Sheep & Goats Factsheet

Sheep and goats share a husbandry but have different production types. Sheep produce wool (warm weather only), while goats produce goat milk (requires lactation). Four sheep breeds offer different wool/price trade-offs, and goats are a distinct breed-locked type.

Note: This documentation was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. If you spot an error, please open an issue.

Breeds at a Glance

Sheep

Breed	Target Weight (ewe / ram)	Wool Range (peak)	Sell Value
Black Welsh	42 / 57.5 kg	24 – 166	Lowest
Landrace	45 / 60 kg	21 – 149	Below average
Steinschaf	50 / 67.5 kg	18 – 123	Above average
Swiss Mountain	80 / 105 kg	14 – 96	Highest

Black Welsh produce the most wool by far, but Swiss Mountain sell for double the price. Wool range shows the full span from poor to excellent genetics.

Goat

Breed	Target Weight (doe / ram)	Goat Milk Range (peak, lactating)	Sell Value
Goat	30 / 35 kg	5 – 57 L/day	High

Rams are heavier than ewes/does.

Breed-locking: Ram Goats can only breed with Goats. Other rams can breed with any sheep breed but not with Goats.

Wool Production (Sheep Only)

Both ewes and rams produce wool - identical output per breed. Wool is only produced when temperature is 12°C or above (warm weather shearing season). In winter, wool output drops to zero.

Wool Output Range (units/day, warm weather)

Breed	6 mo	18 mo (peak)
Black Welsh	5 – 35	24 – 166
Landrace	4 – 26	21 – 149
Steinschaf	3 – 21	18 – 123
Swiss Mountain	2 – 14	14 – 96

Genetics cause large variation between individual animals. Most sheep produce somewhere in the middle of these ranges. Mastitis stops all wool production.

Goat Milk Production

Goats produce milk only while lactating (10 months after giving birth). Goat milk is a separate product from cow milk (GOATMILK fill type - requires compatible storage).

Goat Milk Output Range (L/day, lactating)

Age	Range
6 mo	1 – 11
12 mo	3 – 34
18+ mo (peak)	5 – 57

Genetics and lactation phase cause large variation between individual animals. Non-lactating goats produce zero milk.

Sell Prices by Breed

Sheep and goat prices peak at 36 months and stay at that level for older animals.

Typical Sell Prices ($)

Breed		Newborn	36 mo (peak)
Black Welsh	Ewe	35	520
	Ram	45	600
Landrace	Ewe	40	550
	Ram	50	675
Steinschaf	Ewe	80	900
	Ram	100	1,050
Swiss Mountain	Ewe	100	1,050
	Ram	120	1,200
Goat	Doe	100	1,000
	Ram Goat	150	1,500

These are typical prices for an average, healthy animal. Actual prices vary widely - well-bred healthy animals sell for significantly more, while sick or poor-quality animals can sell for far less.

What Affects Sell Price

Factor	Effect
Quality genetics	Better genetics → noticeably higher price
Weight	Well-fed animals near target weight are worth more
Health	Healthy animals sell for significantly more
Lactating	Small price bonus
Pregnant	Moderate price bonus
Diseases	Can substantially reduce price

Buy Prices

Breed	Female (newborn / adult)	Male (newborn / adult)
Black Welsh	45 / 575	55 / 650
Landrace	50 / 600	60 / 800
Steinschaf	90 / 950	125 / 1,200
Swiss Mountain	115 / 1,100	145 / 1,350
Goat	200 / 1,500	225 / 1,750

Food & Water by Breed

Genetics significantly affect how much each animal eats - some are naturally much more efficient than others. Lactating females eat considerably more, and the Food Scale setting also adjusts consumption.

Food Consumption Range (L/day)

Breed		Newborn	18+ mo (adult)
Black Welsh	Ewe	1 – 5	22 – 154
	Ram	1 – 5	23 – 163
Landrace	Ewe	1 – 7	25 – 175
	Ram	1 – 7	28 – 193
Steinschaf	Ewe	2 – 12	28 – 193
	Ram	2 – 12	30 – 210
Swiss Mountain	Ewe	3 – 18	30 – 210
	Ram	3 – 18	33 – 228
Goat	Doe	1 – 9	13 – 88
	Ram Goat	1 – 9	14 – 95

Black Welsh are the cheapest to feed. Swiss Mountain eat the most. Goats are very efficient. Ranges show the span from the most efficient to the hungriest animals.

