[gbgcisco]

Hello,

I live in the arid southwest of the US, and looking into raising a very small herd of sheep for wool, meat & possibly milk. The feed will have to be bought, as pasture is not available. The land is a sandy base.

I have raised horses and with them I have to be cautious about them eating off the ground as they ingest sand with their hay. (They  have rubber mats on their feed areas. Sand colic is very prevalent in our area because of the sandy nature of the ground.

Is it the same with sheep? Do they have impaction issues if they pick up sand while they eat? I haven't had much luck with the Internet, trying to find if they have the same of similar issue.

Does any one have any recommendations of sheep management books, specifically for desert regions?

Thanks!

[hexhammeasure]

Hi, I don't know much about this other than sand in fleeces are a nightmare at clipping time as it bluntens the shears in no time. luckily there are breeds that have little or no fleeces that cope with hot climates. I'll be interested in the replies as we plan to relocate to texas in the next ten years or so. My big worry is sheep being bitten by snakes. We don't have many poisonous snakes here but we still get one bitten by snakes every other year or so...

[Rosemary]

I would think if you can get an appropriate breed, they'll do well. You shoudl have fewer foot problems athn we do here, given our wet climate.