Selecting Breeding Stock For Our Bulletproof Sheep Flock

[@CopperStateCustomAdmin]

I dig your vibe, no bullshit, and against the grain. Subbed.

[@counterculturefarms]

Thanks 😤🤠

[@irahwebster1088]

Appreciate the info. Thanks!

[@donaldstaggs1687]

Good info. Thanks. Will be starting my flock in the spring.

[@melissaklein501]

Good and concise information. Thank you!

[@nandisaand5287]

Good notes here. Thanks.

[@houstontrucker8702]

Thank your for your channel just a city kid good to this. If I ever get sheep I’ll make sure to buy from you

[@counterculturefarms]

Thanks for watching and that would be great!

[@rocknrolla257]

Great info. Similar to that of Johann Zietsmann (man, cattle, veld). Would you suggest any books, etc for raising sheep the way you do? Thanks

[@JoeJohnson1]

What's the consideration for inbreeding when keeping your own stock? How do you manage it?

[@jonathanpark7658]

Okay, here is some info: First, taking a ram from a two ram birth makes sense. More testosterone during gestation. Makes them have higher sperm count as adults. Second, higher quality feed will give them higher sperm count. Lastly, if the ewe's have twins, keep them. Since the ram was selected from twins, both sides may contain the genetics for having twins. Gives you better odds. Over time this will select for ewes that produce twins. Sometimes this can come with having other issues though so just keep an eye on it. Good luck.

[@anthonyburke5656]

Agree, nutrition plays a part in twinning, BOTH the nutrition of the Ewe and the Ram BUT genetic predisposition is about equal, so logic says breed for twinning. Btw, look at Australian White, assuming you already have Dorper blood.

[@grantstump4010]

It's more like 80% nutrition but the ones that are performing best under your management are the ones to keep.

[@tkfarmgoods9508]

Would you apply the "born in spring and bred in the fall, and babies by 1 year old " to goats.

[@counterculturefarms]

Yes! We Do the same with our goats. The most hormonally functioning animals should be the ones you keep and eat/cull the others.

[@anthonyburke5656]

Use the Bell Curve, go for the peak of the curve, not the top end tail.

[@originalfoshman]

Looking at starting with a smaller herd and this method seems like a contender for me; How many ewes would you need to feel comfortable selecting a good ram and not just "the best option" ram? (Willing to consider musings and conjecture as well.)

[@counterculturefarms]

It depends on the lamb crop. You might have 10 ewes and have some really good rams come out. A friend bought 4 ewes of out of this flock and had a really good single ram come out but I told him not to breed it because it's best to pick a ram out of twins. The more you have the better. I'd like at least 20 to pick from but I wouldn't have any issues picking from 10 ewes if that's all I had. My friend will be getting a ram from me this year until his flock gets big enough to select and breed his own back in. You Don't want to consistently breed a ram back to his mother.

[@originalfoshman]

@@counterculturefarms I assumed the queen mother of the ram would get a special night alone in a pen with the runner up lamb all to herself.

[@marcus3457]

I saw one guy talk about rams with front shoulders that angle slightly in. Didn't mean he had to have a huge chest, but he wanted the shoulders to taper a little which he said helped with birthing. Does anyone have any thoughts on that?

[@counterculturefarms]

Proportionately speaking, I want the ram/bull/Billy to have a larger chest than rump. And for the females, larger rump than chest.

[@ianspingle8865]

we'll said 👍 you need to be the predator for your flock or you're just breeding weakness.

[@counterculturefarms]

Exactly

[@brentcunningham5580]

Austin i am looking for a plot of land here in central Louisiana. Do you sell sheep? If not, do you have any suggestions on where I could purchase parasite resistant sheep here?

[@counterculturefarms]

Yes I sell sheep. Don't know of any over there. Contact info on fb, ig, or www.counterculture.farm

[@counterculturefarms]

Hey Brent, did you ever get some sheep? We've got some bred ewes for sale currently.

[@Grandi007]

Can you use the same method for goats?

[@counterculturefarms]

We do use this same method/criteria for our goats. And similar breeding criteria for our cows.

[@Grandi007]

@@counterculturefarms Okay thank you so much, i really enjoy all the information, im raising pigs, but want to get into goats and sheep aswel

[@Adnancorner]

Is it Suffolk ?

[@counterculturefarms]

Dorper x katahdin x Florida native

[@anthonyburke5656]

Wrong logic, cull, cull, cull