The Rural Voice, 2000-08, Page 24Second Annual
FIBREFEST
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Fibre Animals: Sheep. Angora goats. llamas,
Alpacas, Angora rabbits. working dog demos,
`ieece display. spinning & knitting competition. felt
mask making workshop. petting Iambs, children's
fibre crafts, shearing, Highland piper, vendors.
supplies & gifts. food.
Fun fur everyone.'
Admission Adults 55.00. Ages 2-16 52.00
free parkin_
At Hire. pit at Dorm', I of Durham.
eo ell on Gre, '? to C, 4 turn 'forth
Info, call Rose Haven Farni 1519 i 369-5645
4
GEDDES
Purebred
Polled Dorsets
RAMS FOR SALE
EWE LAMBS
FOR SALE
Donald B. Bill & Judy
AC 519
395-5951 395-2218
R.R. #4,
Kincardine, Ont. N2Z 2X5
can -con
WILE M3
SHEEP & HOG "THE COMPLETE HOG AND
SCALE1
CATTLE CONFINEMENT
AND FEEDING
EQUIP. CENTRE"
IJSolid rod Dry Sow
Stalls and
Siamese Stalls
ir available
R.R. a1 NEWTON.
ONTARIO
(519) 595-8025
Brussels
Agri Services Ltd.
SHEEP
SUPPLIES
• Gallagher Power
Fencing (sales &
installation)
• Hay & Grain Feeders
• Grober Milk Replacer
• Eartags, Hoofshears,
Handshears, etc.
• Feed
• Gates
Located at Brussels Livestock
(519) 887-9391
or Toll Free 1-877-887-9391
BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK SALES
887-6461 887-6811
We appreciate our customers marketing their sheep and lambs at our
yards. Our excellent facilities allow for less stress and less shrinkage
due to selling within 2-3 hours of the animals arrival at our yards.
SHEEP ARE SOLD THURSDAYS AT AI'I'ROX. 1:00 P.M.
Tuesdays 9 a.m. - Fed Cattle, Cows, Bulls
Thursdays 8 a.m. - Bob Calves, Veal, Lambs & Goats
Fridays 10 a.m. - Stockers
1 p.m. - Pigs
Confidence • Trust • Service
WESTERN STOCKERS AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE SALE
20 THE RURAL VOICE
The Clarks didn't leap without
looking. Even while they were still
milking cows they experimented v ith
a few goats but "we couldn't keep
them in anywhere," says Murray with
his wry smile.
Looking for something easier to
handle, they then bought a
flock of 90 Dorset ewes from a
farmer near Kitchener who had to
sell for health reasons. Dorsets were
attractive because they're one of the
more popular breeds in the area and
they offer a longer natural breeding
season than some of the other breeds.
They kept as •many sheep as they
had room for while they were still
milking cows. Finally, the attraction
of an easier schedule and the money
they could receive by selling their
quota led them to make the final
switch.
Today they have 300 ewes and
Murray admits that it would have
been harder to start from scratch in
sheep rather than building up their
equity in dairy before they made the
change.
The limitations of their older barn
and their desire for more time made
them choose a more pasture -based
management system. "It gets you out
of the barn," Murray says. "We tend
to check pastures twice a day during
lambing season so it's an excuse to
getout and wander around."
They have three lambing
seasons, two of them timed to
allow ewes to lamb on pasture.
The June and fall lambings can take
place outdoors with the ewes needing
little assistance but the January and
February lambing season requires
more labour. There's no comparison
between pasture lambing and winter
barn lambing, Murray says.
Their June lambing is generally
the first lambing for replacement
ewes. "What we've noticed is that
they mother up better the first time
on pasture rather than moving them
into a claiming pen if they're in a
barn," says Murray. As well the
exercise the replacement ewes get on
pasture seems to mean there are very
few first-time lambing problems.
So far they haven't had problems
with predators but their fields aren't
near any wooded areas.
Each ewe lambs three times in a
18 to 24 month period and average