Does Anyone Grow Sheep In Los

[egg]

am just wondering if there are any sheep grown here ? ,,, and if not why ? l know its hot ,, but they can be pretty adaptable

[mikethevigoman]

am just wondering if there are any sheep grown here ? ,,, and if not why ? l know its hot ,, but they can be pretty adaptable

How far apart do you plant them ? il have a go !

[egg]

am just wondering if there are any sheep grown here ? ,,, and if not why ? l know its hot ,, but they can be pretty adaptable

How far apart do you plant them ? il have a go !

,,, notsure ,, maybe half a rai apart

[mikethevigoman]

am just wondering if there are any sheep grown here ? ,,, and if not why ? l know its hot ,, but they can be pretty adaptable

How far apart do you plant them ? il have a go !

,,, notsure ,, maybe half a rai apart

do you live in Buri RAM ?

[egg]

Naaaaaaaaah ,,,,,,,,, Ewedon Thanni

[mikethevigoman]

Naaaaaaaaah ,,,,,,,,, Ewedon Thanni

ewe are good !

[bina]

foot rot and problems with heat unless u get a less woolly type; go back a year or so in posts we did this about goats and sheep;

southern thailand have small local goats that seem to suit better then their european counterparts; same as cows (all had problems with foot rot due to wet and parasites and food issues)...

sheep for wool certainly wont work out, not sure about sheep for milk either; sheep for meat , well, the meat breeds i know are desert adaptable but not the same meet as the merino... u would have to find a tropical ovine type

bina

israel

maybe the cameroon sheep (its short haired, etc)... not sure how it tastes...

u can mix with otehr breeds...

[egg]

foot rot and problems with heat unless u get a less woolly type; go back a year or so in posts we did this about goats and sheep;

southern thailand have small local goats that seem to suit better then their european counterparts; same as cows (all had problems with foot rot due to wet and parasites and food issues)...

sheep for wool certainly wont work out, not sure about sheep for milk either; sheep for meat , well, the meat breeds i know are desert adaptable but not the same meet as the merino... u would have to find a tropical ovine type

bina

israel

maybe the cameroon sheep (its short haired, etc)... not sure how it tastes...

u can mix with otehr breeds...

bina,,

thanks for that mate ,, l was just curious as to why not , and l guess there are good reasons,,l am more interested in the meat than anything,,, its so expensive here and the family have taken a liking to it ,,,,l will do a bit of slow reaserching and see what happens,,,

cheers

Egg

[Gary A]

No sheep but over the past few years, I have been seeing more and more goats up country. I acquired a taste for kid goat in Mexico but when I mention eating a goat, I get a horrified look from my Thai wife. I doubt that goat will be on the menu anytime soon.

[egg]

l have never tried goat ,,, is it similar to lamb or has it a more "game" taste ??

[Gary A]

l have never tried goat ,,, is it similar to lamb or has it a more "game" taste ??

Goat is not gamey tasting at all. I much prefer it over lamb. Maybe the closest thing I can compare it to is domestic rabbit. The Mexicans cook them on a spit the same as the Thais cook small pigs.

[MrSquigle]

There are a few people growing sheep. One recently was looking for someone to shear them.

Not many though.

The humidity and disease, fly blown etc. While sheep can do well in hot areas, its the wet tropics that causes problems.

I would grow a few if I coule get short haired versions that taste good, might have to try a goat next time. Anyone know where to buy a goat....already dead !

Just bought a leg lamb today for a spit, 1800b crikey.

[Naam]

l have never tried goat ,,, is it similar to lamb or has it a more "game" taste ??

Goat is not gamey tasting at all. I much prefer it over lamb. Maybe the closest thing I can compare it to is domestic rabbit. The Mexicans cook them on a spit the same as the Thais cook small pigs.

you mentioned you had and liked "kid" goat. try an adult goat...

