Posted by LAA on January 06, 2009 at 09:32:23 from (212.93.220.66):
In Reply to: OT Sheep???? posted by dave2 on January 05, 2009 at 20:56:19:
I was reading a few weeks ago that as recently as 1980 there were over 30 wool dealers in Boston Massachusetts and now there are none at all. Also said there is only one carding mill left in operation in the US and a handful of wool buyers, mostly out of West Texas. In the 60's we raised sheep right alongside cattle in North Louisiana, the two species work well together because the parasites that affect one does not affect the other and vice versa. LSU sponsered a wool pool each spring at a couple of locations across the state and shipped the wool to San Angelo Texas or sometimes straight to the mill in North Carolina, producers were paid bid price minus some small percentage for shipping,brokering etc. There never was any real market for the slaughter lambs locally and they mostly went to Texas and Colorado feedlots. I liked the sheep and have always wanted to raise them again with my cows but I work gone a month at a time and predators would make it impossible. Some people say sheep were born looking for a place to die but Dad always said they were just little cows that had 2 babies instead of 1. The worst problem, parasites, can be largely controlled with grazing management and worming. Someone correct me if I'm wrong on this but I think all Military dress uniforms used to be 100% wool and specified US wool. I know the Military was largest end user of wool behind the carpet industry at one time and may still be. I doubt if 15% of the US population has ever tasted lamb and as has been mentioned it is a mostly ethnic market now. If you had the grass and a close enough market you can run 5 ewes on the same land as 1 cow. If you average a 150% lamb crop, which is not that hard under farm flock conditons, sell the lambs as heavy feeders straight off grass so no grain feeding, maybe average $85.00 dollars per head. Thats $640.00 gross on the same land and inputs you would have raised 1 calf. Sell as Fat lambs to Mexicans and you might get alot more and cash money as well. I would save the wool up a few years until I had enough to haul to Texas.
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