Leicester Longwool Sheep!

So, I've been drooling over these sheep for a while now. Yes, drooling. I know I'm odd, but it's in a good way. They are the classic Beatrix Potter English countryside fluffy white sheep. And, as per my usual luck, extremely hard to find (i.e. EXPENSIVE). Only a handful of people in the US even raise them, and they're classified as 'critically rare' by the American Livestock Breed Conservancy. I had looked for this breed online only to find a very small number of breeders, none closeby and only one in my state. The out of state breeders wanted $600+ for a single lamb, and that wasn't including shipping, veterinary certificates and state mandated lab work. Around $1000 for ONE sheep was a little to steep a price for me. I gave up.


Remember I said there was a breeder in Utah? Yeah, I tried to contact her before I even bought these soay sheep, but she never got back to me. Until today! The one breeder here has been trying to sell her flock off and on for nearly a year. The last time I saw the ad it had been up for almost a month, and dropped off the board before I could get the number. Today I saw the same ad up with 2 days left before expiring. I texted her, and they're still available.I'll be contacting her to see if she's willing to sell them individually next year, maybe in the spring! Since it doesn't look like she's in a huge hurry to sell them, I'm hoping she'll be receptive to the idea. Yup. I'm a little excited. :D

My goals for the farm would then have to be changed if we do get these sheep. Instead of goats, we'd be doing sheep, which would be ok by me. I do really love sheep and they're much easier to contain than goats. Our fences would be ok for sheep; they wouldn't keep a wanderlusting goat in for more than 10 seconds, max. I was talking to my mom (aka the fiber diva) about possibly marketing the sheep products (rovings, batts, yarn, fleeces, etc.), as she's in an area much more receptive to humanely produced, sustainable farm-to-consumer type products. Salt Lake City has a small, family run fiber mill that handles smaller farm orders. We could get batts, roving, yarn - basically whatever would sell. Instead of trying to market raw fleeces, which probably wouldn't go very well, we could make it a value added product for knitters, fiber enthusiasts, spinners, etc. I think they'd do well out her way, especially with the number of year round farmers markets, yarn shops and other venues to market the products. Utah, unfortunately, just doesn't excel in those areas. We have very limited farmers markets, not a lot of yarn shops and somehow an almost non-existent fiber arts community. For a state that profited greatly from the sheep industry, you wouldn't know it by the lack of fiber anything in this place. Ugh. Sometimes I really miss California. If I could earn enough $$$ off the sheep products to pay for the feed it'd be worth it. Keep ya posted!

Goals

It's good to have goals. And I realized I haven't formally written down any goals for this mini farm of ours, so it was time. Ran it by the hubby, and he liked it, so we're in business. Here's what the plan is, assuming we're here for another year or two (see previous post for explanation):

Mini Farm Goals

Our mini farm consists of 0.84 acres, including 2 small pasture areas (largest is ~0.5 ac, 2^nd pasture area is  ~0.16  ac and a homesite acreage of approx.. 0.25 ac.), a 2000 sq ft, 4 stall large livestock barn + sheep/goat barn/tack room and goat shed. All areas can be farmed to some extent and used for gardening, but animal husbandry will occur solely on the back 2/3 of the property. Gardening areas will be located behind barn (largest garden area with full sun exposure for entirety of day), along with small garden plots in the front pasture with full southern exposure, backyard and front yard where growing conditions would be favorable.

Goals: 
1)  Produce at least 50% of our food in the next 2 years and increasing production in subsequent years to ultimately produce 75%+ of our food for a family of 8+. 
2)    Raise chickens for meat and eggs (can have comfortably 20 birds in current coop. Can add an additional 12-15 meat bird coop to chicken stall).
3) Keep goats for milk (maybe 4-6?)
4)Grow fodder for our animals in the winter (late Nov-early May) 
5) Start with beekeeping. Sell honey, beeswax & value added products (lip balms, salves, lotions, etc.)

How will we meet these goals?

To meet Goal #1 –

Employ bio-intensive gardening techniques using straw bale gardening. Also learn to extend growing season to grow greens and hardier vegetables through the winter months. Planting a small orchard, grape vines and berry bushes would also help to increase our self sufficiency (depends on timeframe for us staying in this home). Set up greenhouse ASAP. Begin seriously composting to recycle chicken manure, bedding and garden/household green matter. 

To meet Goal #2 –

Already in progress. We have 14 hens and 4 roosters. Have been raising egg layers since April 2012. Started with 11 hens, 1 rooster. Would need to add another coop specifically for the meat birds. Have squeamishness about butchering chickens myself. Would need someone to train me or hire someone to do it. Local mobile slaughterers have a 25 bird min. and charge $2-3/bird.  Sell eggs to offset costs OR start making our own feed from scratch/growing food for chickens. Latter would be easier to accomplish as our family goes through eggs quickly. Ideally need a 30+ layer flock to keep up with egg needs for 8 people. 

To meet Goal #3 –

Would need to upgrade fencing/repair existing fencing AND install at least 2 levels of electric fence wire. Would need to buy/build milking stanchion.  Multiple local goat dairies to purchase quality dairy stock – la mancha, saanan, alpine or nubian

To meet Goal #4 –

Find a local supplier for bulk unhulled livestock grain. Would need a relatively heated area to sprout grasses; trays; soaker hoses. Unlikely to happen in the house we’re in bc of space issues. Maybe a greenhouse? 

To meet Goal #5 –

Order hive and bee nuc. Get registered with state as a licensed apiary. Order books about how to keep bees. Get over fear of stinging insects. :)