[Gary A]

l have never tried goat ,,, is it similar to lamb or has it a more "game" taste ??

Goat is not gamey tasting at all. I much prefer it over lamb. Maybe the closest thing I can compare it to is domestic rabbit. The Mexicans cook them on a spit the same as the Thais cook small pigs.

you mentioned you had and liked "kid" goat. try an adult goat...

I think you already know that the billy goats STINK. They even stink while they are being cooked. I think they are about like an old ram and not fit to eat.

[jazzbo]

I spent some time on Sumatra where pygmy goats are raised for meat. Satay Kambing! This FAO report is a bit dated (1993) but shows trends. http://www(dot)fao.org/docrep/003/t0757e/T0757E00.htm#TOC

Goat meat is becoming popular even in USA. Says a website: "The USDA reports the saturated fat in cooked chevon (goat meat) is 40% less than that of chicken--even with the skin removed!" There should be a good market in Thailand within the Muslim population and (eventually) with the ever health conscious general Thai public.

[legag]

Gotta know how to cook it right.

Why don't you look for other stuff you can enjoy throwing down while you're in Thailand? Grow sheep in Thailand? Pleaasee. Like asking for snow to drop here.

[Flatouthruthefog]

Gotta know how to cook it right.

Why don't you look for other stuff you can enjoy throwing down while you're in Thailand? Grow sheep in Thailand? Pleaasee. Like asking for snow to drop here.

"All we are saying is: GIVE SHEEP A CHANCE!"

But this is a valid (if amusingly worded) inquiry and deserves to be taken seriously. Yes, really. The demand for the real stuff, not tough ole goat, is all around us.

In higher, cooler parts of northern Chiang Mai or mid Chiang Rai province some 15-20 years ago, 'Johann the mad Swede' reared sheep for their meat as an experiment. Years after the project ended he boasted that he had sold "lamb" to (among others) folks at the US Consulate in CM and they had pronounced it the best they had ever tasted.

Why did it end? He said that parasites on the animals, and local dogs attacking them were the biggest problems. Claimed he spent a fortune on sheep-dipping and fence repairs.

He was last heard of in Hod running an unsuccessful pig farm.

But this should not put you on the horns of a dilemma, OP! If you have enough capital to gamble, ewe go for it! Research the best breed and if you can afford good shade, choose a woolly one. Wool as an insulator keeps out heat as well as cold. Great secondary maaaaaaaarket!

I am assured that Thais hate the smell of sheep meat cooking, but they used to hate the smell of cheese! And when they have tasted a good ole English (or NZ) lamb roast they are hooked for ever.

Just one query. In the 1993 Belfast sheep dog trials, how many dogs were found guilty?

Baaaaaa! Humbug! If you think this is nonsense, then flock off.

[MrSquigle]

There is a lonely kiwi in Chiang Rai growing some also.

[Joe Walshe]

Some of the comments are very baaaaaaaaaaaaaad.

[bina]

kid should be eaten before the 8th month when they start to become sexually mature and begin to pee on themselves and put out their musk scent.

it is super tasty, we choose one of our babies every year to become makluba (arabic for goatkid with rice slow cooked.)

arabs prefer pasture raised and will buy up our two monthers (weanlings) to put out to pasture until the slaughter; jewish israelis prefer pen raised (with grain/or goat feed).

sheep suffer more the wool doesnt insulate the same way; it insulates from dry heat and sun, not from humid torpid heat... they should then be sheared twice yearly. parasites hoof rot and dogs always a problem, more so maybe in thailand also their proper use of poor feed should be a consideration... goats are foragers and make better use of bad pasture; sheep are grazers for the most part ... medically speaking they differ from goats when using certain antibiotics and wormers also they suffer from lack of selenium/vit. e and overdose of copper, goats dont suffer from the copper problem. sheep will clump together to shade each other from direct sun, but when humid, this causes overheating. Mediterranean type goats do better in these circumstances rather then the european milk goat types. (local goats or the beduin arabic style goats are hardy milk/meat goats; there are the boer goats for meat from south africa);

havent met a thai yet from issaan that is willing to eat either. husband grudgingly ate our mukluba, admitted it was tasty but refuses to actually actively buy lamb or kid, or slaughter what we have.

israel uses the awasi asaf mix for meat (a breed developed for our climatic conditions and for triplet/quartraplet lambs); i think some mix dorpor (black face) in with our local fat tailed sheep also...

