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Pure Natural Sheep
Chemical Free St. Croix Sheep
The Right Breed for TN

Pure Natural Sheep™

St. Croix Sheep For Sale

No Dewormers, No Vaccinations, No Chemicals

Established 2009

1857 Brindley Hollow Rd. Buffalo Valley, TN
(931) 858-6892

Pure
Natural
Sheep™

Pure Natural Sheep
Pure Natural St. Croix Sheep
Never Needs Deworming

St. Croix Sheep For Sale

No Dewormers, No Vaccinations, No Chemicals

Established 2009

1857 Brindley Hollow Rd. Buffalo Valley, TN
(931) 858-6892

Pure Natural Sheep™

St. Croix Sheep For Sale

No Dewormers, No Vaccinations, No Chemicals

Established 2009

1857 Brindley Hollow Rd. Buffalo Valley, TN

Click Here to Call Us:
(931) 858-6892

 

 

What Limits the Flock Size in the USA?

 

Why is the Average Sheep Flock in Tennessee Only 24 Sheep per Farm?

Source: UT Institute of Agriculture

 

Why is the average sheep flock size in States west of the Mississippi river between 200 to 500 sheep?

Why Does Every State in the Eastern USA have an average flock size around just 30 sheep?

What is causing this difference? Why are there No Large Commercial Sheep Farms in the Eastern USA when there is plenty of good forage?

 

Let's look at the data to compare the size of sheep flocks in the USA.

 

Sheep Production in the USA, by State

Source: https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/sheep-production-by-state

 
 

The colors on this map indicate the areas of high sheep production in the USA, with the states shown in grey having low sheep production or no data to report.

The chart shows that most of the USA sheep production comes from colder western states that have low humidity, and may have less forage per acre.

Why is there is no significant sheep production in the Southeastern USA, which is warm, humid, and has excellent forage?

Could it be that the warm and humid conditions in the Southeastern USA produces a worm infestation that makes large commercial sheep operations using non-parasite resistant sheep breeds impractical?

Let's determine the average sheep flock size for each state:

 

 

 

USA Sheep Production by State:

Source: https://www.sheepusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Fast-Facts-Production-2024.pdf

 
 

Note that the largest sheep producing states are west of the Mississippi which have low rainfall.

But what about flock size?

We can determine the average flock size for each state by dividing the number of sheep by the number of sheep operations, as shown in the next section:

 

 

 

 

Each set of States is grouped according to location and rainfall:

 

South Eastern States

State Name Sheep Sheep Farms Sheep per Farm Average Rainfall
Tennessee 51,000 2,083

24

 52"
North Carolina 32,000 1,536

21

 50"
Kentucky 75,000 2,744

27

 47"

Note: The South Eastern States of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi have no data on sheep available.

 

North Eastern Atlantic States

State Name Sheep Sheep Farms Sheep per Farm Average Rainfall
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 56,000 2,774

20

 43"
Virginia 79,000 2,311

34

 43"
West Virginia 35,000 1,041

33

 44"

Note: High rainfall and small flock size.

 

North Central States

State Name Sheep Sheep Farms Sheep per Farm Average Rainfall
Ohio 143,000 4,133

34

 38"
Indiana 80,000 2,456

32

 40"
Illinois 55,000 1,612

34

 38"

Note: Slightly lower rainfall and slightly larger flock sizes.

 

West and East Texas

State Name Sheep Sheep Farms Sheep per Farm Average Rainfall
Texas 655,000 12,344

53

 27"

Note: Texas is the largest sheep producer in the USA, and the largest US State excluding Alaska. West Texas is very dry, while East Texas borders Louisiana with warm and humid conditions.

The data from Texas combines both dry and humid areas and Texas should be considered independently.

