05/22/2023
The sheep we raise at Iron Heart Ranch are the result of three years of research and raising. We wanted to raise a flock of sheep that required small amounts of management, would be easy for anyone to handle, and had high output in lambing. With that in mind, we have blended specific breeds and genetics to make lambs we believe to be uniquely suited to the Louisiana climate while still maintaining their dual purpose nature and amazing productivity.
We started with Romanov, a very old European breed that is prized for its ability to birth litters. Each of our ewes came from litters of four or five, and for their first lambing, each produced three lambs with no intervention or issues. The ewe from the litter of five was bottle fed as a precaution, but she was the only one. Romanovs are a medium sized breed that does not put much, if any, fat on the frame. Instead, their fat is stored around their organs. A fine bone structure and narrow heads means that they produce slightly smaller lambs that are easy to birth.
To this great base, we added Katahdin and American Blackbelly. Katahdin is an American breed designed for meat production and fast growth along with parasite tolerance and disease resistance. They also shed their wool, so don't need to be sheared. We wanted to add these characteristics to our flock without adding bulk to lambs at birth, so we chose rams that were a blend of Katahdin and American Blackbelly, and were from a flock managed without wormers or vaccinations, to pass on hardier genetics. Blackbellies are a finer b***d, medium sized breed as well, adding in great parasite and heat tolerance, bulk to the muscle structure of a slaughter weight lamb, and shedding, without adding to the initial birth weight of the lambs.
The result are sheep that are hardy, strong, and capable of birthing and weaning litters of lambs at a time while requiring minimal management from the shepherd. These animals also exhibit out of season breeding, allowing them to be bred during all but the hottest parts of the year.
Any of these rams are half Romanov, quarter Katahdin, and quarter American Blackbelly, and will be helpful setting first time breeding ewes, as the lambs will tend to be a little smaller and easier to birth. Any ewes sired by these rams will maintain the high birth rate, mothering ability, and milk production of the Romanov, even when crossed with another breed. To maintain the Romanov traits in the new lambs, a one quarter Romanov cross minimum will need to be maintained.
If you are interested in more information or know you want to add these genetics into your flock, message me or comment, and we can get you set up!
