If you’re new to raising sheep, knowing what to feed your flock can be downright overwhelming, and knowing what NOT to feed your flock is vitally important.. Like people, sheep don’t require specific, pre-formulated feeds. Here is the reasons why we like hair sheep: We have introduced Dorper into our St. Croix herd in hopes to add a little more meat on our St. Croix but we are still experimenting trying to make the “perfect sheep”. Our first Lacaune-sired daughters from those breedings were milked in the 2019 season — those Lacaune-semen-sired yearlings produced a full 50% more milk than their US-ram-sired penmates. On the Island of St. Croix, they come in shades of brown, white and black. UW Dairy Resources Dairy Extension Resources AM-PM Rule Fact Sheet (updated aug 2011) UW-Madison Dairy Science Department Extension Dairy Manageme ~ St Croix Available ~~ St Croix Rams ~ St Croix Ewes ~ ~ St Croix Past ~ Michael Piel of Maine first brought one ram and two ewe “Virgin Island White” sheep into the U.S. in the 1960s, for use in the formation of the Katahdin breed. Royal White sheep are completely white and polled in both sexes. In fact, they are the most parasite resistant breed of sheep in the US. Excellent production: St.Croix crosses produces more lamb. If you’re new to raising sheep, knowing what to feed your flock can be downright overwhelming, and knowing what NOT to feed your flock is vitally important.. Like people, sheep don’t require specific, pre-formulated feeds. Contact me if you are interested. The Breed of Hair Sheep that we decided to start with is the St Croix. Their adaptations to many of the problems experienced in tropical and sub-tropical regions would seem to make them a prime candidate for sheep production in those areas. Your email address will not be published. When we first returned to the ranch we decided we wanted to run some sheep and we bought 3 registered St. Croix hair sheep. He spent his early days in a petting zoo, now he is a guard animal for our sheep. Reader Interactions. The St Croix Sheep is classified as threatened by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (categories include: Critical / Threatened / Watch / Recovering). Ewes generally produce plenty of milk for their lambs. We are Kentucky Proud members listed under the categories of Producer/Grower/Breeder, Community and Supported Agriculture Operation (CSA). Speaking of horses, come witness some of the most awesome horse shows in Kentucky at some of the most state-of-the-art venues in the state! Two lambings a year are not uncommon. We are avid fans of St. Croix Hair Sheep, and support the advancement of this excellent breed. Sheep are non-selective grazers. If you are looking for manageable, high-yield livestock to raise on limited acreage, you should seriously consider St. Croix hair sheep. We raise Mini Nubian and Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats and St. Croix sheep to provide milk for our dairy, Indian Valley Creamery. Head Both sexes are naturally polled with no visible scurs. Shepherd's Ridge Creamery. St. Croix sheep are both grazers and browsers. St. Croix sheep are best known for their resistance to internal parasites. The St. Croix is a descendant of the West African hair sheep, but some people believe they could be crossed between Wiltshire White and Criollos heep. Two lambings a year are not uncommon. We regularly offer St. Croix rams for sale, and annually have St. Croix ewes available. Makin’ Bacon – Homemade Bacon – No Nitrates, No Junk! We have introduced Dorper into our St. Croix herd in hopes to add a little more meat on our St. Croix but we are still experimenting trying to make the “perfect sheep”. Oldham Country – The Farm Tour Capitol of Kentucky – is proud to be home to the best, most educational farm tours and the liveliest horse show calendar in Kentucky! With no shearing costs, strong parasite resistance, no fly strike, high lamb survivability, good mothering instincts and good flocking, the St. Croix Sheep has a lot to offer shepherds in the US . ... Ewes have more than enough milk for their lambs and therefore are often praised for their milk production as well as for their meat. Yep! Every year we have lots of ewe lambs and rams for sale. But the St Croix isn't a milk breed! Producers must realize that profitability from the lamb crop is as important as milk sales. Jun 27, 2013 - Ever heard of Fetta Cheese? Paolo Losecco. Hoof Rot Resistant – St. Croix … Since then we have significantly expanded our herd and are still amazed at how easy and prolific these sheep are. A viable cheese production unit needs milk from at least 750 ewes. Milk samples (5 ml) were collected from (N=3 each) dairy cows and St Croix sheep at the NC A&T State University farm. They were imported into the United States in 1975 from the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Croix