AND THE WINNER IS RAMBOUILLETS!

After spending much time searching the web, making phone calls and emailing organizations I came to the unfair realization that the breeds of sheep I desire in the quantities we require to make the sheep operation self-sustaining, just was not possible. In all the breeds I desired a herd of 30 was considered a good sized herd and I was disappointed to find that our ranch would be forced to follow the norm and bring in the stereotypical Rambouillet sheep breed.

Now there are different ways to view this over population of Rambouillet’s on sheep farms across the US, you can view it the way my spouse does with the opinion that if most large scale sheep farms are Rambouillet genetics it must be the best genetics for the job. But, the way I view this is with my knowledge of the cattle industry, just because most beef genetics you find are Angus it does not always mean Angus is the best cow for the job or even that another breed couldn’t complete the feed to meat conversion faster, after all one must keep in mind other reasons  affect a producers final choice like the simple yet extremely clever marketing gimmicking  that most consumer’s buy into,  “100% Angus Beef” and that most people will purchase what’s readily available without much searching for the genetics they desire.

 At any rate we will see if these Rambouillet’s will make the cut here at White Thunder Organic,  while in the mean time I am hoping to purchasing a small flock of 3 of the breeds I desired (Tunis, Scottish Blackface, and North Cheviots) to run with the flock and see who really performs the best.

Here is what my favorite Breed Identification site had to say about the Rambouillet’s:

The history of the Rambouillet sheep is a fascinating one that began more than two centuries ago. The Rambouillet breed originated with Spain's famed merino flocks, which were known from the earliest times as producers of the world's finest wool. The Spanish government was so protective of their merino flocks that any exportation was forbidden.

This policy changed in 1786, however, when the King of Spain granted a request from the government of France and sent 359 carefully selected rams and ewes to help improve the native French stock. The sheep were sent to the Rambouillet farm near Paris where, according to government records, they have been bred since 1801.

Other merinio sheep were introduced into Germany during the last quarter of the 18th century, and German breeders made extensive use of Rambouillet sires as the sheep's fame spread throughout Europe. That is why many present day American Rambouillets can trace their ancestry back to either German von Homeyer flocks or the flocks of Rambouillet, France.

Mature Rambouillet rams weigh between 250 and 300 pounds (113-135 kg), ewes range from 150 to 200 pounds (68-90 kg). Mature ewes will have a fleece weigh of 8 to 18 pounds (3.6-8.1 kg) with a yield of 35 to 55 percent. The fleece staple length will vary from two to four inches (5-10 cm) and range in fiber diameter from 18.5 to 24.5 microns or 60 to 80 for the numerical count.

Notice how the sheep are missing half their left ear? This was the prior sheep keepers way of identifying the sheep as his, this is not something we here at White Thunder Organics promote or practice.

Here is an image of the fenceline constructed  around one of our alfalfa fields that we will be wintering the sheep in once they get settled into a flock.