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Sheep
Sheep provide homespun yarn, homegrown meat, lustrous and very warm skins,
and beside they are quite amiable animals. They only grow to moderate size; they
are quiet, their shelter needs are minimal; they are sure-footed in difficult
conditions, and they can graze for almost all their food which is definitely a plus in
times when there may be little else to feed them.
When buying them get mixed breed ewes. See if you can locate one that is a twin, cause there will be a very great chance the ewe will then have twins itself. But when buying a Ram, get the best purebred you can buy. You want your flock to have excellence. Go to a reliable breeder ahead of time. There are a number of types:
If you have a good pasture for them, you don't have to feed them much else. You need to fence them unless you invest in a couple of good border collies. These animals will constantly keep them in line, and will defend them against predators. An acre of good pasture land and legumes will feed four sheep for most of the summer. You will need to rotate the grazing area, since sheep will eat the grass into the ground. If you do add other items to their diet, you have to do it very gradually.
Except when they are lambs, sheep thrive in cold weather.
There are plenty of good books on sheep herding. For what you get and what you have to do, you won't find a better animal. This is not high tech. Goats and sheep have been herded for thousands of years for clothing and food. And if you supplement them with goats, you have two sure-footed and hardy animals who would require little in the way of food supplementation such as grain, which you won't have immediately in the Aftertimes: one for meat and wool clothing, and one for milk and cheese. Could you do better for small space, and durability. I think not.
Offered by Eric.
