Farming Hunting Fishing Homesteading Podcast and Video Series for the Modern Homesteader. Breeders Association. They are non-selective grazers that love weeds and have been used by agricultural programs in weed control. The last straw was the increasing Usually, around 150 to 155 days but most gestation is 152 days, Usually, around 150 to 240 day but most are milked for 180 days. Sheep require a minimum . I went to the St Croix line in 2008. and I currently run around 250 head. Positive benefits of St. Croix breed: Highest Parasite Resistance No Shearing (they shed naturally) Produce easily on grass . By John Kirchhoff For many people, mentioning hair sheep evokes either I wouldnt have anything else or a No way would I have them response. Two breeds, the Barbados Blackbelly and the St. Croix,are also found in North America. Pioneers get 10% off beekeeping equipment. Raising Sheep Has Some Cons. May-June lambs on pasture alone (10-13percentprotein and 60-65percent DOM) will average 45 pounds. The Team at Retire in the VI and St Croix Island Life Real Estate is comprised of a bright and fun group of folks who share a love of St Croix and a desire to help others realize their dream of establishing a home here. Brandon says. We rely on the support of our members, grants, and donations from the public to raise the $700,000 a year needed to maintain our conservation work with rare breeds of farm animals. The backbone of this episode, however, isnt so much about the topic itself, or the debate of Animal vs. Machine. Making smart, well-researched decisions is what allows us to pursue our particular passion in a sustainable, fiscally responsible way. We prefer using forage to produce lambs rather than wool. These slaughter lambs sell comparable to pure Katahdin sheep per pound unless theyre full of cockleburs and briars. Despite what you may read otherwise, most sheep are not overly friendly. much as graze. Report inappropriate . Love the podcast, by the way. And we all know from the last episode the downside of growing useless grass. Columbia Sheep Characteristics. Because of this behavior, and the mild temperament of the Boz, I was able to raise . A type of hair breed, Katahdin sheep originate in the United States. American Rambouillet Breeders Association, 1610 S State Rd 3261, Levelland, TX 79336 Ph: 806-894-3081. My email is van@cavenet.com and my phone number is 541-592-3444. While I cant speak for other hair breeds, Katahdin sheep are tough, hardy animals with eating habits more like that of a goat. (Lynne Vanderlinden) live in Cave Junction (extreme SW), Oregon, outside Prolific hair sheep, adapted to humid-hot climates, parasite resistant. Over time, "so so" infertile fields can become fairly rich. raising St. Croix hair sheep? As a bit of trivia, the majority of cull ewes the U.S. exports go to the Mexico City area. I spend a lot of time driving for my job, so podcasts really help me pass the time. However, they have been cross-bred with other breeds over the years to develop the modern breed we see today. RaisingSheep.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. While both breeds are exceptionally popular in the US, there are some differences between the two. People converting to hair sheep breeds all notice certain things. At lower latitudes (down south), summer daylight periods are shorter, the temperature higher, grass growth is slower and is lower in protein and higher fiber. 503-367-8912 Caleb & Hannah . I'm not saying they . Is there any way to contact him? Pros and Cons, https://dorpersheep.org/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022-Mid-America-Dorper-Sale-Report-1.pdf?fs=e&s=cl. Several myths still surround hair sheep. I say this because unlike some other breeds mentioned, this breed only becomes hostile when challenged (if trained properly.) These rods also cost right around $450 - and are Elite St. Croix Fishing Rods. This, alongside their easy-going dietary needs, really cut down the cost of keeping them. available for sale. However, they have the same sweet faces and disposition of Saanen goats. dealing with dirty tags or wool maggots. Several Polypay owners in the area worm all animals 6-8 times during the summer and still lose animals to stomach worms. The St Croix sheep breed originated in the Virgin Islands and as a result it is sometimes referred to as the Virgin Island White. This versatile breed of sheep is also used for cheese and milk production on some farms. We just started raising Katahdins this year. Contact a breeder in your area about St. Croix hair sheep. United States of America. Breeders often use less-expensive Katahdin ewes to initiate an upgrading program with registered Dorper as the final goal. Notes: How Many Sheep Per Acre of Pasture is Ideal? Like many island nations, St. Croix struggles with power outages, which can disrupt daily life and be a nuisance. Save. After living in the city, we found a town where we could afford enough land (not a farm, just a big yard) to start experimenting with homesteading. Great for a homestead, as I have witnessed first hand over a 3 year period. Twice a year my friend with Polypays shows up at work doubled over as he shuffles around in pain. The St. Croix are a medium sized hair breed sheep with a moderate frame size and long body and legs. Ewes usually have twin lambs but triplets are not unusual. Four years ago we began converting all our cropland into pasture and expanded the flock. I grew up on a 100-acre sheep farm in Maine, was an active member in 4H, and I showed my flock across