[Tim W]

The principle is the same for any size flock, keep the inputs down and maximise the outputs

minimise the inputs means grass /fodder only and minimum labour ---get a ewe that will look after itself and a lamb that will fatten off grass
Maximise outputs does not necessarily mean lots of lambs ----it means market what you have well

I run 1000 ewes but have a local lad that helps me sometimes ---he has 40 ewes and runs them on grass only, sells 80% of the lambs direct to customers and makes a profit . No hay costs, no vaccinations, no antibiotics, no wormers (clean grazing policy) very low labour (he costs his at £11/hr which is what he charges for labour elsewhere) Marketing done mostly by word of mouth

Keep it simple

[Mays]

I think the secret to profit is to invest in a BREED that suits your location / facilities. Once you've agreed on what type of sheep suits your facility, then research your commercial outlets & refine your choice of breed from their.

I have bred the standard white faced texel x / cheviot type for over 12 years which was ok, but lambing always had it challenges. When we moved to a new farm I decided we should move into pedigrees. My highest priority was an easy lambing breed, but with commercial qualities.

So, I kept some of my best tex/beltex cross ewes and invested in a small starter flock of pedigree Bleu Du Maines. Ive crossed the BDM on the tex/beltex ewes, the offspring are SUPER, and as it is all the cross ewes have been gimmers, and I've not had to intervene once, so the BDM is a true easy lamb breed even over a big bulky gimmer. The cross lambs are certainty commercial, but eventually the ewe lambs will go back to a Beltex to provide a superior carcass lamb. Of course the pure breds are incredibly easy lambing, milky and exceptional good  mothering. The pure lambs can be a bit soft, but our farm can easily adapt as we are lowland with big barns and very sheltered paddocks. it is working out quite well so far. After I have paid all my bills, I cant tell you how profitable it will be, but so far, my lambing percentages are running at 230% with 0% losses 


I am linking to the most recent sale report, http://www.bleudumaine.co.uk/sales/sale-reports/

[Coximus]

I keep Hebrideans & mules and expect on 15 acres to Net £1k profit this year after all costs - including new gates and 100meters of fencing, without those capital costs - £1600.

I've purchased 5 lick buckets in total (£110) - 2 Tonnes of fodder beet (£50)  and 25 bales of hay (£25 for all) Worming foot gear etc etc etc (£200).
I sold 32 lambs, with (6) hebrideans sold to butchers, getting about £4.20 avg deadweight (so about £80 a lamb) and mule x suffolks getting between £65-80 depending on quality and weight.

All fed off grass apart from fodderbeets provided ad lib during December and January. Only really eaten when their was snow on the ground.

Small flocks CAN and ARE profitable - just as everyone says - choose the right breed. You can still sell in the market and make a profit - just dont buy in food. If your land only supports 10 ewes without extra feed, then you will make more money off those 10, than if you had 15-20 and brought in food.

[Hamish Crofter]

This is going to sound a very naive question but..... How do you know how many sheep your land will support?

[Coximus]

experience and take alook at your neighbours....
On good grass my area locals can take 3-5 an acre depending on the size of the sheep breed.

Upland areas less - on the moors in yorkshire most seem to stock 1-2 an acre, mountains 1 an acre.

You can creep this up by rotating so say 10 on 1 acre for week or so then on another acre etc... and get your stocking rate on the whole farm to 1 ewe/acre more.

Best bet is to see what works.... My neghbours said Id get 60 on my 15 acres, But i dont use fertlizers and find 40-50 is about right, and possible 60 if they were all hebrideans.
If I kept all mules or Texels etc I would be able to keep 30-40 max.

[shep53]

Yes I know you can make a profit from a small flock but not every year ,you need luck as well , if nothing dies or you have min vet bills and the prices which you can't control are good (  not that long ago I was selling cull ewes for a £5 note and lambs into a welfare scheme for £15 )       ( my neighbour sold mule gims in the late 90's for £120 next year  £40  !!  )         For  a small flock  costs are hard to cover     a vet bill of £100 costs a flock of 30  £3.33 a ewe  for me it would cost 8.9p

I think the secret to profit is to invest in a BREED that suits your location / facilities. Once you've agreed on what type of sheep suits your facility, then research your commercial outlets & refine your choice of breed from their.

I have bred the standard white faced texel x / cheviot type for over 12 years which was ok, but lambing always had it challenges. When we moved to a new farm I decided we should move into pedigrees. My highest priority was an easy lambing breed, but with commercial qualities.

So, I kept some of my best tex/beltex cross ewes and invested in a small starter flock of pedigree Bleu Du Maines. Ive crossed the BDM on the tex/beltex ewes, the offspring are SUPER, and as it is all the cross ewes have been gimmers, and I've not had to intervene once, so the BDM is a true easy lamb breed even over a big bulky gimmer. The cross lambs are certainty commercial, but eventually the ewe lambs will go back to a Beltex to provide a superior carcass lamb. Of course the pure breds are incredibly easy lambing, milky and exceptional good  mothering. The pure lambs can be a bit soft, but our farm can easily adapt as we are lowland with big barns and very sheltered paddocks. it is working out quite well so far. After I have paid all my bills, I cant tell you how profitable it will be, but so far, my lambing percentages are running at 230% with 0% losses 


I am linking to the most recent sale report, http://www.bleudumaine.co.uk/sales/sale-reports/

While I totally agree   ,  not that easy (   in the mid 80's the BDM  was said to be the  new BFL  and at  kelso sales farmers fought over them  and paid big money for 2yrs then you couldn't give them away )   local breeds   have been bred for a reason   , often trial and error to get it right

[TheSmilingSheep]

This is really interesting reading - thank you all for being so up front and sharing from your experience.... very much helps on the 'reality testing' side of our dreams!!!!

[Hamish Crofter]

Coximus.  Thank you!  The example you have give is helpful as I have 15 acres and intend keeping Hebrideans.
Good advice, thanks.

[Coximus]

Glad my experience helps.

I hope this is useful too;

two 4 acre fields, almost identical - same aspect, soil etc, (They were one larger origionally but I split it).
Neither receives any fertilizer other than the sheeps own droppings and clover in the sward.

12 Hebs cannot eat the grass as fast as it grows in summer - and they can out winter on it all winter and come April their is still grass ahead of them - No supliment feeding unless its snow covered.

The same field can take 10 mules but they eat the grass faster than it grows and I need to take them out to another field after 6-8 weeks. In winter, they finish the grass by Mid Jan.

If I fertilized the fields I could up production by 30-40% however I intend to use Clover to up production by 20% instead, as I consider it more sustainable.

Hebs are lightweight and if you find buyers for the meat, they are good.
I have also found if you tell the market your taking them they let buyers know, so you actually get good prices for them

[crimson]

bump

[shotblastuk]

Yes you can make a profit but you need to think outside of the box and be creative, get yourself organised and be prepared to put the hours in. Look long term not short term and expect the unexpected. As far as I'm concerned there is no such thing as an easycare sheep they all need looking after properly or it will bite you on the backside.