Does Breed Matter? Sheep Breed Comparison for Meat Production!

Does Breed Matter? Sheep Breed Comparison for Meat Production!
Does Breed Matter? Sheep Breed Comparison for Meat Production!
In this video, Tim shows us a few different sheep breeds and talks about how much they differ in meat production.
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[@ruefulquail5071]

Very insightful! So different and huge compared to my Shetlands! Thanks for sharing.

[@LinessaFarms]

Thanks for watching! We have lots of friends with Shetlands. They seem to be a very nice all around sheep breed.

[@Kberrysal]

I am thinking about getting Royal white sheep and Kalahari Red goats

[@LinessaFarms]

We have a friend in the southern United States with royal white sheep. He likes them a lot.

[@conradhomestead4518]

Very helpful. Thanks for sharing

[@LinessaFarms]

As always, we appreciate your support. Thank you!

[@kansmill]

Is there any reliable accurate comparison of average feed conversion ratio per breed?

[@LinessaFarms]

Hello and thanks for watching our videos. Short answer, no. While there are many breeds well known for good feed conversion, there are many variables. Black face wool sheep tend to be considered some of the best feed conversion “terminal” breeds out there but even in the case of, let’s say Hampshires, you will get a lot of variation based on genetics and lineage. Many of the commercial producers will actually have their lambs ultrasound to measure the thickness of loin and other major cuts in order to decide which bloodlines to keep and which ones to cull. With this being said, some breeds as a whole simply are not comparable. For instance a St. Croix is never going to compete with carcass size and feed conversion with a Hampshire or Southdown. A lot of feed conversion has to do with the person raising them and the feed and supplements the animal is getting as well. Was the animal protected from coccidia? Was the animal fed antibiotics? Was the animal fed grain or just kept on pasture? My advise would be to find a flock you like and that you are willing to raise the same way. If you are looking for fastest quality meat growth, black face wool breeds are tough to beat. Lots of people are looking for “Goldilocks” sheep that are “just right” but that’s not realistic. Do your best to find a sheep breed with the least flaws you can tolerate and go from there.

[@kt3300]

Is the Southdown good beginner breed? I was thinking a good dual purpose Icelandic

[@LinessaFarms]

If you are looking for “easier” breeds, I personally feel the Southdown is slightly difficult. This will depend on if you are planning on breeding them or not. If you are breeding, the Icelandic may be easier birthing and mothering ability. Our Southdown tend to be a little aloof when it comes to mothering and this can be challenging for less experienced breeders.

[@LinessaFarms]

Sounds like a good video idea.... 🤔

[@kt3300]

@@LinessaFarms new to sheep and plan on feeders the first year then maybe breeding. I thought of the Icelandic due to the size as I am a small woman

[@kt3300]

Also looking for a muti purpose breed for milk, meat and skins/wool. Will be doing a small homestead with a small flock of 4-5 ewes eventually

[@kt3300]

@@LinessaFarms Oh yes please :)

[@sheppyoutside5836]

wouldn't feed conversion efficiency - pounds of feed eaten to pounds of meat produced by end of given time frame be the most important thing here? aren't smaller animals generally more efficient? if u have a lamb thats 80lb at 6 months and one at 110 at six months but ate 2x as much food wouldn't you just be better off having a flock of the 80lb ers?

[@LinessaFarms]

This is a great question and this is why figuring up true feed conversion ratios is almost impossible. In all honesty, the only way to know true feed to gain conversion would be to track everything each lamb is eating and this is not realistic. In a perfect scenario, I would be able to weigh an animal, track exactly how much grain and hay I feed them, and then do the simple math. In reality, many farms have open creep feeders and all lambs have different eating habits. Many farms, like ours, run different breeds and cross breeds as well. Your point isn't completely lost though and you are correct in your assumption in many ways. If I have a lamb that grows twice as fast than another but requires twice as much feed, it is basically a wash and I didn't "come out ahead" on a monetary level. Try not to get too caught up in the breeds and "what they do" or "don't do". Breeds can be tricky and one farm's Southdown (as an example) may be very different than another farm's Southdown. I don't feel breed size generally equates to feed conversion well either. We have black face sheep and white face sheep that will keep pace with one another very well on about the same amount of feed up to a point and then the black face will pull away from them considerably. I can feed out my Southdown lambs and black faced lambs about the same and they will keep pace with one another up to about 60 pounds, with similar muscling, and then the black face will continue to grow while the Southdown slows down and puts on fat. Likewise, I find my Dorset can get to 60 pounds on less feed than a black face or Southdown but it takes them about a month longer. Then of course we have some Columbia that get huge but it takes a ton of feed an a very long time. Once upon a time, we actually had some Finn sheep which ate like horses (they literally sat at the feed trough) and grew at half the rate of our other lambs. They never put on weight well and the weight they put on made them resemble a beach ball more than a lamb. In the end, my long response really comes down to this: Your hunch about feed conversion as a whole is on point BUT (as you already know) it's extremely difficult to REALLY know what is going on and a lot of assumptions have to be made. In the end, take a look at your goals and pick a breed that will work well for you based on what you feel will work best for you. If you are going to be selling most of your lambs at weaning and you just want them to get to weight as fast as possible, it is sure hard to beat a black face or a black face cross. If you are going to have lambs on pasture, you may have to settle for a white face or a hair sheep.... It all depends on you and what your goals are. Thank you for bringing up this point, and thank you for watching our videos. This is exactly what we like to see and exactly why feedback is important to us and everyone that watches our videos!