Sheep
Our sheep operation is the centerpiece of our farm. After studying the various
breeds, visiting other farms, and attending a number of sheep meetings, we decided
the Katahdin breed was the right fit
for us. While there were a number of other sheep breeds we considered, we saw a
number of advantages with the Katahdin.
Since the Katahdin is a hair breed there is no shearing, so we save our backs or the cost of hiring a shearer. They have a higher resistance to parasites than most breeds, which is a problem found throughout much of the US. They are also good mothers, milkers, and birth generally without problems.
While care concerns ranked the highest in our search criteria, quality of meat and flavor ranked a close second. The Katahdin meat is tender and has a mild flavor, which makes it appealing to the experienced lamb consumer, but the new as well. With the emphasis we've applied to improving our pastures by adding new and diverse species of grass and legumes, our lamb has a consistent sweet and savory flavor due to the high sugar constant in our forage. Because southeastern Ohio receives a generous amount of rainfall and has mild temperatures throughout the year this region excels in grass production and is one of the best places in the US to raise sheep.
Our grazing method is somewhere between managed grazing and managed intensive grazing, which we base upon our farm work for that day or week. However, our sheep generally never stay in one paddock longer than a day. Depending upon the season and grass density they could be moved as often as three times a day. Our goal is to ensure our sheep graze the forages at the most nutritional stage of growth; yet through steady monitoring we protect the forage from overgrazing, which can harm the plant and degrade the performance of the pasture.
We use electric polynets, which makes moving the sheep from pasture to
pasture much easier. Using the electric nets also helps us with land
reclamation. Prior to buying the farm some of the pastures had been taken
over by saplings and other weedy species. In these areas needing reclamation the Katahdin performs very
well, and if left in these areas long enough will eat down much of over growth like
goats.
Since the Katahdin is a hair breed there is no shearing, so we save our backs or the cost of hiring a shearer. They have a higher resistance to parasites than most breeds, which is a problem found throughout much of the US. They are also good mothers, milkers, and birth generally without problems.
While care concerns ranked the highest in our search criteria, quality of meat and flavor ranked a close second. The Katahdin meat is tender and has a mild flavor, which makes it appealing to the experienced lamb consumer, but the new as well. With the emphasis we've applied to improving our pastures by adding new and diverse species of grass and legumes, our lamb has a consistent sweet and savory flavor due to the high sugar constant in our forage. Because southeastern Ohio receives a generous amount of rainfall and has mild temperatures throughout the year this region excels in grass production and is one of the best places in the US to raise sheep.
Our grazing method is somewhere between managed grazing and managed intensive grazing, which we base upon our farm work for that day or week. However, our sheep generally never stay in one paddock longer than a day. Depending upon the season and grass density they could be moved as often as three times a day. Our goal is to ensure our sheep graze the forages at the most nutritional stage of growth; yet through steady monitoring we protect the forage from overgrazing, which can harm the plant and degrade the performance of the pasture.