 

Northern Tier Western States

State Name Sheep Sheep Farms Sheep per Farm Average Rainfall
Wyoming 320,000 637

502

 13"
Idaho 235,000 1,208

194

 19"
North Dakota 63,000 482

130

 17"
South Dakota 210,000 1,233

170

 18"
Montana 180,000 1,118

161

 15"
Note: Cold temperatures are apparently not a restraint to flock size, as large barns for overwintering the sheep benefit from economies of scale. Cold weather, combined with low humidity, lowers the parasite load on sheep.

 

Mid Tier Western States

State Name Sheep Sheep Farms Sheep per Farm Average Rainfall
Colorado 400,000 1,480

270

 15"
Nevada 60,000 281

213

 22"
Utah 270,000 1,717

157

 12"

Note: The low humidity in these States is perfect for large scale sheep production.

 

Southern Western States

State Name Sheep Sheep Farms Sheep per Farm Average Rainfall
Arizona 105,000 7,047

14

 13"
New Mexico 75,000 2,949

25

 13"

Note: This group has low humidity and high heat, but with small flock sizes. One explanation may be that any suitable pasture in desert conditions must be irrigated, which will create the moisture necessary for a large parasite load.

 

West Coast States

State Name Sheep Sheep Farms Sheep per Farm Average Rainfall
Washington 45,000 1,722

26

 38"
Oregon 155,000 2,709

57

 28"
California 500,000 3,096

161

 22"

Note: In this group, the flock size increases as the rainfall decreases.

 

 

 

How does Rainfall Affect Sheep Production?

 

The Barber's pole worm is considered the most damaging to sheep production, and it must have moisture to infect sheep.

Barber's pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) is a roundworm parasite of sheep, and depends on moisture to hatch.

The worms are up to 1 inch long and occur in the abomasum or fourth stomach of sheep and goats. Female worms have a red and white striped appearance, hence the name ‘barber's pole’.

Adult worms lay eggs which pass out in the feces of the host.

Barber's pole worms are the highest egg producers of all sheep worms. The eggs hatch within a few days and microscopic larvae emerge.

The worms migrate in films of moisture on to the pasture, where they will crawl up the grass stalks to be ingested by sheep. Dry conditions can slow or eliminate the ability of the worms to infect sheep.

In the sheep’s gut, the larvae develop into adult worms in about three weeks.

Climatic conditions determine where barber's pole worms occur and when they are most prevalent. The development of eggs and larvae is limited to areas and seasons where pastures are moist during the warm months of the year.

 

 

 

How Wet Pastures with High Worm Loads Limit Sheep Flock Size.

 

 
 

The Barber's Pole Worm parasite lives on the blood of a sheep, and will eventually kill the sheep from blood loss.

When a sheep is healthy, the mucous membranes of the eyes will be red. When the sheep is infected and anemic, the mucous membranes will turn white from lack of blood.

A FAMACHA test provides a card with shades of red, pink, and white, which will help identify which animals are healthy, and which ones have a high level of infection.

 

The FAMACHA Test shows that this sheep is infected.

 
 

According to data provided by the Small Ruminants Division of the North Carolina State Univesity about the timing of the FAMACHA test for sheep:

"Animals should be monitored regularly, at least every 2-3 weeks during the Haemonchus transmission season, and possibly as often as weekly at the peak of the worm season."

 

 

"It's About Time..."

If it takes only 2 minutes to run a FAMACHA test and drench a single sheep for worms, then when testing and treating 30 sheep in a small flock it will take 1 hour every week during the peak of worm season. This may be acceptable limit for the small "hobby farmer" in the Eastern USA.

For testing 300 sheep, 2 minutes each would require someone to work 10 hours a week.

For handling 3,000 sheep, it would take 100 hours of labor every week to do the FAMACHA test and drench the sheep for worms, which is impossible.

This process doesn't scale as it requires a human to perform the test and cannot be automated.

I believe that this is why sheep flocks in the Eastern USA average 30 sheep as raising sheep in areas with high worm infestations is only suitable for the small flocks of the "hobby farmer."

