Part Time Sheep Farming options

bauney

Hi fellow board members,

Here is a farming question for you.

I want to get into part time sheep farming.
My family have rared sheep all my life and my father who is close to retirement age is still farming.
Currently, I have a full time job 5 days a week (8 to 5). I am married with young children.

I am sure there are many sheep farming models depending on lifestyles,money,time, etc..
If i was to use an example of 25 acres of good farming ground on 1 farm holding, what would be the best approach regards starting off in sheep farming in a part time manner.

My original plan would be as follows
To buy ewe lambs in autumn, then sell off as ewe hoggets following autumn. Then continue the cycle.
How many lambs could potentially buy and rare for 10 months before selling on on 25 acres? Is there much profit to be made of this?

This approach is very conservative but it would allow me slowly build up proper sheep experience, improvements to the land, pens, buying machinary etc..
Obviously, as time goes on, i can increase the number of stock i manage.


Is this a feasible approach to start off part time farming?
Or are there other models i could follow?

Regards,

MayoAreMagic

You could also maybe buy dry ewes and fatten them, although you mightn't buy them in a gang as handy as you would lambs. Def something along those lines anyway, no-birth system is handier for someone starting out with a job and young family... I suggest aged ewes as they will take care of themselves better than lambs, plus it is a spring-summer gig and fellas can be keen to offload dry ewes as they concentrate on lambing.

bauney

Thanks MayoAreMagic.

Far an area of 25 acres approx of good land in one holding, how many ewe lambs could be managed comfortably before selling off as ewe hoggets.
And would you know the ballpark average price for ewe lambs (mountain ewe/mayo mule) and the average price for hoggets for mountain ewe/mayo mule?

I am trying to do the maths in what the difference is. Hard thing to relate unless you are in the business of wheeling and dealing.

farawaygrass

An elderly farmer near us who got out of lambing ewes is buying ewe lambs in the autumn and selling the next year for breeding. He's doing it a few years now so he must be happy enough, he's far from a fool

ganmo

It's all about buying the right ewe lambs
But a pen of top quality ewe lambs can go for the same as poor hoggets

The right ewe lambs are ones with pretty faces and a cross between a hill breed and a lowland breed

MayoAreMagic

Prices are up a bit of late for mayo lambs. I seen some advertised for over 100 euro on DD over the last few weeks. Then again I seen a gang advertised for 60 over the last few days, which is cheap. They were a mixed bag but for that money, and going onto grass at this time of the year, they wouldn't be a bad buy. The spadework of November to February is done.

Re how many you could hold, depends on how long you are keeping them, the proof in the land and also on the lambs themselves. If it was me, Id be starting out steady enough. 25-30 with a view to selling them in late September. You could probably go higher but this way you get your system in place and it runs through on it's own steam. You would have a better idea then yourself for the next year.

weatherbyfoxer

On the grazing point of veiw i rotate 100 ewes and there lambs over 25 acres in 5 acre paddock..have more than enough grass for them even get 40 bales of silage from it and mix graze some dry cattle when grass looks like its goin to get too strong

If i was running dry ewe lambs only with no silage id be thinking 150-200