It is a common misconception that to
pick out a lamb or adult sheep, is as simple as going to
a sale, choosing an animal, taking it home and you're done!
WRONG. Here's why.
Depending upon your level of knowledge about sheep and
which project you will be undertaking, Breeding (long term)
or Club Lamb (Terminal), it is best to do your homework
before venturing out into your favorite breeder's territory.
Different elements should be focused on from "breeding"
sheep to "market" sheep. Although many of the same traits
are needed and common to both projects, there are vast differences
with each kind of project.
Breeding Sheep are the 'long term' projects and perhaps a little more time
consuming than club lambs. How well you choose your breeding
ewes and ram can make or break your stay in the sheep business.
First things first. If you have not already done so, READ
as much information as possible covering the different sheep
breeds. Whether you borrow a friend's book inventory, surf
the internet, visit a bookstore, library, or all of the
above, do your legwork and KNOW which sheep breed you are
most interested in, before you buy.
For the beginner, we recommend housing and caring for
only one breed first, before adding others to your flock.
Getting to know one breed will be quite the handful for
you to start with! Trust us on this one.
Next, determine the size of your property and facility.
Based on this, plan to purchase a number of ewes best suited
for your ranch. We need to throw this in: START OFF WITH
SMALL NUMBERS AS YOU ARE LEARNING. You can always build
up in the future! A smaller group of ewes is much easier
for you to handle in the beginning. As your expertise grows
your flock will naturally grow, especially if you keep daughters
of your best producing ewes in the flock.
When you think you are ready for the big step to purchase
your sheep, let's go over some options:
- Traveling To the
Breeder's Ranch
- Looking At Breeder's Websites
- Telephone Conversations With Breeders
- Writing Letters To Breeders
- Talking With Breeders At Fairs & Shows
- Purchases From Breeders At Sales
- Purchasing From Friends
Here is the tough part. Knowing which Breeder or person to buy from. The most
common ways we purchase sheep are mentioned above and you
may go through all of these steps with a breeder before
you buy.
You can begin the process by asking friends or acquaintances
their opinions of where to go. You can then proceed. (If
you choose the last option and begin your flock with purchasing
from a friend, do this with caution! Check out all of your
options first, and if your friend has the best stock for
you, then by all means purchase there. A big world awaits
you in the Sheep Industry and there is so much to see. Be
fair to yourself and see all you can before your purchase
your first breeding ewes).
If you can, our NUMBER ONE recommendation, is visiting
the breeder's ranch or farm to choose your stock. Ranch
visits tell the whole story behind the flock i.e. how the
sheep are managed, cleanliness of the facility, healthiness
of the animals, and most important, the Sires and Dams are
there for you to view. If you are buying a lamb as an example,
seeing the mother and father of this individual will give
you great insight to the growth potential and kind of adult
your lamb will become. Seeing a sale lamb in a pen before
auction cannot give you this kind of first-hand knowledge
before you purchase.
Looking around the ranch can also tell you how many siblings
(brothers and sisters) the breeder has retained in his own
flock. Another indicator of consistency and whether or not
your ewe will go onto being a good breeder for you. Lots
of pluses to ranch visits, and this is truly the best way
to buy.
Driving or flying distance to breeders ranches can be a
major factor and in case it is not economically feasible
or time away not possible, you may wish to contact breeders
by letter or telephone. This is also a good way to find
out what breeding sheep they have available. Once you are
comfortable on the telephone with them be sure and request
PHOTOS or video tape of those individuals for sale. If you
can, also request pictures of sire and dams of the sale
sheep. If you cannot visit the ranch personally, you may
as well see it all in pictures!
Websites are also excellent overviews of what the breeder
has to offer not only in sheep for sale, but can tell you
much about the type of operation the business is. Usually
you will find plenty of photos and lots of information to
help you decide if you would like to purchase there.
Speaking to breeders at shows and sales is also extremely
helpful too. Many of us attend sales each year because it
is the best way to see many breeders at once, under one
roof to compare notes on the different sheep.. Breeders
are usually on hand to talk with you too and answer any
questions you may have. Remember though, most sale sheep
at breeding shows are highly presented and fit to make them
as attractive as possible to prospective buyers. I have
heard over and over, "The sheep looked great at the show,
but when I took her home and removed the wool, I was surprised
to see what was underneath!"
