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"Fuse" A purebred Jacob ram Rockin' A Ranch has waited almost 5 years to obtain a pair of Jacob's for breeding. We have finally achieved our goal with the purchase of "Fuse" December 2010, and the purchase of "Lily" in May of 2010. Timing is everything so they say, and it couldn't have transpired any other way for us, because we did indeed, need time to set ourselves up for this project. Along the way, we have learned huge amounts in regards to sheep and sheep rearing. All of it a process to land us where we are today. I'm glad we didn't rush this, I'm glad we took our time. It has always been my desire to raise Jacob sheep. They are a small breed, they are smart, they have a beautiful fleece known as the "Hand Spinner's Delight." Actually hand spinner's and weavers alike love their fiber. For market meat, the Jacob meat is lower in total fat, lower in cholesterol and high in quality protein, compared to any other red meats. Only venison and rabbit rank leaner.........so with that said, I've always wanted to raise and market Jacob's. Besides, who can resist their gorgeous lil' lambs all spotted, their "goat like" personalities which make them very curious and easily tamed. |
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| "Lily" A yearling Jacob ewe |
We are now in the midst of breeding our two Jacob's. Fuse has turned out to be a very gentle, sweet fellow.....Lily a bit nervous (this will be her first breeding). Most often, first time ewes will have a single lamb, after that, they are prone to twins and triplets. If she has a lil' ram lamb this summer, he is sold to the gentleman that sold us Fuse. Tom and I are hoping to do some in-line breeding with our small flock in order to be able to sustain our flock of Jacob's.
Lambing season is the crux of raising sheep. It's the one time in the growing of sheep to "get it right." We keep our sheep in top conformation all year (at least we try), flush them prior to breeding, fine tune their food in the last 6 weeks of gestation..... providing the ewes with top quality hay, a smidgen of molasses three days of the week, daily grain..........all in the hopes that our percentage of lamb to ewe ratio will turn out excellent. Thus far Rockin' A Ranch has done very well. There is always room for improvement though because we're always learning something new in regards to sheep. As I've said before, what works for us, doesn't necessarily work for someone else. For instance, we know that our sheep HATE bermuda grass (it's too soapy tasting), they'd rather starve than eat that grass. They love the high protein hay that Shawn brings us twice a year, they love Timothy grass and they LOVE rye grass. We don't feed our rams or wethers any hay unless it's super cold outdoors, otherwise they get grass. They love apples, pears, carrots, turnip greens (but not the turnip) and ORGANIC animal crackers from Costco.
I've had one ewe in particular over the past five years that wouldn't let me near her. She was so flighty and skittish, which made it very hard to work with her. To boot, she's a very large Suffolk. After her lambing in July, she can't stay away from me, her nose is constantly in my face or pockets. Her son Mickey even goes so far as to jump up on me like a pup.........he wants pets under the chin (or those yummy cookies!). Gaining the trust of sheep takes time, perseverance, routine, and calmness.
More than anything, we enjoy raising our sheep...........Jacob or not. We have "Heinz 57" sheep that are just as special and prolific in lambings as any purebred. They all have their own personality and are unique in their own special way. I can't imagine a life without sheep.
Now that the breeding has begun, we watch and wait. If a ewe spends a lot of time squatting and urinating in front of the ram, she is not ready. Her estrus has not begun. If the ewe nears ovulation, the ram will move near her and keep near, till she will stand for mating. Ewes will stay in heat for 6-18 hours and if not mated cycle again in 17-21 days. I will keep Lily with Fuse for approximately 60-68 days before removing her. That will ensure several cycles of ovulation. Once a ewe is pregnant, she will no longer let the ram mate with her......the copulation is over.
So we're looking very forward to our lambing season this year, we should have at least one lil' spotted, curly haired lamb by summer. I believe that Tom and I are focused on the true essence of raising this breed of sheep...........we're helping preserve a unique and valuable breed.
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| "Lily" & "Fuse" Purebred Jacob sheep |
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