About our Flock

Our Flock Size: 

• 25 ewes

• 1 ram 

• 1 wether (ram companion) 

• about 50-65 expected lambs per year

Given that this is a new operation, we decided to begin with a smaller flock size. This allows us to better manage our sheep, and cater to them during lambing season. As we grow as a company, we hope to better scale our management and grow once we are certain that we can handle a bigger flock size. 

Our Management Technique: 

• Combination intensive and extensive

  • Confinement  housing - fed hay

    • Raised tight, gradually introducing them to pasture

Missouri pastures are known for being susceptible to parasites, considering the hot and damp climate in the area. This type of management allows us to slowly introduce our lambs onto pasture in the months after lambing, to build up parasite resistance. Before then, the lambs can be kept with their dams in confinement houses, as this intensive strategy allows us to feed them hay before transitioning them to pasture. Furthermore, due to the strong seasonality of Salem, Missouri, confinement housing will allow us to house them during the harsh winter months protecting them from health issues such as frostbite and hypothermia while ensuring they have access to adequate nutrition.

Our Lambing Schedule: 

• We want them to lamb late February to mid-March

  • This gives us ample time to wean them and carry out the process of introducing them to pasture while the season supports healthy pasture grass. We would like to avoid creeping into the fall/winter months. 

  • The spring season in Salem is often milder temperature-wise and more favorable compared to the harsh summer and winter seasons

  • Spring-born lambs often align with peak demands in the market, which may provide us with better market prices for our meat

• We will only lamb once a year 

  • Once again, we want to avoid birthing and caring for lambs during the winter months

  • Lambing during the winter months would increase our input costs and also increase the amount of intensive labor that we would need to conduct

  • High amounts of close confinement during the winter months may increase the risk of disease transmission within the flock

  • Winter-born lambs may not align with peak market demands