We are looking at getting into sheep as a new side venture to complement crappy grain farming lately. We have been researching for several years. We have some excellent "sheep land", and potential for our own hay production. We are leaning North Country Cheviot (NCC) due to ease of lambing, spryness of the lambs soon after birth, (we have heard they are harder to kill than a stray cat LOL) etc. We don't know anyone around with them however, and would like some more good insight into the breed and sheep raising generally. We have plenty of books, text, and online resources regarding shepherding, but are always open to practical experiences.

 Raising our own hay, pasture lambing, and a working dog or two as well as a couple guard animals, will be our basis for production, which we hope and believe will be an economically viable business stream. I noticed the thread about prices for fat lambs. As well  I have been monitoring the market here in Canada. Lamb prices have been high for a very long time, (years even) and as I stated in that thread, I beleive in the numbers of pounds per acre/feed intake vs. cattle is much better with sheep.

I have the land for a few thousand ewes, but of course we'd start slower and build into it. How many should a guy get at first? 50? 100? I am a grain farmer, being nailed by 6 or 7 pathetic weather related woes in a row, but livestock interests me more in many ways, and I really enjoy the research I have been doing these years. I feel we, (wife and I) are finally ready. Can hail, frost, rain, drought, kill a sheep? Do you need a million dollar machinery lineup? I think not.

NCC with a texel ram to get growth and conformation? Sound good? NCC is good pasture based breed. The other we were wondering about is Clun Forest, but they are a smaller breed, and may limit crossbreeding potential??