If you are unsure about knowing sheep structure or what
we call "Looking Through a Fit Job", ask a more seasoned
sheep raiser to help you look at prospects at breeding sales.
Don't get us wrong here! We believe that breeding sheep
are beautiful washed and fit and that fitting should stay
in the industry. There is nothing more beautiful than a
nicely trimmed Suffolk or Dorset in the show ring. Good
sheep will always be good sheep, whether they are fit or
slick shorn. We hear the arguments against fitters and fitting
all the time. Slick shearing is much easier on the buyer
at a sale, or judge in the show ring, but I do not believe
our industry is quite ready to sell all sheep slick shorn
yet. The public is still looking for beauty as they walk
through the sheep barns at fairs and anywhere you can find
sheep exhibited. Exhibiting our breeding sheep in the manner
in which makes them appealing to everyone is a must if we
wish to keep the sheep industry alive in the U.S. [Return
toTop]
Once you have decided on where to
buy: So
now you and your family have agreed upon the breeder of
choice, then what? Through process of elimination you should
ask many questions about each individual you are interested
in. We have found that most people do not ask enough questions,
and this is why some sheep purchases turn out to be great
disappointments. Here are some examples of things to ask
the breeder:
- When was the lamb, ewe or
ram born?
- What shots do you give? What are the lambs vaccinated
for? Adults?
- Do you have reoccurring problems that you
treat for?
- Do you have footrot? Soremouth? Club Lamb Fungus?
any others?
- What kind of a worming program do you have?
- Has the individual we are looking at ever been sick?
- Do you have any brother or sisters of this sheep retained
in your flock?
- May I see the sire and dam?
- Is the dam a good producer in past lambings for you?
- Does the individual
we are looking at have a show record? Was it good?
- What is your feeding program? Pasture, Dry Lot?
- Do you offer
any supplements to the feed ration?
- Can you tell me the
Birthweight of this sheep?
- What was the rate of gain in
pounds per day?
- May I see your sheep records?
- This is a big and important question! Any breeder worth his or her
salt, keep good, accurate records. Breeders that do not
give prospective buyers free access to their lambing and
ewe production records are to be regarded as questionable.
This is a strong statement, but if you are given an excuse
why you cannot see their records they either do not keep
good records or they do not want you to see something they
have written in the records. There is no excuse not to let
you look!
I have to say though, we have been asked only once by a
young 4-H'er to look at our sheep records in all of our
years in business! What a shame. You can learn much about
the sheep you are interested in purchasing, by reading the
breeders' records. [Return
to Top ]
Sheep Structure Basics: Some may be wondering..."What traits should I be looking
for in purchasing breeding sheep?" (Club lamb purchasers
take note here too! Keeping in mind that meat breeds such
as Suffolk, Hampshire, Dorset, etc. are geared to meat or
"choice money cuts", you should learn where the important
emphasis is on your animal when you purchase. Here are some
step by step ways to look at your sheep as you compare one
to the other.
Looking at your sheep on a profile, have someone hold it
for you and run your hand from the base of the neck down
the top of the back to the tail bone or dock (end of sheep).
Is the top line level? Straight level top lines are important
for sound sheep. Lumpy, bumpy, roller coaster tops can be
risky to breed with because what the ewe or ram is, the
offspring are sure to be!
Now, run your hand down the top again, only this time move
your hand more down the side at the same time stopping at
the rib cage. Continue along the rib cage from the front
of the animal towards the back and find the last rib called
the 13th rib. Note where this rib is in relation to the
entire side of the sheep. Your choice money cuts are everything
BEHIND that 13th rib. You want the animal longer from the
13th rib back than from the 13th rib forward. the loin and
leg are the two top cuts of meat and they are both behind
that 13th rib.
Loin length is also important. Stand behind the sheep and
put both hands on that last rib bone. Reach back and stretch
both thumbs to find the hip bone or "pin" as it is called.
