Grass fed

Our lambs spend their days in the open air and sunshine eating grass. In the winter and at other times when the pasture grass isn't growing, we supplement with hay. This is the diet sheep are meant to have. On rare occasions, our sheep may be given a special treat of grain in the same way sheep in the wild may come across a plant that has gone to seed and produced grain for them to eat. We think this method produces happy, healthy, sheep which in turn produce flavorful, heathy meat.

Compared to grain-fed, grass-fed lamb is:

• Richer in heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

• Higher in "good" unsaturated fats and lower in "bad" saturated fats.

• Higher in CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) content.

• Loaded with more Vitamin A (as beta-carotene) and E

Price:

• Lamb - $5/lbs of Hanging Weight* plus butchering charge**

*Hanging Weight is the weight as it hangs in the butcher's cooler once the head, hide, feet, organs and blood are removed. Typically the hanging weight is 50-60% of the live weight. (e.g. a 100 lbs lamb will have a hanging weight of 50-60 lbs.)

**Butchering charge of $75 is paid directly to the meat processor, not the farmer.

Meat is Sold in the Following Units:

• Whole and Side (half) Portions

Typical Cost:

• Whole Lamb - 50-60 lbs. @$5/lbs. = $250-300

• Butchering Costs $75

TOTAL $325-375

OUR Sheep

We raise registered, purebred Katahdin sheep which is a type of hair sheep. Our sheep develop a thick wool coat in the Fall which gives them an amazing amount of protection during the cold winter. As soon as Spring arrives, the sheep naturally shed their coats and adapt quite easily to the our hot summers. Katahdins are known for wonderful mothering abilities and hardiness. They do very well in grass fed operations like ours and develop a lean, meaty carcasses with a mild wonderfully flavored meat.

Water

We are fortunate to have municipal water in our area and that is the sheep's sole water source. Luckily our lambs are not in a location where they could drink from a creek fed by toxic farmland runoff.

Antibiotics

We have never used antibiotics with our sheep. Most modern day industrial livestock operations rely heavily on antibiotics due to the fact that the animals live in cramped living conditions and are fed an unnatural diet heavy on grain and processed protein meal. So far, our sheep have thrived living in the open air, eating fresh grass when available, and eating hay in the extreme winter. At some point we may be faced with the hard question of whether or not to administer an antibiotic to keep from loosing an animal? If and when that comes, we'll have to look at all aspects and make the best decision for the flock. We can say that if that animal is one slated for butcher, we would absolutely make sure the customer knows that at some point earlier in its life, the lamb had been given antibiotics.

Rotational Grazing

One of the main health concerns for sheep is intestinal parasites and most commercial lamb producers rely heavily on worming medicine. At our farm we DO NOT worm our sheep. One of the reasons we chose to raise Katahdin sheep is because they have a natural resistance to internal parasites. Our other main defense against worms is what is called intensive rotational grazing. Except for the coldest part of winter, our sheep do not have free rein of the entire pasture, rather we cordon them off to a smaller section that they can reasonably graze over a short period of time. We move them from section (often called paddocks) to section up and down the pasture. This disrupts the life cycle of the intestinal parasites and eliminates the need for worming medication. This method also benefits the health of the pasture soil and grass. While this is somewhat labor intensive, we feel it is best for our sheep AND best for our land.