Melwood Farm is quieter this week. We lost our ram, Jasper. For a small seedstock flock, a ram is never just another animal. Jasper was the other half of our breeding program—the match for the 35 purebred St. Croix ewes we know by name and habit. His job was to put the next generation on …Read More
This year, we made the deliberate decision to move our flock to a fall lambing system. When you’re running a 35-ewe St. Croix seedstock farm, the calendar is one of your most critical management tools. Changing when our lambs hit the ground changes everything from our feed costs and pasture rotations to our daily labor …Read More
Visual appraisal, when done systematically, helps identify rams with the potential to enhance traits like growth and conformation. Selecting replacement ram lambs is a critical step in improving flock genetics and productivity. Here’s a quick guide to how I evaluate young ram lambs for breeding. Structural Soundness I start by assessing the lamb’s structure. A …Read More
and maybe you should too It’s the time of year that I start getting calls about St. Croix seed stock that include questions about whether or not I feed grain. I love that people are interested and have lots of questions. Talking sheep is one of my absolute favorite past times. Those questions are a good indicator …Read More
and you should too It’s the time of year that I start getting calls about St. Croix seed stock that include questions about whether or not I vaccinate. I love that people are interested and have lots of questions. Talking sheep is one of my absolute favorite past times. Those questions are a good indicator …Read More
Someone recently asked me how I go about selecting the right ram. This is an important question, and by asking, a new breeder is demonstrating their interest in developing a solid flock. St. Croix ram selection is the most important decision in a seed stock breeding program. Get the best ram you can afford and be prepared to …Read More
As lambing approaches, many shepherds start thinking about their ear-tagging system. I’m often asked how I do this by those new to sheep. The whole process was rather confusing to me as a beginner, so I totally understand and want to help! This post will explain which tags I use, my system for identifying lambs …Read More
Summit 1179 Jasper went in with the ewe flock on December 20 to cover any ewes that are still open after the main breeding season in October. The girls were all happy to see him and surrounded him to get a good sniff. There are four open ewes that I did not include in the …Read More
I’ve decided to experiment with bale grazing this winter. In the past, I limited my ewes to our barnyard paddock all winter, where I fed them hay in a stationary, collapsible bale feeder on a shared fence line with the rams. It worked okay, but there were some problems. Problems with Stationary Hay Feeder The …Read More
Ho-Ho-Ho! If you want lambs next year, don’t miss out on our Christmas Special. Those who reserve 2024 lambs with a deposit will enjoy substantial savings. So What’s the Special? First, we will cover the cost of each lamb’s registration and transfer fees. This represents a savings of $16 per lamb. Second, as our special …Read More
