Shepherding for breed diversity and optimal health
PHILOSOPHY: My introduction to shepherding was at an Icelandic sheep farm in Fayston, Vermont. I worked with Helen Whybrow at Knoll Farm for several years and developed a strong skill set in raising a pure breed and doing it with care and attention to parasite management and intensive grazing. Raising animals in this way seems to naturally lead to very healthy animals who give beautiful fleece and beautiful meat. Helen and the sheep at Knoll Farm taught me a lot about animal husbandry and grazing, but maybe what I am most thankful for is that I learned how to look at sheep critically and notice imbalances in their health. This skill has helped me catch problems with my own sheep and sheep I've sheared before it was too late. Also at Knoll Farm, I learned the importance of maintaing a rare breed. Icelandic sheep are considered exotic and primitive and because of breeders like Helen, they are a breed that will not be lost. Some of my sheep stem from her flock and other Vermont Icelandic sheep flocks. Icelandic sheep do have a reputation for being more skittish than most. They are not known for being great animals to have at a petting zoo. But, they have a unique history that has made them very self-sufficient and hardy. I think every breeder will tell you the breed of sheep they raise is hardy, and their ewes are excellent mothers. This is true with Icelandics as well, but that isn't why I raise them. I raise them because I'm familiar with them. After working with other breeds, it felt like home coming back to Icelandics. I felt more in tune with them, and I felt that I could work well with them to make the best meat possible for my family, friends and community. With Icelandics, I can produce lamb that is tender and flavorful and decadent, and I can do it by feeding them grass.
While Icelandic sheep hold a special place in my heart, another breed - Horned Dorset - captured my interest with their striking looks and gentle demeanor. Like Icelandics, Horned Dorset rams and ewes have horns. In the photos above, Horned Dorset yearling ewes are on the left, an Icelandic ram in the middle and an Icelandic ewe lamb on the left. When I saw Horned Dorsets for the first time, I thought they could make a great breed for crossing with Icelandics that could increase lamb yield in several ways. Horned Dorsets can breed anytime of the year, unlike Icelandics, who only go into heat during the fall. I thought if I bred Horned Dorset ewes with an Icelandic ram, they might have lambs slightly smaller than typical Horned Dorset lambs. The lambs might also have narrow heads like Icelandics, which would make lambing easier. The ewes would have more than enough milk for their lambs, and being crosses, the lambs would be vigorous, because that's what people always say: "crosses are more vigorous." All these proved to be true, but I really can't say crosses are more vigorous, because my purebred Horned Dorset and Icelandic lambs are just as strong and large as the crosses.
FLOCK PRODUCTS: The main products my flock and I produce are lamb, pelts, fiber and breedstock. To learn more about these items click here to visit my store.
Photo © 2019 Meg Juenker
While Icelandic sheep hold a special place in my heart, another breed - Horned Dorset - captured my interest with their striking looks and gentle demeanor. Like Icelandics, Horned Dorset rams and ewes have horns. In the photos above, Horned Dorset yearling ewes are on the left, an Icelandic ram in the middle and an Icelandic ewe lamb on the left. When I saw Horned Dorsets for the first time, I thought they could make a great breed for crossing with Icelandics that could increase lamb yield in several ways. Horned Dorsets can breed anytime of the year, unlike Icelandics, who only go into heat during the fall. I thought if I bred Horned Dorset ewes with an Icelandic ram, they might have lambs slightly smaller than typical Horned Dorset lambs. The lambs might also have narrow heads like Icelandics, which would make lambing easier. The ewes would have more than enough milk for their lambs, and being crosses, the lambs would be vigorous, because that's what people always say: "crosses are more vigorous." All these proved to be true, but I really can't say crosses are more vigorous, because my purebred Horned Dorset and Icelandic lambs are just as strong and large as the crosses.
FLOCK PRODUCTS: The main products my flock and I produce are lamb, pelts, fiber and breedstock. To learn more about these items click here to visit my store.
Photo © 2019 Meg Juenker