New England and at the national show in Louisville, Kentucky. More on that subject later. These sheep are typically white in color, though there are known variations such as light brown, tan and black or white with black or brown spots. Sheep are easy to handle and generally require little input. They are of a medium well sprung frame with long muscle type or pattern. Pros: Sheep tend to be calm and affectionate (as long as you stick with female or neutered male sheep). The carcass weight on a pure St. Croix sheep is not suitable for commercial (meat sales) production. However, they have been cross-bred with other breeds over the years to develop the modern breed we see today. Ive seen Shropshire being used to keep weeds and grass down in Christmas tree plantations. Today, there are several landrace populations within this breed family in the Caribbean. The St. Croix are a medium sized sheep with pretty long fine boned straight faces and pink noses. In our operation, that sheep breed is the Katahdin sheep. After being on island for over a year, I thought it was about time to compile a list of both the pros and cons of living on St. Croix. St. Croix Hair Sheep Breeders Inc focuses on protecting the future of St. Croix Sheep through preservation, promotion, development of performance characteristics, and supplying registration solutions. If Bowdridge can figure out the genetic marker that allows St. Croix to be immune from this parasite, he could help the entire sheep population of America. Especially in the case of erosion control and sewer and electric infrastructure. What were the two breeds of sheep that she crossed? The Senepol breed combines the N'Dama characteristics of . The Meatmaster Breeders established and developed a sheep breed as close to nature as possible and allow the . 228 views. uncommonly resistant to foot rot, prolapse, and parasites. St Thomas is 32 square miles and is Centre of commerce and trade for the US Virgin Islands. In addition to the $75- to $250-each purchase price, feeding them, housing them, and caring for them can get expensive. You can find out more about lambing Dorper sheep through the American Dorper Sheep Breeders Society. Electricity and Cell Coverage. Many ethnic groups want a much different lamb or goat than has been marketed in the past. . Podcast update on that coming soon! Two lambings a year are not uncommon. Good luck! Barbados Blackbelly and St. Croix sheep. The St. Croix is a North American sheep breed that's part of the Caribbean Hair sheep family. Hair sheep breeds (Katahdin, St. Croix, Barbados) generally have much greater parasite resistance than wooled breeds, especially after one year of age. Your in-laws might want to visit for extended periods of time! 3,600 posts. Love the podcast, by the way. Read more and see the photo gallery here. finally got fed up with the labor-intensiveness of my wool breeds. Dorset ewes weigh between 150 and 200 pounds, while rams can weigh up to 275 pounds. Thank you for joining the journey! meat-to-bone ratio. ST. CROIX HAIR SHEEP. Some Advantages of Producing Sheep. Barbado sheep have a very small carcass size. Generally, hair breeds are more heat tolerant than wool breeds. St. John - Beautiful but expensive. #5 Company Street, Christiansted, VI 00820. info@remax-stcroix.com | 340.773.1048 | 855.909.9152 | Fax: 340.773.1917. The Squishy Monster, May 15, 2017. Better vigor. Our young Katahdins can be difficult to move. Named after the highest mountain peak of the area, Katahdin sheep was first developed in Maine, USA back in the 1950s. To learn more about St Croix sheep or to find a breeder near you, visit the St. Croix Hair Sheep Breeders website. DOWNLOAD MY FREE Sheep Farming E-book: https://bit.ly/SheepEBOOKSt. Unlike any other domesticated livestock cattle, goats, buffalo, you name it we created a set of conditions that put sheep at increased risk of infestation by blowflies by making its tail so heavy that it can't lift it out of the way of its elimination and then . Photographs: Dr. Jerry Fitch, Extension Sheep Specialist . document.write(OT); No By Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius If you'd care to discuss I sincerely doubt that a statistically average St. Croix ewe, bred to a St. Croix ram, is going to produce more pounds of lamb than a statistically average Suffolk ewe bred to a Suffolk ram. might be hesitant about getting back into. We would definitely like a breed that is more docile, hardy and produces. While you can make a great profit selling meat, if you are looking for multiple income streams from your flock then the Dorper may not be the right breed for you. unavailability of shearers and then having to practically give away the A year and many dollars later, they cant understand why the rams offspring doesnt grow any faster than the rest of their animals. To appeal to ethnic buyers, it often requires a change in flock management. Even though I feed well, they will always For example, we consider time spent worming, shearing, docking and trimming hooves as merely maintaining an operation. These include: The fact Dorper sheep are easy to breed is a huge advantage. Akbash. Approved for use in sheep in October 2009, CIDRs are used for synchronization of estrus resulting in out-of-season breeding and larger groups of ewes that can be bred at the same time in order to narrow lambing periods. I know there is a good market for hair sheep lambs as well. Save 20 days of your life you would otherwise spend plucking chickens! You may also search using the map below. The