I have a sheep farm in Eastern Ontario. We raise Katahdin sheep which are a hair type and do not need shearing. They are for meat- not fibre. We also have a herd of about 14 llamas. All our animals are raised in as natural a way as possible. We do not use pesticides or artificial fertilizers and feed our own hay. We cannot use the term "organic: as there is no "organically" approved lamb slaughter facility in Eastern Ontario.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Farm tour
Last Saturday we went on a farm tour of the Lindsay area. The photos above show biosecurity in action at one large sheep farm that runs 1000 ewes. Note the blue plastic booties that cover up your boots and shoes. These are disposable and stop diseases from spreading from your farm to theirs and vice-verse.
The lambs shown below were the result of an accelerated breeding program that gives about three lamb crops in two years. Hormone mixtures are added to the feed to help promote out of season breeding, but some ewes just naturally do this. The lambs shown were Dorset or Suffolk crosses, mixed in with a dual purpose British milking sheep.
After a good restaurant lunch, we went to see another farm which had 400 ewes. The owner had converted a hog operation into a sheep farm. He really didn't have to make a lot of changes. He also did an accelerated breeding program and has been experimenting with the use of lights, mimicking the change of seasons.
Labels:
accelerated breeding,
Biosecurity,
large sheep farms,
sheep
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