Leaving your fingers on the last rib and your thumbs on
the hip bone can tell you how long the loin is. The longer
the better!
Leaving your hands in the same spot, rest them on their
sides and squeeze both hands together at the top of the
loin. How wide are your hands apart? The width of the sheeps
back at the loin area is important. Again, the wider the
better.
Still standing behind the sheep, check one more thing.
Move your hands to the pin or hip bone and holding your
fingers at the hip stretch your thumbs back to see how long
the hip or rump area is to the end of the sheep. Longer
is better. Reach down and feel the rump. Is there plenty
of meat in the lower leg? Or is he or she a buttless wonder?
Are the hips wide and square? Meat and muscle are vital
in looking at all meat breed sheep.
Now stand looking at the sheep on its profile once again.
Where does the tail bone sit in relation to the hip? Is
it level at the hip and carry out straight at the dock?
It should. If the tail (or dock) lies well below the hip
(sloping at the rump), we call that a low dock and not the
most desirable trait to have in your sheep. Remembering
that at the rear of the animal are choice money cuts and
rumps that fall short at the dock are losing meat and muscle.
The top line should be a straight as possible from the base
of the neck all the way down the back. [Return
to Top ]
Shoulders and Front End: Does the sheep have well set shoulders that lay nicely into
the lower neck region from top to bottom? Do the shoulders
abruptly jut out at the front sides of the sheep where you
immediately are drawn to the heaviness of them? Shoulders
should be smoothly laid into the sides of the sheep yet
wide enough to carry the front legs apart naturally from
each other. Brisket is the front end lower portion of the
sheep between the front legs and should not be noticeably
too far forward of the shoulders. Smooth, clean front ends
are recommended. Neck length is important too with breeding
sheep. Necks should have some length and not set the head
right on top of the shoulders and back. A high head and
nice adequate neck length adds balance to the animal's profile.
[Return toTop]
Feet and Legs: Extremely Important!! Sheep need to be able to walk, so
avoid any ram or ewe that noticeably does not have a smooth
gait. Feet should be wide on all four corners and move forward
smoothly and with grace. All 4 toes should point NORTH!
Be sure front and back feet hit the ground pointing forward,
not left of right. Pasterns (kind of like their ankles)
located just below their dew claw and above the hoof, need
to be short and strong. Long pasterns can weaken and cause
some real problems for breeding sheep and their offspring.
You can tell if your sheep has weak pasterns by watching
it walk and stand. It will appear to walk on it's dew claws
instead of its hooves.
Stand behind the sheep as it walks. Rear leg cannon bone
should be long, straight and move exactly forward as the
sheep moves. If the hock (like your elbow) turns inward
towards the other hock as the sheep walks or stands, this
is called "Cow Hocked". If the hocks turn outward this is
"Sickle Hocked". Cow hocks are more common in sheep and
best to stay away from, because it usually means that the
problem stems from the hip area of the sheep. Rear structure
problems like others are usually passed onto offspring.
Check the front legs. Are they straight or bow in or out?
Straight is obviously more stable and recommended. Check
those toes again. How do the toes point? Best to toe forward
versus toeing in our toeing out. Correct feet and legs are
vital to any sheep, and should be scrutinized carefully.
We know there are no perfect sheep, but purchase them as
correct as you can. You will be much happier in the long
run with their progeny! [Return
to Top ]
Docks or Tail Sets Club Lamb Folks Take Note Here Too - Especially for breeding
ewes, it is most important to check the way females were
docked (tails removed) as lambs. Lambs docked too close
or with little to no tail structure may have a tendency
to prolapse, rectally or vaginally as they carry their lambs
or at lambing.
As ewes mature, many times you will notice on the older
ewes, that the dock may even shrink back, which makes the
chance for prolapse even greater. It is best that your breeding
ewe have a couple of segments left on that tail bone to
help the muscles surrounding vital areas hold everything
together. Why risk your lambcrop?