Assaf **

The Assaf sheep is the result of crossbreeding the Awassi dairy sheep with the East Friesian Milk sheep. In 1955, researchers of the Israeli Agricultural Research Organization (A.R.O) started this project aiming to improve the fecundity of the Awassi sheep. A combination of 3/8 East Friesian and 5/8 Awassi blood emerged as the best cross. Most dairy sheep breeders in Israel have adopted the Assaf, which is considered not only a top quality dairy sheep and excellent mutton producer, but is also well adapted to semi-extensive to extensive production systems. Under Israeli conditions, in which ewes have approximately 3 lambings in 2 years, the annual milk yield is 450 liters. The demand for Assaf sheep is increasing every year. They have been exported to Spain, Portugal, Chile and Peru .

Breed categories: dual-purpose (dairy and meat)

Distribution: Worldwide

Awassi **

The Awassi evolved as a nomadic sheep breed through centuries of natural and selective breeding to become the highest milk producing breed in the Middle East. The breed is of the Near Eastern fat-tailed type. The average Awassi ewe has single lactations over 300 liters (650 pounds) per 210 day lactation, and it is not uncommon for outstanding females to have 210 day lactations above 750 liters (1,625 lbs). As a comparison, the lactation of the average U.S. sheep breed is about 100-200 pounds per lactation. The breed also has the advantage of natural hardiness and grazing ability. The males are horned and the females are usually polled. The fleece is mostly carpet type with a varying degree of hair.

Breed categories: dairy, fat-tailed, carpet wool

Distribution: Worldwide

A SHORT HISTORY OF DORPER SHEEP AND WHITE DORPER SHEEP

The Dorper is a South African meat and hair sheep breed developed in the 1930s. The Dorper sheep breeds were developed out of necessity to have an animal that could thrive in the harsh South African climate that only receives 4-6 inches of rain per year. Dorper Sheep thrive in low rainfall areas due to their adaptability and hardiness. Dorper sheep are superb browsers and utilize the available material in a pasture much better than other breeds. The light hair coat sheds spontaneously, and is ideal for our hot southwestern summers There are two Dorper sheep breeds, one with the characteristic black head [Dorpers] as well as one with a white head [White Dorpers]. Dorper sheep and White Dorper sheep begin to breed at seven months of age, and breed on a year round basis. Three lamb crops can usually be obtained from Dorper sheep in two years. A lambing percentage of 150% can frequently be obtained with Dorper sheep and White Dorper sheep. The Dorper lamb, being a meat sheep, grows rapidly, usually reaching a weaning weight of 80 pounds in 12 to 14 weeks..

we just got some marinos but havent yet seen them thru all seasons

shearing is a bi... to do (we do it manually not with automatic clippers) and the wool is not a good secondary market unless u get good winters for developing the amount and loft, we give ours away if we can find someone to take it... its not a very good quality wool.

am just now getting used to sheep since we got a group of marinos as a donation; a ram, a few ewes and lambs. they are quite stupid and panic easily compared to the goats. the ram is at least not a 'rammer' even though he has his horns compared to our billy buck.

like i said, there is a breed called cameroon which is smooth haired, semi wild, bring twins not sure if they are edible. mostly kept in petting zoos as a rare breed here, i found them 'crazy'(they are very wild like, not friendly sheep)and decided not to bring any to our petting zoo. here they also have genetic problems as they all came from the same original dam and sire.

