We started a new chapter in our life after retirement in 2019 to raise grass fed and grass finished Katahdin Hair Sheep and the Canadian Horse. The parcel consists of half trees and half native grasslands. We consider ourselves to be grass managers first because without healthy grasslands, the animals can’t be at their best. Gayle previously raised wool sheep for 5 years and when she returned to s
hepherding decided to raise purebred Katahdins mainly because they didn’t require the agonizing practice of shearing. Katahdins are hair sheep and shed their winter coats in the Spring. We also selected this breed for their hardiness, adaptability, and easy maintenance. We raise registered and commercial purebred Katahdins and lamb on pasture late April/early May. Many of our ewes have parent and grandparent bloodlines from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the United States (Montana, Louisiana, Georgia, Ohio, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Oregon, and Indiana). We are growing our flock for top traits such as mothering, easy lambing, parasite resistance, Type A or AA coats only, lamb weight gain on grass only, and of course for their wonderful temperaments and easy handling. We currently have 20 ewes, two rams (another one coming soon) and their buddy Walter the Wether. Our lamb crop averages 35-38 lambs which is a lamb crop of about 190%! Our lamb is 100% grass fed and finished. We follow regenerative farming practices by practicing rotational grazing on our pastures. Temporary fencing is used to move the sheep every one to three days to smaller paddocks within the pasture to promote healthy pasture regrowth, improve biodiversity and soil health, and reduce parasite infection in the sheep so that they require none or very little chemical deworming. Our lambs are raised without antibiotics or hormones. When we bought this land it hadn’t been grazed for at least 30 years so we are working hard to maintain and improve the pastures including the native grasses which in turn produces healthy hardy ewes and lambs.
