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Culling Culling is a necessary part of any serious and responsible breeding program. When we feel that a sheep has nothing to contribute to our breeding program or if it has a physical or behavioral defect, it becomes a cull. Most of our culls become pets or are destined for processing, but some of our culls are so excellent in one or two specific areas that we feel they might have something to offer another breeding program. For these sheep, we do occasionally make an exception and offer them for sale, fully disclosing our reasons for parting with them.
Routine Care Routine care for our sheep includes frequent pasture rotation, providing fresh water and nutritional supplementation (minerals & vitamins) on a free choice basis. We trim hooves and shear every spring in April or May and again every fall in September or October. Ewes are lightly flushed on pasture and quality hay prior to breeding in the fall and receive daily hay feedings and fresh water throughout winter months. In the spring, they lamb on pasture. I do make an effort to be present when an ewe goes into labor but, barring life-threatening situations, I remain a passive observer and avoid intervening. At weaning time, lambs have their hooves checked and receive their initial dose of CD&T. Annual boosters are administered in the weeks prior to lambing. Everyday, the flock is observed for potential signs of illness and parasitism.
Parasite Control One of the most important aspects of sheep management in this day and age is parasite control. With the looming reality of parasite resistance to anthelmintics and the unfortunate low kill rates of most alternative products, it is more important than ever for shepherds to educate themselves, provide appropriate care for their animals and use de worming products responsibly. The next step to winning the war on parasites is culling vulnerable sheep and saturating the gene pool with more parasite resilient genes. All of our ewes receive a routine de-worming with a chemical product during the periparturient rise in late gestation or shortly following lambing. Throughout the rest of the grazing season, we routinely check for signs of parasitism: diarrhea, runny noses, coughing and anemia. Any sheep scoring a 5, 4 or borderline 3 on the FAMANCHA scale is dewormed. I collect a stool sample from sheep showing other possible signs of parasitism and run a fecal egg count to verify that it IS a parasite issue before treating. Each sheep is fasted for a 6-24 hour period prior to de-worming and an additional 6-12 hours after. |
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Lili Bookwalter
Ledgewood Farm 20 Roberts Farm Lane Putney, VT 05346
Email: shepherd@ledgewoodfarmicelandics.com
Telephone: 802-387-4697 |
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Breeding Goals For ALL of our sheep: 1. Broad, meaty conformation & general structural soundness. 2. Hardy, healthy constitutions. 3. Soft, well-balanced and lustrous fleeces. 4. In-born resilience to parasitism to avoid frequent use of chemical dewormers and to prevent the development of resistant worms. 5. We also like to see docile, laid back temperaments… This makes the sheep infinitely easier to handle when they need hoof trimmings, shearing, medical care etc. It also makes them easier to train as milkers or tame as pets, if desired. 6. Finally, we like to maintain a variety of colors and patterns in our flock. |
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Breeding Goals and Management At Ledgewood Farm we continue to select for Icelandics that are honest-to-God triple purpose, hardy, healthy, easy keepers and reliable producers. About half of our breeding goals pertain specifically to our ewes and maternal lines. The reason is simple: It is their production capability that will dictate profit potential in the number of lambs produced, their vitality and the rate at which they grow. We provide the basics: fresh pasture, clean water and a foundation of health. Apart from that, we pretty much expect our sheep to take care of themselves. Our flock management is intentionally low input, and that’s the way we like it! |
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For our Ewes: 1. Ewes that reach a suitable size for breeding their first fall 2. Attentive mothers who readily accept and nurture their lambs 3. Independent, “easy lambers” who consistently give birth on pasture with no required shepherd assistance. 4. Since ewes with singles are significantly less profitable than those who bear twins or triplets, we like to see consistent twinning (or better) after an ewe’s first lambing. 5. Respectable milk yields to support births of twins and triplets and to maximize the health and growth potential of lambs.
For our Rams: 1. Masculine looking, with strong libido 2. A strong maternal line |
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shepherd@ledgewoodfarmicelandics.com (802) 387-4697 |