pygmy goats; never thought about eating them. i hate them, they are very popular among petting zoos due to their short stature and 'cuteness'. i find them boring. had not considered them as a food animal. milking them can be done if on raised platform. they kid twins only. they are acyclical as they are considered a tropical goat, meaning u can get two pregnancies in a year and half (150 day pregnancy) as opposed to most sheep and goats that cycle when the days get shorter here its from july to end of november or so, they cycle unless we use sponges with hormones as inserts (blech).

for sheep artificial methods to get the sheep to ovulate with or without using AI to impregnate (use a ram stud) are very successful. with goats its less necessary in my opinion and experience and results in multiple fetuses (3-4) that cause pregnancy problems.

as usual my disclaimer: when raising livestock u put in much more then u usually get out of it unless u are very very experienced and have lots of time and energy (physically) to waste until u break even, never mind earning a profit. its a hobby unless u know what u are doing and have been doing it or can work with someone who has done it professionally. all the knowledge from the internet can help, but there is nothing like a sheep or a goat to teach u that what u read is b.s., since that same goat or sheep did not read those instructions, and does it differently. caveat emptor.

bina

israel

please go to sheep 101 http://www.sheep101.info its an excellent site for starters

edits: quoting problems

Edited December 25, 2007 by bina

[Gary A]

Years ago I had a few goats. One was a billy with fairly big horns. I had them fenced in but the billy was impossible to keep in. I also had two beagle dogs and a large German shorthair. That billy made their life miserable. One good thing was that my one brother in law quit visiting us because the billy thought it was fun to stand on car roofs. My brother in law thought more of his car than his wife. I thought he was going to have a heart attack chasing that goat. It was pretty funny even though I hated that goat. If you made the mistake of opening a car door when he was close, you had to be prepared to be run over because the billy loved to get in cars. My ex wife used to give him rides in the car when he was young, cute and didn't stink. One fall we had migrant Mexican tomato pickers living up the road. I think the billy met his end when the Mexicans stopped and he jumped in their car. I'd bet that they had a barbecue. If I were sure that was what happened, I would have taken them a case of beer. I could tell you many horror stories about that animal.

[bina]

will photo avram the boer billy and post ... he's a big hairy fellow, stinks, but quite the gentlemen for handling actually; on the other hand, in the ladies forum they heard my horror story of a ram (male sheep) trying to breed me, and when i didnt put down my head and 'submit' sheep style, i got smashed in the leg by 90 kilos of hard headed male... he became mutton a week later (he was hand raised and therefore dangerous to all, no one wanted him even as a stud, so next best, roasted)...

just to give u all a picture, it is now midnite and i just came back in from a drive down to the park to check up on dok mai who refuses to give birth... we have been waiting and checking on her every night for the past week; she cannot nurse her kids since her teats are dragging on the ground, her kids will need help suckling the first days/weeks until her udder shrinks up a bit, so we cant afford to miss her kidding although she is a good mother... we've been saying 'to nite is the night, for the past week; she has all the 'symptoms' but i dont have her exact breeding date since all our does run with the buck (not good herd managment if u want to save money and labour and time, ut easier if u dont have a separate room for a buck to live in) so dont know her exact delivery date (and goats are fairly accurate to the 150 day due date).

bina

israel

[bubbaba]

I have never raised sheep so I have nothing to add on that subject, except, I have eaten it and love it and you should follow the advice Bina gives. She does know what she is talking about.

Goats I have raised and love. Unless you are planning to breed them you do not, DO NOT, want a billly (male). They are a real pain to pen up and love to pee on themselves to attract females.

Female goats are easy to care for. Kids make for great pets and food. If you have a young child in the family and the kid becomes their pet - it is not longer available for food.

Most people eat kids and some times mature female goats. Billies make good dog food when too old to breed.

