# Feeder Lambs on Pasture Profitable?



## DisasterCupcake (Jan 3, 2015)

So, 

I am looking into a few different options for a main cash-crop on my small (tiny) farm. 

With limited start up cash, starting a small beef herd seems to be pretty risky. I'd be putting more money into each animal and hoping for the best since this is the maiden year (next year). 

Sheep and/or feeder pigs seem to be the next best option. I'm not sinking hundreds into a single individual, the time to market is drastically reduced, and I have the added security of spreading capital over more animals. Downside is the reduction in profit per pound for lambs, especially, and carcass yield is less for these animals. 

So my main concern is marketing and selling pastured lamb, and of course the specific challenges that come with feeder lambs- especially since I have not done sheep before. Does anyone have advice, experience or wisdom to share for someone thinking about starting out with about 10-12 lambs? I don't plan on keeping any ewes, or buying ewes, or doing any breeding at all. At least not until we see how the first year goes!

Thanks!


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## mustangglp (Jul 7, 2015)

If you have to buy much feed at all you will lose money. In less you can buy feed far cheaper than I can. How many acres do you ?


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## Oldshep (Mar 28, 2015)

Mustanglp is correct. What makes sheep profitable is their ability to put weight on through grazing. If you're buying hay it could make it tough to see a profit.

Also, something to consider is whether or not there is a market for lamb in your area. People with money buy grass-fed lamb. It's an upper-class meat. There is also a market among different ethnic groups but they might not be willing to pay the true market value for grass fed lamb.

Pork and beef are the more common, working class fare. You could sell pork to a broader range of people, but you may not get the price that good grass fed lamb can command.


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## DisasterCupcake (Jan 3, 2015)

I don't foresee having to buy much feed, if any at all. 

The main reason for looking at a ruminant is because I've got a lot of grass/hay/weeds in a 6 acre field to keep under control. I don't see a point in wasting money on gas to mow it when I can employ a few grazers to do the job- and make me some meat while they're at it. 

Pigs are a great option, and I plan on growing a few. I have experience with pigs.


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

In NZ this isn't something I would be even looking at - the cost of buying in feeder lambs would be prohibitive - and by feeder lambs I am assuming you are referring to weaned lambs going on to pasture?

Sheep are also labour intensive. Depending on whether you go for wool, shedding or hair, there could be shearing costs incurred. If your going to do this well you will have to look at drenching and also be aware that sheep spend a lot of time looking at the ground thinking up ways to die. You would only have to lose one lamb for your profit margin to take a steep downward curve.

How good is your fencing? Sheep are only one step behind pigs when it comes to escape.

I know what I would be doing with 6 (good) acres and it wouldn't be sheep. It would be a mixture of pigs and beef. 

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## Oldshep (Mar 28, 2015)

DisasterCupcake said:


> I don't foresee having to buy much feed, if any at all.
> 
> The main reason for looking at a ruminant is because I've got a lot of grass/hay/weeds in a 6 acre field to keep under control. I don't see a point in wasting money on gas to mow it when I can employ a few grazers to do the job- and make me some meat while they're at it.
> 
> Pigs are a great option, and I plan on growing a few. I have experience with pigs.


If you have the grass then give it a shot. Choose a hardy breed. I've had nothing but good experiences breeding sheep for years. They are easy to handle, and do VERY well on a grass only diet. Consider well your fencing options. If you try to go cheap you'll end up doing it all over again.

I've got about 50 icelandics right now and I love them. They are HARDY, put weight on in rough pasture ( they even browse like goats ) and require minimum labor. My pastures are surrounded by woods on all sides so I just let them out in the morning, then whistle at about 6pm and they all come running right back to the barn.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

You can't make a profit buying weaned lambs to raise, since they are already marketable at weaning. 

