$44,000 FOR A SHEEP!

[simtal]

Anyone here about the wether sire that brought $44,000 at the midwest stud ram sale?

 

[farmboy]

them better be some tasty chops lol  ;D jjk

 

[frm_girl]

Wow.....i sold my ram last week and he went for $40 but that's a lot for just a sheep.    :-\ :-\

 

[Show Heifer]

I don't why you think that is so much "for a sheep".....think of all the hundred thousand dollar cows/bulls you have heard about....or buying an embryo package for thousands...heck don't even know what your going to get with those!


And besides....there has been a lot of years my sheep has paid for my cattle AND their own way too!!!

 

[ShortyJ13]

44,000? WOAH.
thats like, a very nice vehicle. or many many show calves!  (lol)

 

[txshowlamb]

Ya I herd about that he got more than a supreme champion that was sold the same day!!!!

 

[ShowmanQ]

C'mon folks, we get so used to seeing heifers bring $50,000-$100,000 that it does not even phase us. Why should a $44,000 ram make us turn our heads? If there are people in the cattle industry willing to pay top $ for their show stock, you can bet that their are people in every other species willing to do the same. Now if I ever read about a $45,000 rabbit I will let you know...just kidding dont want to get myself in trouble now, tthee has to be one rabbit fan  lurking  on here at least.  (lol)

 

[daydreamingacres]

OK i will get in on this one. say you bought this ram for $44,000 if he is that good ( which I didnt see him yet so I dont know) and you keep him for say 3 years and each year breed him to 50 ewes by year three you COULD not saying you will but you could have 450 lambs out of him ask an average of $100 each for his lambs and you could break even. Im not sure if a ram can safely service 50 ewes but for maths sake you get the idea, and if he dies you can probably recoop some insurance money. Like everyone else said  there are plenty of people that drop high dollar on sheep....they just have a tendancy to not have as much will to live as a show calf.

 

[angusboy1]

that's allot of money but like showman Q said we try and pay to $ for our show calves and there are people who do it in other species to

 

[Dusty]

When one sheep dies two more have to die for sympathy.......

 

[daydreamingacres]

VERY TRUE!!!!! (clapping) (clapping)

 

[justintime]

Two weeks ago when I was in Scotland, i saw a ram lamb sell for 30,000 British pounds, which is just over $60,000. This was a small auction between two breders who wanted to buy the same ram and the owner simply held a small auction between the two men. I asked a friend of mine who raised cattle and sheep in Scotland, what an "average " ram would cost and he said that most sell for around 5000 Bristish pounds ( or just over $10,000).

I have always heard that in most years, there is more money in raising sheep than in the cattle business. A friend in Texas, told me that if a father had two sons and gave each $100,000 to start farming, and one purchased sheep and the other purchased cattle, that in 3 years the son with sheep would buy the other out.

All I know about sheep is the four "s " of sheep raising, that being...." Sick Sheep Seldom Survive".

 

[daydreamingacres]

Lost my best ewe just last week...came home from work and there she was out in the pen bloated and prolapsed like there was no tomorrow... no apparent reason and she was alive when I left at 6:30. Always seems to be the good ones that die for no reason and the ones that are worthless live forever. I bought her 5 years ago in Eaton Ohio and the gentleman that I bought her from passed away a year later...so there will never be another like her. I think sheep beleive it or not have "hardened me up" to life on a farm......they can be fine one minute and deader then a dorrnail the next. I still like my sheep...they are easier to manange and can make more then the cattle atthe fair and reproduce much faster making them a faster turn around...if you can keep them alive.

 

[farmboy]

to put things into perspective, i read in another post someone bought the angus bull midland for 200k + something and selling the semen at 50 bucks a straw....

50 x 5000 units = $250k

 

[inthebarnagain]

RANGE MAGGOTS!!!!

 

[daydreamingacres]

For the most part "sheep people" dont think too highly of the cattle folk either!

 

[Show Heifer]

The reason cattle people do not like sheep, is that sheep actually require management skills.