Filippinos cook, IMHO, the best goat. A stew called Kambing caldarettea (I know that is not spelled right). They also make a stew using sweet potatoes and pineapple with the goat. Both ways are great. If there is a Filippino on here maybe they will be so kind as to correct my spelling and give us the complete instructions for cooking goat.

[Gary A]

Two of my goats were white Nubian does. You have no idea of how much milk they give. They were both nice friendly creatures unlike the stinking ornery billy. They would come and stand on the front porch near the edge waiting to be milked. Someone told my kids that goat milk stinks and they got to the point that they wouldn't drink it. That forced me to buy an ice cream maker. I had NO problem getting them to eat the ice cream and every visitor got ice cream to take home. Milking a goat is much different than milking a cow. It's not just squeeze and squirt. You have to pinch off the top of the teat then squeeze. Someone told me that goats lack a valve that cows have thus you have to make your own valve. Eventually someone wanted to buy them and I was really tired of the milking anyways. The milk is very rich and if someone wanted to get started making cheese, I'd say that Nubian goats would be a great start.

Edited December 26, 2007 by Gary A

[MrSquigle]

Just had a slow roast lamb on the spit for xmas......hmmmmmm awesome.

[bina]

just to add more to the idyllic farming picture:

i am now going down to the park every two hours or so to check on progress... in addition, we have three goats with dreaded Pinkeye (very contagious even to us, conjunctivitis/kerat...itis) meaning we have to squirt tetracycline ointment into each eye of the affected goats, something they dont enjoy, and do this four times daily... waiting for the next problem cause when it rains it pours...

and of course, mrs. dok mai will probably give birth with some problem or other just when i am on my way to tel aviv with hubby who is starting new job and i have to translate some stuff for him and employer... just very typical...

still thinking of raising sheep???

well, its 23:00 and time for another ride on down to the farm... hopefully she will wait until mid day (unlike horses, they prefer mid day births)...

binaaaabaaaaaaa

[klikster]

I have a Muslim friend who lives outside Chiang Rai and raises sheep for his own meat. His wife makes a neua dad dio that is absolutely outstanding. Never tried any other lamb dish.

[egg]

thanks to everyone for their input and advice ( even the baaaaaaaaad jokes ) ,,,, just got back from Aus ,, and a great christmas dinner was had ,,, roast lamb ,pork,and turkey ,,, well worth the expense of the ticket ,,,,,, l dont think l could go for goat ,, if it tastes like rabbit,, YUK ,,,,,,, 1800 Bt for lamb seems a bit expensive ,,,, but l suppose it depends on the size ,,, and Bina ,, thanks for passing on a bit of your knowledge ,,,, l dont think l will go for sheep farming ,,,, although l love to eat it l dont think the hassles would be worth it ,,,, easier to buy a frozen leg

thanks again for all your opinions

cheers

egg

[Lickey]

Makro in Udon grow New Zealand Lamb, about 300bht a kilo, roast it at 200c for 2.5 hours, make the gravy using veg juice and from roasting, eat with some mint sauce, ahhh, home from home, use the left over lamb to make a curry or sandwiches with a slice of raw oinion, if you can find some decent bread!! cheers, Lickey

[egg]

Makro in Udon grow New Zealand Lamb, about 300bht a kilo, roast it at 200c for 2.5 hours, make the gravy using veg juice and from roasting, eat with some mint sauce, ahhh, home from home, use the left over lamb to make a curry or sandwiches with a slice of raw oinion, if you can find some decent bread!! cheers, Lickey

Lickey , is that the frozen legs they have or are you talking about fresh lamb??? ,,,, l have tried the frozen stuff ,,, better than what we used to get in Aus ,,,, and l agree about the sandwiches ,, but you forgot the dead horse ,, ,, and about the bread ,, pretty crappy ,,,,, l have been getting legs of pork from the local seller in the village ,,,, that really takes some beating ,,, makes up a bit for the lack of lamb

cheers

egg