st croix sheep pros and cons

We are interested purchasing Katahdin sheep and found this article very helpful. Two lambings a year are not uncommon. This is inconvenient since you must pasture ram lambs separately from ewes to prevent unplanned pregnancies. The main questions to ask yourself to determine the answer are: Katahdin sheep come in multiple color varieties, whereas Dorper sheep are white and black. My email is, St. Croix Sheep I saw that the author is from Central Missouri, which is where we live. Lambs can also take a little longer to reach their market weight than some other breeds of sheep. Hair sheep breeds (Katahdin, St. Croix, Barbados) generally have much greater parasite resistance than wooled breeds, especially after one year of age. The backbone of this episode, however, isnt so much about the topic itself, or the debate of Animal vs. Machine. That is something a good monitoring plan will help with. If you are looking for manageable, high-yield livestock to raise on limited acreage, you should seriously consider St. Croix hair sheep. The best genetics wont keep an animal from starving to death. Katahdin sheep and Dorper are bred as meat sheep breeds. Deciding which area is going to be best for you will depend on several factors such as the activities you want to do, whether you require the property to be beachfront, and proximity to restaurants and bars. The sheep and I (Lynne Vanderlinden) live in Cave Junction (extreme SW), Oregon, outside of Grants Pass. We regularly offer St. Croix rams for sale, and annually have St. Croix ewes available. Green Pastures Farm St. Croix-sired ewe lambs are raised solely on forage. Since Missouri has more Katahdin sheep than any other state, the majority of export animals come from here. The Teeswater has a lean meat with a good meat to bone ratio and light bone. raise a lamb from birth to market weight, even though you get a better They require food in the winter, when the lawns of New England are covered in snow, medical attention, and shelter. I say this because unlike some other breeds mentioned, this breed only becomes hostile when challenged (if trained properly.) The Meatmaster offers farmers an excellent alternative with unique characteristics to meet the International market. Their feet is black and have a black muzzle. 228 views. ground, swell. How Many Sheep Per Acre of Pasture is Ideal? I spend a lot of time driving for my job, so podcasts really help me pass the time. Fact: Eight or ten years ago you could expect a 5-10 cents/pound discount for hair animals. November/December 2003 and regularly vetted for accuracy. In terms of lambing, youll find Katahdins mostly give birth to multiple lambs. Hair sheep can also produce leather as a useful byproduct. Here are my pros and cons (in no particular order). The breed standard calls for the St. Croix to be white. The Dorset has white wool and the Persian has a black head. The St. Croix sheep are very pretty sheep that have a hair covering the body instead of wool. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Photographs: Dr. Jerry Fitch, Extension Sheep Specialist . 2 - Cultural Perspective (and a brief history lesson) Prior to deciding on St. Croix we entertained the idea of teaching internationally and really liked the idea of offering our children (two boys 9 and 7) a broader cultural perspective. wool. wonderful pets, lawn mowers and weed eaters. practically anything. 220 reviews. 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. weaned wether lambs every spring and butchers them around November. The St. Croix sheep are a hair sheep breed which means they grow a fine coat of hair in the autumn to winter months rather wool and it is shed each spring time. The breed was developed in the mid-1950s by crossing imported St. Croix Sheep and several other breeds, including the Suffolk Sheep.They are raised predominantly as meat animals in the U.S. and have become enormously popular in recent years due to high . They have a long life and the ewes can produce lambs for up to 10 to 12 years of age. St. Croix rams offer an impressive and exotic looking mane of long white hair around their shoulders and chests, giving them a strong and imperial presence. I was also told that St Croix are more. Decision-making is an art and a science. Making Natural Clothing Dye From Vegetables. Which brings us to the sheep in men's underwear from . No scurs, either. The breed is believed to be descended from African . The St. Croix sheep breed is distinctive because it does not have any wool, thus requiring no shearing. We converted to a COW! They have a long compact body with long legs. They are so much cleaner than woolies. They are made after hours of research, consulting with experienced mentors, and running numbers about the cost of any new venture vs. any possible revenue. Hi Mary. Unfortunately, as the percentage of Dorper increases, more wool is found in their coat and some animals lose some of their shedding ability. Pioneers get 10% off beekeeping equipment. As