That being said, "A sick sheep is a dead sheep" isn't true either.....a dead sheep has an owner that isn't observant. (sorry daydreamingacres - I have lost them too!)  You do not see an "off sheep" and treat it tomorrow...you treat it NOW.
You do not hurry through chores (I am quilty too) and expect not for it to catch up to you one day (that is the "sudden dead sheep syndrome")

So before you start saying you hate sheep, remember, a lot of people don't like cattle, cheaters, grey areas, steer jocks, wanna-be steer jocks, freedom and apple pie.  To each their own, and I happen to be one of those that not only raise sheep, but make darn good money doing it (bet I sold some club lambs for way more price per pound than you did your calves, AND had a better income vs. debt ratio). But I like my cattle too....

A ram lamb can service 30-40 head safely....a yearling or older ram can service 70-100 head. So
$44,000 ram lamb services 35 head first year = 60 lambs. Sell half of those for an average of $750 = $25,500
              He services 70 head the following year = 120 lambs. Sell half of those for same $750 = $90,000
                                            Sell some yrl ewes from first crop = 10 head X $750 = $7500
                                            Sell a several ram lambs from him 10 head X $5000 = $50,000
        All the "bad" lambs sell for market lambs (fats) at $1.10 / lbs (at 130 pounds) = $143 per lamb X 90 = $12,870.
That just takes us to year number 2 of his use. A ram can live and service ewes till 7-10 years.

Now, you do the math on THAT investment vs. a $5000 STEER to play with.

 

[farmboy]

i like sheep folks and all, actually think someday i wanna raise both sheep and cattle, heck maybe throw a few swine in there for kicks, you could make some mad money off of both of them combined....

 

[Bawndoh]

The reason cattle people do not like sheep, is that sheep actually require management skills.

That being said, "A sick sheep is a dead sheep" isn't true either.....a dead sheep has an owner that isn't observant. (sorry daydreamingacres - I have lost them too!)  You do not see an "off sheep" and treat it tomorrow...you treat it NOW.
You do not hurry through chores (I am quilty too) and expect not for it to catch up to you one day (that is the "sudden dead sheep syndrome")

So before you start saying you hate sheep, remember, a lot of people don't like cattle, cheaters, grey areas, steer jocks, wanna-be steer jocks, freedom and apple pie.  To each their own, and I happen to be one of those that not only raise sheep, but make darn good money doing it (bet I sold some club lambs for way more price per pound than you did your calves, AND had a better income vs. debt ratio). But I like my cattle too....

A ram lamb can service 30-40 head safely....a yearling or older ram can service 70-100 head. So
$44,000 ram lamb services 35 head first year = 60 lambs. Sell half of those for an average of $750 = $25,500
              He services 70 head the following year = 120 lambs. Sell half of those for same $750 = $90,000
                                             Sell some yrl ewes from first crop = 10 head X $750 = $7500
                                             Sell a several ram lambs from him 10 head X $5000 = $50,000
        All the "bad" lambs sell for market lambs (fats) at $1.10 / lbs (at 130 pounds) = $143 per lamb X 90 = $12,870.
That just takes us to year number 2 of his use. A ram can live and service ewes till 7-10 years.

Now, you do the math on THAT investment vs. a $5000 STEER to play with.

Great Post!
Combine that with the fact that you dont necessarily need:
Great Fencing
A tractor
Large round bale
To be scared for your life to let a 4 year old around
To have only one pidley lamb on one ewe (like one calf on one cow)

Sheep just make sense in the fact that compared to cattle they are low maintence.  I would say that the only downfall they have is exactly what you stated.  That if they are sick you do have to treat it NOW.  Also, you can have up to 6 lambs off one ewe in the time you get one calf off one cow.  Nevermind the fact that the ewe eats probably a 1/4 what the cow would.  You also dont have to worry about your child getting charged at, stepped on, bunted, rammed, pushed and dragged to the extent that a steer can. 
It DOES make sense.

 

[daydreamingacres]

Way back when I fist started my vet told me the "sick sheep seldom survive".  Its not worth arguing about.... but when you have a ewe come up to eat in the morning and see her eat  then come home later and she is deader then a doornail dont know how else to be observant. I have had a lot of sheep not even respond when treated ASAP. And ewes that leave their lambs to freeze forget about it. I love aveing sheep they make good money and are easier to sell hanging then beefers so Im not complaining. Just wish all the show people could get along..... LOL.