Water Consumption (L/day, newborn → adult)

Breed	Female	Male
Black Welsh	3 → 54	3 → 58
Landrace	3 → 60	3 → 70
Steinschaf	4 → 70	4 → 76
Swiss Mountain	5 → 85	5 → 89
Goat	2 → 20	2 → 23

Goats drink very little water compared to sheep. Lactating females drink considerably more water than usual.

Weights by Breed

Breed		Birth	Target	Maximum
Black Welsh	Ewe	4.2 kg	42 kg	135 kg
	Ram	4.6 kg	57.5 kg	150 kg
Landrace	Ewe	4.4 kg	45 kg	135 kg
	Ram	4.7 kg	60 kg	150 kg
Steinschaf	Ewe	4.8 kg	50 kg	135 kg
	Ram	5.3 kg	67.5 kg	150 kg
Swiss Mountain	Ewe	5.8 kg	80 kg	135 kg
	Ram	6.5 kg	105 kg	150 kg
Goat	Doe	3.75 kg	30 kg	90 kg
	Ram Goat	4.0 kg	35 kg	115 kg

Swiss Mountain sheep are nearly double the weight of Black Welsh. Goats are the lightest. Higher metabolism animals reach target weight faster but eat more.

Reproduction

Parameter	Sheep	Goat
Female breeding age	8+ months	16+ months
Ram breeding age	5+ months	5+ months
Ram max breeding age	72 months (6 years)	72 months (6 years)
Female fertility ends	120 months (10 years)	120 months (10 years)
Gestation	5 months	5 months
Min health to breed	75%	75%

Note: Rams stop breeding at 72 months - earlier than the ewe's fertile period (120 months). Replace your rams regularly!

Offspring per Birth (Sheep)

Sheep have a high rate of twins, especially at prime age. First-time mothers usually have singles.

Ewe Age	Singles	Twins	Triplets
8–18 mo (first-time)	Most likely	Uncommon	Rare
18–36 mo	Common	Common	Rare
36–72 mo (prime)	Less common	Most likely	Uncommon
72–120 mo (old)	Uncommon	Most common	Rare

At prime age (3–6 years), twins are the most likely outcome. Low health increases the chance of no birth.

Offspring per Birth (Goat)

Goats follow the same offspring pattern as sheep - twins become common at prime age.

Doe Age	Singles	Twins	Triplets
16–18 mo (first-time)	Most likely	Uncommon	Rare
18–36 mo	Common	Common	Rare
36–72 mo (prime)	Less common	Most likely	Uncommon
72–120 mo (old)	Uncommon	Most common	Rare

Goats start breeding later (16 months) but have the same twin/triplet rates as sheep at equivalent ages.

Lifespan & Death

Event	Age
Ram stops breeding	72 months (6 years)
Female stops breeding	120 months (10 years)
Old age deaths begin	120 months (10 years)
Maximum lifespan	~144 months (12 years)

Sheep have the shortest lifespan among large livestock. Old age deaths can begin as soon as breeding ends. Death can be toggled off in settings.

Diseases

Disease	Spread	Fatal?	Treatment	Impact
Mastitis	Slowly	No	Quick, affordable	Stops all wool and milk production
Foot & Mouth	Moderately	Yes	Slow, moderate cost	Major price loss

Mastitis in sheep stops wool production entirely. See the Disease Guide for detailed prevention and treatment.

Tips

Wool vs price trade-off: Black Welsh produce far more wool than Swiss Mountain, but Swiss Mountain sell for double. Choose based on whether you want wool income or sell income.
Twins are the norm. At prime age, sheep produce twins more than half the time. Budget pen space for 2 lambs per ewe per cycle.
Goats are niche. Goat milk (GOATMILK) requires specific storage and processing. Make sure you have compatible facilities before investing.
Seasonal wool. Wool only produces in warm weather (12°C+). In cold climates with long winters, wool income will be seasonal. Plan accordingly.
Short lifespan. Sheep can start dying of old age at 10 years - right when they stop breeding. Sell ageing sheep before they die of old age to recover value.