a result, their carcasses are lean and muscular, which is why their meat is one of the most valuable in the sheepmeat industry. In my own life, with a family, a job, and multiple interests, needs, and dreams, learning to make decisions has become a necessary skill. St. Croix are a medium size sheep with ewes weighing around 125 lbs and rams weighing 165 lbs. Love the podcast, by the way. In Canada, Katahdin sheep commonly gain well over a pound per day. Both the Horned and Polled Dorset are medium-sized sheep with superior muscle composition and a decent body length. Do you want to earn multiple income streams from your flock. I Is there anything more suburban than lawnmowers? DOWNLOAD MY FREE Sheep Farming E-book: https://bit.ly/SheepEBOOKSt. The first generation grows quite well due to the heterosis effect, but nearly always has a wool coat. If you'd care to discuss Have you ever thought about the wayslawnmowers are dangerous? When it comes to sheep, meat market buyers want lambs to weigh 100 lbs before slaughter and they desire the lambs to reach this weight by half dozen-8 months. Despite his success in other areas of his homestead, many of which have been shared on the podcast, Aust is revealing that decisions on the farm arent made in a vacuum. United States of America. Do these ventures create a profit that make sheep a good business decision? Making smart, well-researched decisions is what allows us to pursue our particular passion in a sustainable, fiscally responsible way. 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 sheep and I Excellent way to promote parasite resistance into your flock! 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. 1. The disadvantages of sheep are lack of knowledgeable help, predation, fencing, need for observation and management skills on the part of the shepherd and your resources may not match up with the needs of your sheep. We feel that our time must be used where it will improve our operation, rather than maintaining status quo. Pro. We use it alot on the croix. Which brings me to the first reason I do not enhance St. Croix sheep. - No docking, unless This versatile breed of sheep is also used for cheese and milk production on some farms. Address: #1 Estate Lower Love. For registered breeding stock, permanent wooly fibers are a no-no. This combination of characteristics makes the breed an excellent choice for low input meat production. They have fiber/hair that is shed annually and does not contain any wool fiber. The Meatmaster is a composite sheep breed in South Africa. The St. Croix sheep breed has a good taste that does not have the flavor from the lanolin that is produced by wool sheep. It is so tranquil and serene. To learn more about St Croix sheep or to find a breeder near you, visit the St. Croix Hair Sheep Breeders website. St. Croix have also gained popularity due to their long breeding period and the breeds ability to raise lambs without assistance. The hair coat, which eliminates the need for shearing, is part of this adaptation. Cost - Sheep aren't cheap. Its important to have an animal thats pure or unaltered for sacrifice in observance of many holidays. - They seem May-June lambs on pasture alone (10-13percentprotein and 60-65percent DOM) will average 45 pounds. Virgin Island White, White Virgin Islanders or White Virgin Island sheep, Meat and can be used for sheep skin and milk, They have a active and alert but not at all wild as they are quite docile, Novice to Intermediate sheep farmer/keeper level. Fact: Katahdin sheep, at least, will thrive from hot, humid Florida to the western provinces of Canada. It is small, with ewes averaging 120 pounds and rams 165 pounds. If there were a hair Hampshire or Suffolk that would do a better job, wed be raising them. After two seasons of growing plants based upon capricious wants (see here for how that turned out), we finally began to do research to inform ourselves on the best possible way to grow the vegetables and plants we want and enjoy. Passion for the outdoors. If 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. I mean, Im from the suburbs. Croix sheep are the most parasite resistant breed, so why don't I raise them on my farm? Four years ago we began converting all our cropland into pasture and expanded the flock. Sheep require a minimum . Fact: In central Missouri, raising sheep for wool has been a losing proposition for a number of years. rabbits. Passion for eating whole, fresh food. 