Club lambs are notoriously docked a bit shorter than some
breeding ewes, and we caution the use of ewes purchased
as club lambs with short docks to be kept as breeding sheep
because of this and a few other reasons. We will touch on
this later on in the CLUB LAMB SECTION. [Return
to Top ]
Length Of Body: Remembering the Choice Money Cuts once again, your sheep
should be as long if not longer than it is tall. Height
is measured from the point (top) of the shoulder down to
the ground. Length from the base of the neck across the
back, out to the dock. Length of body is key to purchasing
any sheep. Short sided sheep usually give up a portion of
those important "money cuts" we mentioned earlier. When
purchasing your ram or ewe go for length always and you
cannot go wrong. [Return
to Top ]
Mouth: Sounds like an unusual section to cover, but it really is
very important. Some attention should be paid to the mouth
of any sheep you are considering buying. Sheep have teeth
in front, but on the bottom only. Those teeth should meet
the dental pad (top of the mouth) when the mouth is closed.
Teeth not touching the pad or resting in front of the upper
gums are considered "Overshot". Overshot jaws have a much
more difficult time grazing than do those where the bottom
teeth meet the pad. This overshot trait can be passed onto
the offspring, and is generally frowned upon by most breeders.
Some breeders argue that sheep, especially ram lambs, that
hold all of their lambs teeth for long periods of time and
then break the yearling teeth, can become overshot because
of the crowded younger teeth. We have experienced this ourselves,
but it is good practice to check your lambs, ewes and rams
a great deal to see if this is a genetic problem in the
flock or an isolated individual. Check several individuals
in the flock that you are intending to buy from, and you
will have your answer.
The other extreme to mouth problems is the "Undershot"
jaw. Not as common certainly, but teeth can also be positioned
too far back from the dental pad. Severe cases are also
known as "Parrot Mouth" which gives the illusion of a parrots
beak when the sheep has its head on the profile. The top
portion of the nose and mouth are noticeably longer than
that of the bottom, and good to stay clear of this scenario.
Most breeders notice this in their lambs at an early age,
and usually do not have this kind of an individual available
for prospective buyers to look at. The undershot jaw is
often contributed to very close genetic matings like brother
to sister. [Return
to Top ]
Breed Character: A hotly protested issue these days among sheep breeders
is Breed Character or Breed Type. Remember we mentioned
reading up on your sheep breeds before purchasing? If you
have done this, you will know what is proper breed character
for your sheep. Head, fleece, muscle, bone, all of these
and more are factors in breed type. Even the ability to
lamb in the fall are the characteristics of some sheep breeds
and should be considered breed character. Wool breeds have
great emphasis on fleece grade and quality. If your breed
of choice is a wool breed, look closely at the wool when
choosing to buy and be sure it is correct for the breed!
Know your sheep when you do your research and you will be
in great shape to determine if the sheep you are looking
at fits the Breed Character criteria of the breed standard
put in place by Sheep Associations throughout the country.
[Return to Top]
Is Bigger Better? We really need to stress this next point! Breeding stock
sheep purchases do not necessarily mean BIGGER IS BETTER.
All of us in the show ring with breeding sheep have been
sharply criticized for our attention to taller is best for
our sheep. Breeding sheep should be big enough to be able
to do the job of that particular breed. Ewes with capacity
to carry a good set of lambs, produce the proper wool, proper
amount of meat, adequate milking ability and be structurally
sound. Individuals must have the ability to breed on, preferably
producing a carbon copy of themselves or better. We have
found that some of the biggest sheep and the most consistent
class winners in the shows DO NOT always make the best producers.
It is very easy to watch the judge place the big sheep at
the top of the class and determine that this is what you
want in your sheep. Be very cautious choosing your replacement
ewes and new additions in this manner. Remember all of the
traits we mentioned in this section, and stick to what you
know to be a good sheep, not what someone else considers
as his or her top pick. If the sheep that wins the show
is your choice too, then by all means go for it!! [Return
to Top ]
Breeding Sheep Wrap-Up: We have covered a lot of sheep basics in this section so
that you can better acquaint yourself on some of the points
that will make your sheep selection process a little easier
for you. If you focus on SHEEP STRUCTURE and BREED CHARACTER
the rest is sure to follow. Good Luck To You!!!! [Return
to Top ]
