A sheep gives three products: wool, meat, milk. No other animal gives as much for as little cost.
Breeds
Merino: best wool. Suffolk: best meat. Dorset: good milk + lambs twice yearly. Katahdin: hair sheep (no shearing!) — meat only.
Housing
Pasture: 0.2-0.5 acre per sheep. Winter: hay + grain. Shelter: roof from rain and wind (sheep dislike wet wool). Fence: from predators (dogs, coyotes). Herding dog — best protection.
Shearing
Once yearly, spring. Hand shears. 15-20 min per sheep. 2-5 kg wool each. Wool: $5-15/kg raw, $20-40/kg processed.
Lambing
Pregnancy 5 months. 1-3 lambs. Most birth unassisted, help rarely needed. Lambs stand in 30 minutes. Running in 2 days. Adult in 6 months.
Meat
Lamb 6-8 months: 15-25 kg meat. Lamb meat $10-15/kg retail. One ewe + 2 lambs/year = $300-750 meat + $30-75 wool + milk.