Field Guide to Fleece As we said in the introduction, if youre looking to earn multiple income streams from your sheep, youll probably find Katahdins to be the better option. Rather than stay in a group, they will scatter in all directions like a covey of quail. Additionally, cell phone coverage can be spotty in some remote areas of the island. Sheep naturally run from you. That means you will receive protection via the criminal laws of the United States. This is the first time we have Aust step out from behind the curtain of his homestead in a particularly vulnerable position: as a newbie. In fact, they can grow up to 250lbs. Now you have a good idea of the pros and cons of both Dorper and Katahdin sheep, which one is right for your homestead? (Which, yes, is about goats, but its relevant.) Infect a St. Croix sheep with this disease and they brush it off like the common cold. Myth #1: They're too small to be of commercial value. They also tend to be highly mobile, which means they will climb on top of anything. They browse as As mentioned earlier, hair sheep breeds are considerably more heat-tolerant than wool breeds. ALABAMAALASKAARKANSASCALIFORNIAFLORIDAGEORGIAIDAHOILLINOISINDIANAIOWAKENTUCKYLOUISIANAMARYLANDMICHIGANMINNESOTAMISSISSIPPIMISSOURINORTH CAROLINAOHIOOKLAHOMAOREGONPENNSYLVANIASOUTH CAROLINATENNESSEETEXASVIRGINIAWASHINGTONWEST VIRGINIAWISCONSIN, Email : There are very few disadvantages of keeping Katahdin sheep. A Katahdin ewe will average between 140-180 pounds, while Dorper ewes will average 160-200 pounds. Your email address will not be published. Today I am going to talk about why I raise Dorper sheep instead of St. Croix sheep, despite the fact that St. Croix would seem to be a better fit for my climate. ~Ann, Your email address will not be published. and I have. Answer: Pros. A ewes wool will pay her winter feed bill. Unfortunately, as the percentage of Dorper increases, more wool is found in their coat and some animals lose some of their shedding ability. Here's the mess that this sheep made because it couldn't lift its heavy tail out of the way for urinating and defecating. In years past, 18-30 pound lambs sold well in Chicago for Jewish Passover. In 1975, Dr. Warren Foote of Utah State University imported 22 ewes and three rams from St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. They have a long life and the ewes can produce lambs for up to 10 to 12 years of age. A few more interesting facts to know about the breed, They are pretty docile but very active and vigorous as such no child should be left unsupervised around them. If they each produce two lambs and the St. Croix lambs hit 70 pounds at 150 days and the Suffolk lambs hit 120 at the same age, the Suffolk wins. Insurance for a beachfront property tends to be a bit higher. Pros and cons of Katahdin sheep. Sheep, however, cannot simply be parked in the shed once theyre done dining. As we disperse all our crossbreeds, weve found the crossbred cull ewes with a wool coat have sold for 50-75percentof what comparable weight hair ewes bring. Lambs can also take a little longer to reach their market weight than some other breeds of sheep. These sheep are broke to hot wire and being moved every 2 days. Katahdin Sheep Origin. might be hesitant about getting back into any kind of sheep. These shepherds welcome the St. Croix into their barns as a way to avoid the annual investment in shearing their flock. When it comes to sheep, meat market buyers want lambs to weigh 100 lbs before slaughter and they want the lambs to reach this weight by 6-8 months. Fourteen years ago my wife got into the sheep business when she purchased three registered Katahdin ewes, a ram, and later, three Romanov ewes. (ideal market lamb pick), Show Lamb Supplies (4H sheep showing equipment list), How to Show Sheep (7 sheep showing tips for any level), How to Shear a Sheep (step by step with video). I would love to get in touch with the author personally. They will stand on their hind feet like goats to strip any low hanging limbs of their leaves. After being in the business of raising wool sheep of various kinds for two decades, I decided in 2005 to start with hair sheep. Hair sheep dont bring as much on the slaughter market. Fact: While its true that Barbados and St. Croix are small animals (ewes 80-110 pounds), few commercial breeders raise them. All things being equal 300 cows will bring in $150,000 a year. Aside from the obvious (they taste good), they make 3 years ago. We are interested purchasing Katahdin sheep and found this article very helpful. Because of differences in numbers and kinds of hair . Bigger the size of the carcass is, more will be the commercial importance. Our spring lambs require 4-5 pounds of dry matter forage to produce each pound of gain. - They will eat There are a lot of advantages to keeping Dorper sheep in the US. The St. Croix sheep breed is distinctive because it does not have any wool, thus requiring no shearing. They have a mild Roman nose profile with a finer boned facial structure. Research has shown Dorper have good parasite tolerance or resilience rather than resistance. I have the land to run . For us, the Katahdin sheep breed fits our operation and our philosophy quite well. In Canada, Katahdin sheep commonly gain well over a pound per day. