one adult castrated ram.  We will try and maintain the
existing herd, but might have to downsize slowly.  I hope most can live out
their lives here, if we can afford it.  I am mostly interested in wool
production; but I have found that I can buy some really nice raw wool from
other Jacob breeders.  Last year I bought a gorgeous black, yearling, Jacob
fleece from Bide-A-Wee Farm in Oregon, better and cheaper than I can
produce here.  So I hope that place and others continue producing quality
animals and products.

Cathy
Moscow, Idaho




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Message: 2
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:47:41 -0400
From: "Susan J Martin" <stcroft at ptd.net>
Subject: [Jacob-list] Downsizing
To: "Sheep E-mail List" <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Message-ID: <44F4DBBF3B0E43EBA4C27081D51ABB97 at Ultra>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"

We are downsizing here @ Stonecroft......I am keeping just 6 ewes and will not be breeding this Fall.  The reason is that our business (electrical construction) has been very impacted by the recession.  (And I would seriously consider any offers on the remaining 6 ewes.)  Our lambs from this past Spring will go to the sheep auction.
Sue Martin
Stonecroft
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Message: 3
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:04:18 -0400
From: "Betty Berlenbach" <lambfarm at sover.net>
Subject: [Jacob-list] downsizing
To: <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Message-ID: <002401ca242c$f9683ec0$31a172d8 at USER5AFE0954BF>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

It sounds like the economic situation is taking its toll on us breeders.  I have been bemoaning the fact that for the last 10 years or so, grain and hay prices have skyrocketed out of control, but the price of lambs, both as meat and as breeding stock, has pretty much stayed the same. (I guess I should be grateful, in a way, as up here, the prices of shetland sheep, which I also had as a cash crop, have gone from $5-800 apiece to $200 or max, $300 apiece.  I got rid of the shetlands!  I will have to downsize a little, and like Cathy, am aging, and thinking that each year I go down a bit in numbers.  Hopefully, at some point, I will be able to switch to buying six lambs in the spring, keeping them on pasture until November, and then, shearing and butchering, after breeding and keeping them all year becomes too difficult.  I do like having them here.  I will breed this year, probably 12 ewes, but I might consider just breeding some of them...We shall see. I don't have to make t
 hat decision until Nov. 1.
 Betty, in Vermont,who now has a blog, thanks to help from Walter and Linda.  See Betty's blog at http://sheepwoman.wordpress.com.
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Message: 4
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:25:07 -0400
From: Linda <patchworkfibers at windstream.net>
Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] downsize of herd (upsize, stay the same?
To: aztreaz at earthlink.net
Cc: jacob-list <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
Message-ID: <4A91C1C3.60504 at windstream.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; Format="flowed"

I have found that buying a few extra fleeces to satisfy yarn orders is 
alot cheaper than buying a few extra sheep :-) I usually buy 10 to 12 
fleeces a year.

Linda

ARTHUR PARTRIDGE wrote:

> -

>   I am mostly interested in wool

> production; but I have found that I can buy some really nice raw wool from

> other Jacob breeders.  Last year I bought a gorgeous black, yearling, Jacob

> fleece from Bide-A-Wee Farm in Oregon, better and cheaper than I can

> produce here.  So I hope that place and others continue producing quality

> animals and products.

>

> Cathy

> Moscow, Idaho

>

>

>

>

>   


-- 
Patchwork Farm Jacob Sheep <http://www.patchworkfibers.com>
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Message: 5
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:27:40 -0400
From: Linda <patchworkfibers at windstream.net>
Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] downsizing
To: Betty Berlenbach <lambfarm at sover.net>
Cc: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com
Message-ID: <4A91D06C.5050709 at windstream.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; Format="flowed"

We're in a different situation here. Prices and demand for quality 
breeding stock in the southeast has risen in the last few years. I think 
the internet has alot to do with that. After a few years when even 
finding hay was near impossible, hay is now fairly plentiful and we are 
paying less for better hay. It has started to rain after five years of 
drought, so my sheep get to eat grass sometimes. My yarn sales are 
pretty good. And I'm getting younger (just joking..I'm aging as fast(er) 
as everyone else - and I sure feel it on our hills). But, Dave is 
semi-retired now, so I have more help now and feel younger at the end of 
the day :-). We haven't had much luck in finding someone to come do the 
little bit of clearing we'd hoped to do for more pasture, which has been 
a setback. But it was a profitable year for me.
I'm curious about the economics of not breeding all the adult ewes. You 
still have to feed them. Unless you are separating them from your bred 
ewe flock, they are eating just as much and producing only a fleece to 
sell.  You won't be feeding the lambs, of course, and the fleece would 
probably be a bit bigger.

Linda

Betty Berlenbach wrote:

> It sounds like the economic situation is taking its toll on us 

> breeders.  I have been bemoaning the fact that for the last 10 years 

> or so, grain and hay prices have skyrocketed out of control, but the 

> price of lambs, both as meat and as breeding stock, has pretty much 

> stayed the same. (I guess I should be grateful, in a way, as up here, 

> the prices of shetland sheep, which I also had as a cash crop, have 

> gone from $5-800 apiece to $200 or max, $300 apiece.  I got rid of the 

> shetlands!  I will have to downsize a little, and like Cathy, am 

> aging, and thinking that each year I go down a bit in numbers.  

> Hopefully, at some point, I will be able to switch to buying six lambs 

> in the spring, keeping them on pasture until November, and then, 

> shearing and butchering, after breeding and keeping them all year 

> becomes too difficult.  I do like having them here.  I will breed this 

> year, probably 12 ewes, but I might consider just breeding some of 

> them...We shall see. I don't have to make that decision until Nov. 1.

>  Betty, in Vermont,who now has a blog, thanks to help from Walter and 

> Linda.  See Betty's blog at http://sheepwoman.wordpress.com.

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

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>   


-- 
Patchwork Farm Jacob Sheep <http://www.patchworkfibers.com>
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End of Jacob-list Digest, Vol 61, Issue 13
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