The Rural Voice, 2019-03, Page 29(75) with an additional 300
commercial ewes consisting of
Rideau and Ile-de-France crosses.
Ewes are pastured and fed a TMR
ration in winter with corn silage,
baleage, dry hay and corn distiller
grain (if needed) when the ewes are
nursing. The flocks graze on cover
crops as well.
“I don’t think we will need to use
distillers this year as the baleage
quality was excellent,” said Keith.
The main goal at Todd Sheep Co.,
is to produce top-end breeding stock
using a balanced genetic approach.
Keith looks for animals to pass to
their offspring a high level of
repeatability both phenotypically and
genetically.
When it comes to female traits, he
looks for ewes to be easy fleshing
and highly reproductive. Also, he
wants sound feet, legs, udders and
teats. “There is nothing worse than
having a ewe that is four years old,
nothing wrong structurally except
that her udder is blown out,” says
Keith. Ewes need to last longer than
four years to make money and make
the most use of their genetics in the
herd.
Desired male traits include a level
rump, structurally sound, easy
fleshing, above-average muscle
growth and an aggressive breeding
nature.
“We breed animals that must work
for both a purebred and commercial
operation because eventually they all
end up hanging by their hocks,” he
said. “My philosophy is that all
animals have to work. If they can’t
work in a commercial operation they
should not work in a purebred one.”
Furthermore, Keith wants to breed
medium-sized animals. “Too small or
too large is not beneficial for the
industry, long-term,” he says.
In terms of the individual breeds,
Keith likes the Southdowns for their
excellently carcassed, highly-
marbled meat. Southdowns
originated from the same place as
Angus cattle and have the same meat
appeal. “Anyone who sells lamb out
of freezer or at a farmer’s market will
know Southdown is very beneficial
because of the high level of tender,
quality meat.”
Keith believes Suffolks are the
fastest-growing breed in the country.
His Ile-de-France rams are used on
Rideau ewes to increase hardiness,
muscling and parasite resistance.
“They will increase carcass yield
dramatically on Rideaus but they do
reduce lamb percentage. Ewes have a
1.7 to 1.8 lamp drop but the lambs
are big, robust animals.”
When it comes to measuring
success, Keith shared that Todd
Sheep Co. was a recent winner of the
Genovis Award for Highest Flock
Improvement (as featured in the
December 2018 issue of The Rural
Voice). Farm statistics indicate his
Suffolk flock weaned .13 more lambs
that the average and lambs weighed
five kilograms more at 100 days than
the average. “That translates into
14.2 kilograms more lamb marketed
per ewe at 100 days. With an average
market price of $2.50 last year, that
amounts to $78.25 more profit per
ewe per year.”
Similarly, he estimates his Ile-de-
France lambs weighed six kilograms
more at 100 days resulting in more
than $90 profit per ewe over the
average.
To specialize and increase profits,
Keith started the Certified
Southdown Lambs brand with
Beverly Creek Farms of Millbank to
develop a niche market.
Ultimately, said Keith, his goal is
to breed the “perfect” sheep. “I know
there are no perfect animals but that
is what I aspire to.”
Having raised sheep for 25
years and milked sheep
almost as long, Dr. Chris
Buschbeck of WoolDrift Farm near
Markdale came to the panel with an
experienced person’s perspective.
“We have downsized a little as we
got older,” she said of herself and
husband Axel Meister and their two
sons. Starting as lamb producers in
1989 with Rideau and Dorset breeds,
the couple decided to get into
milking sheep. For that, they needed
a new breed.
They were the first to import East
Friesian sheep embryos into Canada
and establish a closed, purebred herd.
“We are the largest East Friesian
breeders which isn’t hard in North
America,” she jokes.
The breed originates in Holland
and Germany and is the highest-
producing dairy breed.
“In Germany, they call these
March 2019 25
Keith Todd of the Todd Sheep Company near Lucknow says he doesn’t
believe in breeding large sheep. Animals that are too large or too small are
not beneficial for the industry long-term, says the farmer who raises
Suffolk, Southdown and Ile-de-France sheep for breeding stock, the
commercial market and to show.
Dr. Chris Buschbeck
WoolDrift Farm