Sheep play a critical role in the management of our pastures by bridging the grazing gap between grass loving cows and briar loving goats. We have both rams and ewes available for sale on a first come/first. They too are hair sheep and require zero sheering. The breed standard calls for the St. Croix to be white. Info taken from the St Croix Hair Sheep Breeders website). Your dream farm starter herd. To learn more about St Croix sheep or to find a breeder near you, visit the St. Croix Hair Sheep Breeders website. Occasional triplets. No formal census of inbreeding levels or lineages within the breed has been conducted. Canal Winchester - OH.
The average birth weight for twins is 7lbs. That move took us from a small area with only 2 paddocks to just under 10 acres of our own property to use for livestock. Why Raise St. Croix Sheep? We fattened them up and experienced our very first lambing here in 2020. Grass Lake Michigan 49240. This breed shows a greater resistance to internal parasites than wool sheep as well as most other hair sheep breeds. Harbor Springs - MI. Croix sheep are extremely mild in flavor because of their fine grained, low fat meat. St Croix sheep are active and vigorous without any tendency to be wild. St. Croix sheep were introduced to River Ridge pastures in the Spring of 2018. In Hillsdale County.
St. Croix sheep offer many advantages over conventionally raised breeds. Serve basis, ready to be introduced to your existing breed or to begin. Island of St. Croix. Edwardsville - IL - MI. Less parasite issues means healthier animals and a better quality product for the end consumer. They are also prolific breeders and routinely have triplets and even quadruplets.
The 30 ewe and 22 ram lambs were weaned in July, and they are now happily grazing on lush pastures. St. Croix Hair Sheep. They naturally shed their coat and never require shearing. They are hoof rot, fly-strike, and parasite resistant which means extremely low maintenance and zero chemical worming. How Big Are St Croix Sheep? Carcass composition of St Croix is similar to that of Rambouillet, but the St Croix have a 23% higher carcass yield due to smaller bone and less fat. They are very well adapted to the Kansas summer. As the flock grows, experimentation with multi-species grazing with our cattle may be attempted. Are you ready to buy?
As a result, we get increased pasture utilization which in turn increases soil fertility allowing us to grow more forage. Positive benefits of St. Croix breed: Highest Parasite Resistance No Shearing (they shed naturally) Produce easily on grass/hay alone Early Puberty Highly Fertile Good Flocking Instincts Hoof Rot Resistant Fly Strike Resistant Non-Selective Grazers Polled Good Temperament Heat and Cold Tolerant Fine Grained Low Fat Meat Please call, text or email for additional information. We were able to expand onto more land right beside our current pasture in the Summer of 2020. 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. View all Featured Ads. Replacement ewe lambs.
This versatile breed of sheep is also used for cheese and milk production on some farms. We currently have a small flock of St. Croix Hair Sheep. The breeds of sheep we raise are non-selective grazers – meaning when managed correctly the sheep do a great job eating all types of forage in the pastures. St. Croix, which were brought into the United States from the tropical. The highlight of the breeding season was the birth of triplets to ewe #374 which included our "Tiny"—a 3.
While many breeders enjoy the production of wool, others view annual shearing as a costly expense. Farmer Debbie, aka the American Lamb Lady. St Croix are an ideal size, however, for many ethnic markets. The breed association has about 120 active members. USU personnel realized the sheep had useful characteristics, and Dr. Foote founded a breed registry in the 1980s.
The ewes can breed back one month after lambing, and ewes can produce two lamb crops per year. Over the years, we have shepherded several breeds. Mature rams have a lion-like mane that may fall down to their knees. Role and Management of Sheep. Our original registered ram (pictured here) came to us from a farm in Olin, NC and our two original ewes (also pictured here) came to us from a farm in Mocksville, NC. Ewe lambs will be available for shepherds to begin expanding their flocks. These shepherds welcome the St. Croix into their barns as a way to avoid the annual investment in shearing their flock. Selection criteria for these foundation animals included: white coats, average to above-average conformation, average to above-average body size, and lack of horns in both sexes. Their hair coat is smooth in summer and thicker with mixed hair and downy undercoat in winter. St. Croix Hair Sheep & Their Playful Lambs. I want to Feature an Ad... Click for more information about Featured Ads. Small experimental flocks derived from the USU population were established at Florida State University, Clemson University in South Carolina, Cal Poly in Pomona, CA, and several USDA field stations.
Four months later, River Ridge completed its first breeding season in April 2020 with the arrival of 52 healthy lambs from 28 ewes.
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