NorthfieldNick Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 I'd like some input on breeds for a ram for this flock that I manage. There are several criteria, some of which I find ridiculous, but they're not my sheep, so whatever. The ewes are pretty cross-bred- some mostly Coopworth, some half NCC, some half Romney, a wee bit of Katahdin (I think it's just three ewes with any Kat, and they're 1/4 or less). Entirely grass-fed, hay and alfalfa in the winter. NO GRAIN! I'd like something that could be a maternal sire if there's a really nice ewe lamb, but mostly it'd be a terminal sire. I'm not looking to grow this flock much, and I already have a nice Romney for a maternal sire. Must be/have: 1) Wooly. White. I suggested a nice Suffolk (we have some REALLY nice non-show bred ones on island), and the black head & legs were a turn-off. 2) Fairly fast growing. I often hold lambs over the winter (born in Feb-March, slaughtered the next May) to hang at 45-50 Lbs, but I've been trying to butcher more in the fall if I can. 3) Good feet. It's W-E-T here when it's not summer. Sheep with bad feet don't last. 4) Good parasite resistance, although I know this is debatable and subjective. No one ever says, "This breed is very prone to parasites." I really liked the NCC rams I used, but they're both dead, as is the woman who bred them. These ewes are big, and disposed to having big lambs already, and if I wasn't careful, the NCC put HUGE lambs in them. Going back to a Coopworth might work, but I like to keep the cross-bred thing going in the ewes. I already have a lovely Kat ram from Pat Shannahan who I use on the first-timers and any ewes I don't want replacements from. The folks who own this flock don't like the look of hair sheep (yeah, yeah, I know), so breeding too many to the Kat is pushing my luck. I'm waiting on one of my own Cotswold ewes to see if she has a white ram lamb. I've had great success with my half-Cot market lambs, but I've only got black rams right now. Okay, this sounds like a lot of stipulations, but I enjoy these sheep, and the job pays well! Any breed suggestions? I'm in NW WA state, but am willing to travel a bit to find a ram. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 Looked at Ile de France? Good terminal and maternal traits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted April 18, 2009 Report Share Posted April 18, 2009 Ooo, Bill and I were on the same wavelength! I've been giving some serious thought to bringing in an IDF for a dual purpose ram. The IDF is very attractive as I only hold maybe three or four replacements per year now and don't need gigantic weights at finish currently. I don't know how they do on feet though - I think maybe Lenajo has them in her flock so I'd guess if that's true, that wet isn't a huge issue. I'm not a good judge as I've never had a situation that challenged feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthfieldNick Posted April 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2009 Huh, I always thought IDF were hair sheep... shows how much I go looking at sheep photos! If I can find a flock on the wet side of the mountains (for any breed), I can often find sheep that have been selected to have feet that can handle our wet weather. I have, however, been amazed at some of the foot problems people put up with! I like to trim my sheep once a year... that's if running up the road doesn't take care of it for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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