These Labor Costs are not appealing for someone considering a large investment in a commercial sheep operation, even with the high demand for lamb in the ethnic markets in the Eastern USA and low transportation costs that would out compete the price of lambs from Western farms.

 


FAMACHA Testing


Drenching with Dewormer

 

 

Weekly vs. Yearly Processes:

Yearly Processes Can Use Outside Labor and are Scalable.

 
 

Shearing sheep is an example of a yearly labor cost.

Shearing sheep is labor intensive, and is the reason why many sheep operations use hair sheep, as they do not need to be sheared.

But shearing sheep, regardless of the time spent, is only once a year and outside labor can be contracted with large labor force to scale to any size operation, which does not affect flock size.

Using outside labor for shearing lets the price of labor to be negotiated with other competitive bidders. And the shearing process produces wool, which pays for the labor cost.

Vaccinating genetically inferior sheep to help them survive is also a once or twice a year process. Vaccinating sheep yearly, a few at a time, can scale up for large sheep flock sizes.

In comparison, the weekly FAMACHA testing and drenching with dewormer must be performed each week, which requires a fixed labor cost.

 


Shearing Sheep


Vaccinating Sheep

 
 

The cost of labor for testing and deworming sheep will drain the resources of any small operator that has a flock of even 100 sheep.

That is why I believe sheep farms in the Eastern USA have a average limit of around of 30 sheep in their flock.

And it is a "hard limit", as without weekly deworming and drenching almost every sheep operation in the humid Eastern USA could fail and your investment would be lost.

 

 

And Your Investment in Sheep in the Eastern USA Could Fail, Regardless.

Investors in agriculture are not going to spend millions of dollars on infrastructure for sheep farming in the Eastern USA if they think the future is uncertain.

And many investors who understand the chemical foundation of "Big Agriculture" may know something that we do not know, that every commercial sheep farm in the Eastern USA that relies on chemical dewormers could fail someday. Here is why:

The medicines used for deworming sheep are called "Anthelmintics" and the ability of Barber's Pole worm and other parasites to mutate and overcome these chemical dewormers is called "Anthelmintic resistance."

There are three major categories of Anhemintics, (benzimidazoles, moxidectin, and levamisole) and all three are in danger of failing due to ever more resistant strains of parasitic worms.

The article on Wikipedia about "Anthelmentic resistance" states that:

 
 

"Anthelmintic resistance in parasites is widespread; drug resistance exists in all livestock hosts and to all anthelmintic drug classes. This is a major threat to the sustainability of modern ruminant livestock production, resulting in reduced productivity, compromised animal health and welfare, and increased greenhouse gas emissions through increased parasitism and farm inputs. A database of published and unpublished European AR research on gastrointestinal nematodes was collated in 2020. A total of 197 publications were available for analysis, representing 535 studies in 22 countries and spanning the period 1980–2020. Results in sheep and goats since 2010 reveal an average prevalence of resistance to benzimidazoles of 86%, moxidectin 52%, and levamisole 48%. All major gastrointestinal nematode genera survived treatment in various studies."

 

 
 

Chemical dewormers are not the long term answer, as one day a super resistant strain of parasitic worm will arise, and destroy much of the sheep industry where parasitic worms are prevalent.

It is only a matter of time until Nature overcomes man-made chemicals.

The writing is on the wall. Chemical Agriculture is being weighed in the balance, and found wanting.

 

 

The Answer for Large Scale Commercial Production in the Eastern USA is...

 
 


100% Parasite Resistant St. Croix Sheep

 Raising Only Chemical Free and Parasite Resistant Sheep that Are Suitable for Humid Conditions.

This is what farmers did prior to the development of chemical dewormers in the 1950's, or else they did not raise sheep in areas with high humidity.

Other parasite resistant (and small carcase) breeds that can be raised in the Southeast USA without dewormers are the Barbados Blackbelly, the Florida Native, and the Gulf Coast Native.