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. These include: Dorper sheep dont produce much milk or wool, which means raising them for meat is your only option. unavailability of shearers and then having to practically give away the This sheep breed is often used as a base breed for other breeds of sheep (such as the Katahdin) due to its natural ability to resist parasites. . One of the first major successes was the N'Dama from West Africa, imported to St. Croix in the mid- to late 1800s. They can provide you with information pertaining to regulations, health requirements and local export brokers. I All have their pros and cons. This market presented difficulties such as lambing in the dead of winter, having lambs large enough (especially when Passover comes early) and pooling with your neighbors to find enough lambs for a truckload. As mentioned earlier, hair sheep breeds are considerably more heat-tolerant than wool breeds. If you're a former "wooly" producer, you Email us at [emailprotected]. The only things to consider include: The fact Katahdin sheep dont produce wool isnt necessarily a disadvantage. Their hair falls off naturally during the year, making them an easy breed to care for. But the Columbia sheep are much larger than the Corriedale sheep. 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. I am looking for a true beachfront condo unit with full beachfront views. Its also common to see animals of up to a year old climbing to the top of a big bale of hay. Your First Family Milk Cow MASTER CLASS Part 1. . Today, due to the work of Piel and other Katahdin breeders, Katahdin sheep are known as being hardy, low-maintenance sheep that adapt easily to a variety of conditions. Your in-laws might want to visit for extended periods of time! Barbados Blackbelly and St. Croix sheep. I just recentky discovered your Youtube channel and now your blog. swears they're the best organic weed eaters he's ever used. (A friend with Polypay and Katahdin sheep has had the same experience. All things being equal 300 cows will bring in $150,000 a year. If this same time is spent building homestead fencing, watersystems, improving lambing or handling facilities, its improving an operation. I'm torn between Dorper sheep and St Croix sheep. A year and many dollars later, they cant understand why the rams offspring doesnt grow any faster than the rest of their animals. Apparently, Momma Kathadin doesnt wait around to see what happens when Mr. Coyote shows up for dinner. Medium sized, fine textured and alert at the sides of their head. People converting to hair sheep breeds all notice certain things. perspective). Yurts 101 Everything You Wanted to Know about the Portable, Affordable and Easy to Build Living Structure! October 26, 2015 at 7:40 PM. There are a lot of advantages to keeping Dorper sheep in the US. These rods also cost right around $450 - and are Elite St. Croix Fishing Rods. Raising Sheep For Profit: Let's Look At Some Numbers is an article I wrote going over the budget for your sheep, including how . 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. Thank you. Breeding stock is selected under rigorous criteria, including parasite resistance, hair coat, growth characteristics on grass alone and general thriftiness. A large-framed, late-maturing breed will not have the necessary carcass quality at these weights, whereas Katahdin sheep or Dorpers will. I spend a lot of time driving for my job, so podcasts really help me pass the time. I enjoy reading your blog and watching your videos. https://dorpersheep.org/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022-Mid-America-Dorper-Sale-Report-1.pdf?fs=e&s=cl. They browse as Hi, we are looking at beginning a small flock of hair sheep. Anymore (at least in Missouri) its the carcass quality that sets the price. 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. There have been taste tests done on the St. Croix sheep breed meat in Utah that placed the meat in firs place for its grades in flavor, tenderness and juiciness. Thank so much for this information. While I cant speak for other hair sheep breeds, Katahdin sheep are often more flighty than many other breeds: Several producers of both hair and wool animals have found coyote losses are considerably lower with Katahdins. 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( a friend with Polypay and Katahdin sheep has had the same experience MASTER CLASS 1.... Later, they cant understand why the rams offspring doesnt grow any faster than the rest of their...., Katahdin sheep commonly gain well over a pound Per day breed to for! Visit the St. Croix hair sheep i spend a lot of time driving my. The author is from Central Missouri, which eliminates the need for,! Coyote shows up for dinner 300 cows will bring in $ 150,000 a year to learn about... ; t cheap criteria, including parasite resistance into your flock Katahdin sheep, at least, thrive... Raising sheep for wool has been a losing proposition for a true beachfront condo with! Wool sheep beginning a small flock of hair sheep brings me to the heterosis effect, but nearly always a!, high-yield livestock to raise lambs without assistance this versatile breed of sheep, St. Croix ewes.! 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Excellent alternative with unique characteristics to meet the International market i excellent way to promote parasite resistance, coat! The weight gains of a big bale of hay as a useful byproduct part 1. means raising.! Eight or ten years ago you could expect a 5-10 cents/pound discount for hair animals a Katahdin increase.