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Frequently Asked Questions

What Would You Like to Know?
Email us more questions and we would be glad to answer them and possibly even include them here!

  • What is a ROYAL WHITE SHEEP?

They are medium-sized hair sheep developed in the U.S. by William Hoag. He developed these sheep to carry many highly sought-after qualities such as versatility, adaptability, heat tolerance, docile temperment and easy care. We find that they are very tasty also. Here is the link to the breed website: https://royalwhitesheep.biz/

  • Why did we choose this breed?

Travis was looking for an alternative to cattle and had always been interested in sheep. While researching different breeds, he began to read about the Royal Whites. He has always liked consistency, and the single-color consistency in this breed, combined with

  • easy care

  • parasite resistance,

  • excellent mothering ability

  • heat resistance 

  • shedding

  • mild and flavorful meat

  • docile

  • moderate size 

and many other traits sealed the deal.

  • What have we learned over the years?

A LOT!

For starters, expect the unexpected when you raise livestock and deal with genetics in a composite breed. Over the years, we have learned from various breeders that in the very beginning stages of developing the Royal White breed, breeds other than the Dorper and St. Croix were used. One of them was the Rambouillet. What does that mean for other flock owners? Well, you will get color popping up on some babies from time to time, and not just the dime or quarter-sized patches that the breed standard calls for. It may be a Holstein-looking sheep or a black-headed dorper-looking sheep. You will get scurs on your rams from time to time. Sometimes, those scurs pop off with nothing ever growing again, and sometimes, you find out that those genetics worked just right for a ram actually to develop horns. Sometimes, a fabulous pairing produces your ideal-looking lamb, only to find out they don't have the growth or prolificacy you wanted. We have learned the value of patience and frustration. We have learned that there are some amazing people out there with whom we have made connections! 

  • Why raise sheep when you're in cattle country?

Because we can! We decided to sell our cattle and invest in sheep when cattle prices were extremely high. We researched market prices and realized that we could get as much income or more on the same acreage with sheep as we could with cattle. We also needed less specialized and heavy equipment to work our sheep.  With a stocking rate of 3-5 ewes/ acre and rotational grazing, we are able to raise healthy, registered breeding stock and fill our freezers. Have I mentioned that lamb is delicious?  

  • I heard sheep die very easily. Why bother raising them?

Well, anything will die if you throw it in the pasture and don't do a thing with it! We have found that some lines work better with minimal inputs and some do not. With rotational grazing, early lambing, and worming only based on FAMACHA scores, we are developing our herd to fit into our management system. No one will have the exact same scenario. But, by collecting data and making very focused breeding decisions we can help ourselves and buyers make better selections for future breeding stock.

We raise sheep for Meat and Income! 
Here in Oklahoma we have the perfect weather for raising sheep and the parasites that kill them. But they don't die so easily! We have had a VERY big learning curve in prevention! As we slowly grow our herd we have experimented with vitamins, minerals, feeds and as a last resort, chemical parasite control. With the data that we collect each year we have come to rely on a strong vitamin and mineral balance along with genetics to give us the success that we have had so far. We cannot speak for other breeds or breeders, but we have had very minimal loss of lambs or adults, even in harsh winter conditions when we lamb in February. We also do not need the large, expensive equipment that is required when working with large, sometimes unruly livestock.
This is why we chose to raise our Royal Whites.

  • Why have lambs in February?

Lambing in February and early March has given us the best growth and parasite control. In our experience, the lambs eat more milk and feed to stay warm, thus improving growth. The very cold temperatures also seem to help prevent parasite overloads while the ewes are in a smaller lambing pasture. Last, lambs are ready to go to their new homes by early summer, which leaves the entire summer for ewes to flourish on green pastures without overgrazing.

  • Why are vitamins and minerals so important in our management?

Vitamins and minerals are needed in every aspect of growth and development. In our part of the country, we know that there are several deficiencies based on USDA data. More importantly, we have been able to see the results of those deficiencies with our own eyes. Selenium, Iodine, and Copper are so important for our flock! We have seen selenium deficiencies cause slow labor, slow babies, poor muscle development, poor milk production, etc. Iodine deficiencies have wreaked havoc with fetal coat and hoof development, Copper deficiencies have caused conception, lambing rate and worming problems. We have tried a variety of minerals but currently we have been using the Purina wind & rain sheep mineral. We still keep BoSe on hand and frequently use it because we are so deficient in selenium. Another important mineral is Copper. What?!?! We keep copper boluses on hand for sheep and goats. I (Erica) do a lot of experimenting, but I am not a vet and do not advocate my methods for everyone! However, we run Kiko goats with our sheep, and we offer our Purina Sheep minerals, a goat builder mineral, and salt or baking soda (depending on the time of year) free choice along with rotational grazing. Our FAMACHA scores have been fantastic, and lamb and goat growth has been the best we have had, even in a drought year. 

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