and further developed into the St. Croix breed. St. Croix sheep are known for their high fertility, and ewe lambs become fertile at about six months of age. Year-round breeding. i am the third generation of farmer on this beautiful family farm. If you’re used to raising animals like chickens, ducks, or pigs, this can make the concept of feeding sheep much more complicated than it actually needs to be. The St Croix is a breed of domestic sheep native to the U.S. Virgin Islands and named for the island of Saint Croix. Sheep are fly-strike resistant. Ewes are excellent mothers and require minimal assistance. Direct Microscopic Somatic Cell Counts (DMSCCs) are an approved method for counting SCC in milk. Milk contains varying number of white blood cells. Later, the breed was further improved upon by Paul and Margaret Jepson of Vermont, who crossed their Katahdins with St. Croix sheep for additional hair characteristics. S hasta Ranch 21420 Colt Rd Klamath Falls OR 97603 Phone: 541-205-4310 E-mail: info@shastaranch.net. Welcome to Green Pastures Sheep Farm! Milking St. Croix ewes produce ample quantities of milk … The breed is an excellent choice for a small farm with just a few sheep or large scale meat production. St. Croix Hair Sheep. Many years after swearing off the farm life when she left the family farm for college, and following a career as a nurse, Joyce Keibler and her husband Gary chose to spend their “retirement” as sheep farmers. If you are looking for manageable, high-yield livestock to raise on limited acreage, you should seriously consider St. Croix hair sheep. Or 4 cow/calf combos for $5400Perfect breed for small acreages. St. Croix: When I first started into hair sheep I bought St. Croix’s. The British Milk sheep is a large breed of sheep with an adult ewe reaching weights of around 79 kgs. We regularly offer St. Croix rams for sale, and annually have St. Croix ewes available. Either way, the St. Croix breed is a good choice if you want to raise a hair sheep in a warm climate, as it has a high rate of multiple births and is incredibly docile. Lots of Icelandic and St Croix Sheep for sale this year- both ewes and lambs, as well as one purebred, registered Icelandic Ram. Breeding stock and market lambs for sale. Ewes often produce twins and have plenty of milk to raise them. Over the years, we have shepherded several breeds of sheep, and we have found the St. Croix to be low-keyed (not flighty) easy-keepers in comparison, not requiring clipping and … The St. Croix sheep are known as ‘Parasitic Pasture Vacuums’ for their ability to clear a pasture of parasites reducing the need to worm sheep. Jordan Valley, OR 97910 | Phone: 208-649-4403, Everything You Need to Know About Hair Sheep. If you are interested in buying some sheep please … It is not uncommon for ewes to lamb triplets or quad lambs and they are capable of nursing all their lambs without supplemental bottle feeding. The St. Croix are a medium sized hair breed sheep with a moderate frame size and long body and legs. Like sheep with similar origins, St. Croix sheep excel in reproductive efficiency. We are members of Kentucky Proud, The ALBC, Oldham County Tours and CSA . Also Known As: Virgin Island White, White Virgin Islander, White Virgin Island The Virgin Island White breed is found in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. Their milk is high in butter fat content. This could be provided by several small producers joining together to market their milk to a single processor. St. Croix sheep grow faster and produce more milk … These sheep almost never need their feet trimmed. We are avid fans of St. Croix Hair Sheep, and support the advancement of this excellent breed. The St. Croix is reported to be a docile, calm breed with good flocking instincts. We have introduced Dorper into our St. Croix herd in hopes to add a little more meat on our St. Croix but we are still experimenting trying to make the “perfect sheep”. The St. Croix sheep are known as ‘Parasitic Pasture Vacuums‘ for their ability to clear a pasture of parasites reducing the need to worm sheep. It contains a higher proportion of short- and medium-chain fatty acids, which have recognized health benefits. The ewes produce good quantities of milk and have become popular in certain areas of the US for cheese production. Main Purpose: Meat and can be used for sheep skin and milk. They lamb at 12 months. Compared to the Barbados Blackbelly, the St. Croix grows faster and ewes produce more milk. Meet the horse characters of the children’s book, “The Tails of Windy Meadows”, and milk a cow! We have been raising sheep since 2009, and feel blessed every day. We have a limited number of St. Croix cross ewe lambs. Consumers look for the Kentucky Proud brand for fresh, nutritious, great-tasting food they can serve to their families with confidence.