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Fine Wool Characteristics, Advantages of Fine Wool Breeds, Disadvantages of Fine Wool Breeds and more. While many of the characteristics hair animals possess appeal to the hobby flock owner, we expect an animal to make us money; if it doesnt, its gone. 200 helpful votes. The only things to consider include: The fact Katahdin sheep dont produce wool isnt necessarily a disadvantage. Salty air can take its toll on your things, especially electronics. At 90 days, weve had November-December lambs on pasture, hay and whole grain (corn or milo) average 75 pounds. They are prized for their lambing ability and their carcasses that are lean and meaty. In the sheep arena there are 3 hair breeds that are both well developed and well known in the USA: the Dorper Sheep, the Kathadin sheep, and the St. Croix sheep. If there were a hair Hampshire or Suffolk that would do a better job, wed be raising them. Sheep production does not require elaborate facilities and equipment. A qualityregistered lamb will bring triple the fat lamb price. 2, I usually have ewes and lambs (on the hoof or freezer-ready) If you're a former "wooly" producer, you Katahdin sheep are one of several hair breeds, the most common of which includes Barbados Black Belly, St. Croix and Dorper sheep. As with any young growing animal, the weight gains of a Katahdin lamb increase as the protein and digestibility of the forage increases. The Livestock Conservancy is Americas leading organization working to save over 150 heritage breeds from extinction. Sheep deposit some of the best fertilizer known to man. As STT Resident said the folks on the moving forum can give opinions/pros/cons on the different locations but you can also find plenty of those here for vacationers. I've mentioned the good along with the bad here . Here are my pros and cons (in no particular order). Croix sheep are the most parasite resistant breed, so why don't I raise them on my farm? I can get a # 5 shad rap or walleye diver banging bottom in 32ft of water, but you let out about 80 to 90 yards, I typically use 27lb lead core, with penn 320 reel, it holds all 100 yards and use 5-6ft fireline leader it holds up better than mono. Plus, they are also great with small livestock including baby livestock. (Weve heard them all.). Here are a few of the not so great things about sheep that you should know about. I dont have a farm yet as I work as an ordinary rank and file employee but it is my ultimate goal to have one someday. Most Muslims prefer intact ram lambs without tails being docked. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Image via Shutterstock. Not only do they suffer fewer complications during birthing compared to some other breeds, but they also give birth to multiple lambs. ), more intense selection for increased body length and a ewe flock of around 160-175 ewes. We have an 18-cell planned grazing system with 10,000 feet of electric fence and 5,000 feet of underground waterline on 35 acres. There is also the possibility of shearing sheep and selling wool. The St Croix sheep breed originated in the Virgin Islands and as a result it is sometimes referred to as the Virgin Island White. Know a lot about lawn mowers, but nothing about sheep? As mentioned earlier, the Katahdin breed has served us well. People have tried for over a hundred years to find just the right breed to thrive in the tropical heat. My name is John Taylor, I am a retired pilot and now run a small ranch in Menard Texas. This is a very old article and I do not have the contact info for John. A major con of living in St. Croix is the unreliable electricity and cell coverage. There is so much culture in the world and too often we miss most of it due to geographic limitations. Although they are one of the newest sheep breeds introduced in America, Katahdin sheep have quickly become a popular choice. If you'd care to discuss this breed and its suitability for you, or if you already have them and just want to exchange thoughts, I'd love to chat. Fact: Katahdin sheep, at least, will thrive from hot, humid Florida to the western provinces of Canada. To speak to one of our agents contact us today. Flock owners with less than 50 animals have a difficult time getting someone to shear unless they pool their animals with neighbors. People in the Midwest or southern states see this and make a trip to Alberta to purchase a super ram. It is becoming more and more popular not just in . Little mowing. The Teeswater sheep breed is a hardy sheep breed that can withstand most climatic and environmental conditions. I live in a small condo and armed by nothing but dreams and curiosity. It is small, with ewes averaging 120 pounds and rams 165 pounds. Animals dont grow as fastbut dont need to with milder winters and longer growing season. That is something a good monitoring plan will help with. November/December 2003 and regularly vetted for accuracy. Our flock is content to sleep outside in the coldest weather and will have unmelted snow on their backs like a wool animal. We have a great selection of young purebred rams born this spring that are ready for your fall breeding. All have their pros and cons. Anymore (at least in Missouri) its the carcass quality that sets the price. A mature Dorper . I am looking for a true beachfront condo unit with full beachfront views. The majority of ewe lambs are sold as registered breeding stock; the majority of ram lambs are sold for slaughter. Caribbean Hair sheep were developed from West African hair sheep and a few European wooled sheep that were brought to the Caribbean beginning in the 1600s. Click hereto learn how you can help. Laurel Field 8835 S Lone Elder Rd Canby, OR 97013 503-263-6376 secretary@stcroixhairsheep.org
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