 

 

St. Croix Sheep May Be the Solution for Building Large, Sustainable Sheep Flocks in the Eastern USA.

 
 

The St. Croix Sheep I raise have no real labor cost. St. Croix Sheep are:

  • 100% Worm Resistant, and need no FAMACHA Testing or Deworming.
  • Do not need Shearing, as they are Hair Sheep.
  • They do not require Vaccination.
  • They do not require hoof trimming
  • They lamb without assistance and do not need a lambing pen.
  • They are cold hardy for Tennessee, and can be raised without a barn.
  • They can be caught by hand, and do not require a sheep chute.

 

 
 

Note: Some St. Croix producers do use dewormers and vaccines to boost productivity by letting all of their sheep survive, which allows individuals with these negative traits to pass their genetics through the flock. They should let Nature cull the unfit, and not use chemicals.

 

 

So What is Wrong with St. Croix Sheep?

Many commercial buyers consider the carcase of a St. Croix sheep to be too small to be valuable. Ewes weight around 120 lbs and rams 165 lbs.

St. Croix do not grow as fast as the other "industrialized" sheep breeds. St. Croix sheep are usually raised on grass and are slow growing, and may take up to 9 months to fill out completely.

 


St.Croix Sheep (120-165 lbs.)

 

 

Other Sheep Breeds

The Dorper and Texel have a much larger carcase size and grow faster, but have almost no worm resistance and require constant deworming.

They need weekly FAMACHA testing and drenching, and so are unsuitable for building a large "hands free" flock in Tennessee.

The Katahdin and Royal White sheep breeds have a large carcase and worm resistance, as these breeds are derived from the St. Croix.

The Katahdin is a cross between the St. Croix and Wiltshire Horn and other breeds, while the Royal White is a cross between the St. Croix and a White Dorper.

Both the Katahdin and Royal White breeds have higher worm resistance than the Dorper and Texel and so need less deworming, but they are still not "hands free" as they require testing and drenching.

If any of these four large commercial breeds were suitable for Tennessee, they would have already produced large commercial flocks here.

I am not aware of anyone in Tennessee raising Katahdin or Royal White sheep without occasionally using dewormers.

Here is my experience:

A few years ago, I purchased a registered Royal White ram lamb for breeding purposes, and I never dewormed it. It died from worms before it was a year old.

Although young, this Royal White ram bred one of my St. Croix Ewes, and the offspring of this union died from worms before it was 8 months old.

The Royal White breed and cross bred offspring require constant individual attention to survive the worm load in Tennessee.

In a way, I was fortunate that the Royal White lamb did not pass on its less worm resistant genetics to the rest of my St. Croix flock.

But the perceived advantage is that the Dorper, Texel, Katahdin, and Royal White sheep breeds are much "larger" than the St. Croix and so are considered "better" by commercial sheep buyers.

These larger breeds are highly sought after, but are rare and limited in availability in Tennessee due to the labor cost involved.

 


Dorper Sheep (180-230 lbs.)

 


Texel Sheep (185-240 lbs.)

 


Katahdin Sheep (145-210 lbs.)

 


Royal White Sheep (150-250 lbs.)

 

 

So What are the Solutions?

1. Create a large Katahdin / Royal White flock and cull any sheep that require dewormers in Tennessee to create a 100% parasite resistant flock with a large carcase size. (This could be expensive and take a long time.)

2. Improve the St. Croix Sheep Breed by culling smaller sheep to produce a larger carcase size. (Not as expensive, but could take several years.)

3. Develop a CSA (Community Shares Association) that is educated about the benefits of chemical free St. Croix sheep and would be content with a smaller carcase size. (This can be done immediately.)

 


St. Croix Sheep

I am pursuing Solution #2 and #3, and growing my parasite resistant St. Croix sheep flock into a large commercial size flock in Tennessee.