If you want to make money (or just break even) you will need to breed your own and be the one selling those weaned lambs

Get a "hair" breed like Dorpers or Katahdins if you have no interest in wool


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## mustangglp (Jul 7, 2015)

Bearfootfarm said:


> You can't make a profit buying weaned lambs to raise, since they are already marketable at weaning.
> 
> If you want to make money (or just break even) you will need to breed your own and be the one selling those weaned lambs
> 
> Get a "hair" breed like Dorpers or Katahdins if you have no interest in wool


This a good point I can sell all the weaned lambs I can produce between Jan and may for a 100$ people want them to mow weeds in the spring and summer. Right now I have two young RAMs I will sell or butcher in the next 6 weeks . looking at craigslist it's a buyers market right now as its very dry this time of year and we will be lucky to get rain before November.
For me its hobby I micro manage to try to get it to pay for it self.


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## Rectifier (Jun 12, 2011)

Anyone planning to feed animals has to get a good feel for the markets, what they value and how they cycle. Also, these days you need to be big enough to either grow all of your own feed or command the markets with your massive buying power.

For example I can sell my 80lb heavy feeder lambs for $2.30/lb right now or I can feed them up to 100lbs and get $1.80/lb. That's a waste of feed to begin with. However, it gets worse. As I hold this lamb the price will drop as more lambs hit the finished market, until I'd be lucky to see $1.70 in a few months.
Not even counting the cost of feed, even if it is nearly free for me, it doesn't make sense to keep this lamb any longer. That feed could be going into wintering a larger number of ewes instead of unprofitably feeding lambs.

Now if the lamb is a light feeder and you paid little for it, maybe you can make some money. But not much. You can buy bum lambs cheap and bottle feed them, but milk replacer is not cheap either!

Any time it looks like you are going to make money for little effort (ie. pasturing sheep) the markets tend to make sure that the compensation matches the effort. The bulk of the work on a sheep ranch is done at lambing time. So if you aren't lambing, you aren't making money, plain and simple. 

How long is your pasture season? I suspect you want to feed lambs because you can't cut and don't want to buy hay to winter animals. In this case, how about backgrounding beef steers. This is a classic business for the young rancher. The buyer brings the steers and pays per pound of gain. All you need is a good fence because you sure don't want to lose any of those steers.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Go into your profile and put in your location. It will show up in the upper right hand corner of every post you write. This way, we know where you live, your climate, etc.


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## DisasterCupcake (Jan 3, 2015)

Thank you for all the comments and insight. 

At this point, I can't but agree with most of what has been said. Even from a management perspective, sheep seem more labor intensive and less profitable of pretty much any other ruminant that might make use of my pasture space. 

I may add an ewe or two to a beef herd that I eventually intend to collect, just because it would not add any extra work/stress on the system and I may as well do more for the same work. However, I think that I've solidly decided that beef are the thing to start with. 

Thanks again everyone!


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Personally, I think this is a wise decision at this point. Having said that, I do run sheep (Romney) and cattle. People often ask why I bother with the sheep. Several reasons. They are the cleaner-uppers behind the cattle, I like to eat them and worm-wise, they cross graze well with cattle but the main reason is the first one - they keep the pasture clean and in good order. 

Take it slowly and see how you go. 

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## Rectifier (Jun 12, 2011)

Good choice, you can't go wrong with beef.

However, don't write sheep off just because feeder lambs are unprofitable. The reason I run sheep is because a well-managed lambing flock is more profitable than cattle on a per acre basis. They have a lot of things going for them, the biggest for me being a good twinning rate. This allows you to sell market lambs AND keep replacements to build your flock - which is a common dilemma with cattle.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

IF you get a wool breed get something spinners want for fiber. Wool meat and mutton will make money in the long run if you use the wasted feed that just goes to waste All but easter lambs can use poorer quality feed. Breed and lamb so you have lambs at high market times, here Easter and a couple Hispanic holidays. If you have some woods you can clean that up and maintain them with sheep, cattle lightly, then sheep more. Cattle will kill trees from compaction, sheep don't. I fed waste feed, grass straw, screening pellets and molasses blocks (protein blocks), just make sure natural protien, not cattle stock blocks with high protein, no urea. Use the 10% blocks....James


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