Overcast in Melbourne.
The "sheep farm" business.....Here are some of my ranting in an earlier post that sums it up.
"I am more like a sheep farmer.....Buy different healthy breeds....Too many of them, I must add.....Let them graze.....Watch for adverse weather conditions or bugs that affect certain breeds....Cull the runts & keep the ones that keep getting fatter.
Always have "stock" to sell & buy , but I don't trade for the sake of trading or to make a profit....My main concern is to grow the farm."
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Now......This "model" is the Holly Grail for a successful & thriving business to anyone that wants to keep "stock".....It will work for people that like to keep only a couple .....or a couple of hundred ( it is more suited , though, for a large herd because it offers plenty of options to rotate & replace stock that mature at various stages........But the concept is the same for a "concise" farm , just less options to maneuver.)
Some vital "duties" for the farmer:
1) Keep a close eye on the weather conditions that affect certain breeds either favourably or adversely & act accordingly.......In other words when & what to Keep.... Buy...... Or Sell.
2) Understand very clearly that the sheep are not pets.....they are wild animals that like to go their own way.....You can't shelter them or feed them ....nor can you cure them if they catch a bug......If they fail to thrive or if they look much sicker than other breed , replace them with healthy ones that are young & growing vigorously......They are NOT pets & it is NOT your fault or responsibility......Don't be complacent ....Only business.......( out of all the farming chores , this, by far, is the toughest one)
3) Time is very important .... perhaps the major factor to grow the farm.....give the good breed plenty of time.
4) Understand the character or personality of each breed.....some grow fast & die fast....Others have better genes & are much tougher.....I prefer the latter.
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If one likes to go to the market to grab any random sheep & sell it to the next guy in a day or two for a profit or loss because he doesn't want to keep stock.....This is perfectly OK if he is making a living & having fun outsmarting others at the same time.
I prefer to be a sheep farmer.....Trading is a necessity .....Not to make a profit or outsmart anyone but to keep the farm healthy & growing year after year.
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No more of this nonsense from me.
(20min delay)