Q: Thanks for all your posts. New to sheep, buying in organically raised and heavily culled Katahdin's. Please recommend what might be the largest flock size for a beginner, and if there is/are books you recommend having on hand. Most anticipated health concerns to watch for...? Thanks for what you do!
A: I am a poor guy to ask about organic raised animals. It may work in unconfined animals under range conditions, buffalo, deer, elk. grass fed cattle, sheep and goats in semi arid conditions. Upon concentration, worms and coccidia become a problem and failure to treat animals when sick is certainly an animal welfare problem. It’s a gimmick to sell product at a higher price, but costs are higher as well and there is always a possibility that things will get out of control. All the organic wormers are worthless. The reason they have been heavily culled is because they were organically raised.
In the swine business we are criticized for confinement systems, but let me assure you for someone that has practiced fifty plus years and raised hogs sixty years ago these people don’t have a clue as to what they are advocating. Today, we don’t have trichinosis and bloody scours, brucellosis and atrophic rhinitis have almost disappeared. Worms and manage are a thing of the past, and flies are easily controlled.
Organic fruits and vegetables carry significantly larger numbers of bacteria compared to product produced by conventional methods.
If the organic thing worked, people in Africa would not have starved in the last century. Organically, the American farmer cannot feed the world. Until enough people are hungry the organic thing will survive supported by haves at the expense of have nots.
