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Breeding Goals

We select our sheep to be functional, to require little supervision, and to be both physically and genetically vigorous. Some of our criteria are listed below:

1. Easy care. We select our sheep to require little attention. We cull individuals showing poor maternal instincts as well as those having health or temperament issues.
2. Early and year-round breeding . We expect our ewe lambs to breed prior to 1 year of age (winter ewe lambs produce their first lambs near their first birthday), and to breed back quickly. Most ewes produce lambs every 8 months.
3. Good growth / weight gains. Originally, we planned to minimize use of hay and supplements while growing lambs on unimproved rangeland pastures in spring. After a year of drought it became apparent that the Mediterranean environment of the Central Valley would not reliably support sheep without irrigation. We recently changed from a low-input system with once a year lambing, to a modified STAR lambing system to produce lambs 3-4 times per year, with creep-feed for lambs, and supplemental hay for most of the year. We measure a ewe's lamb production by weighing her lambs at birth, and at approximately 90 days, to determine which produce the most weight gain in their lambs. We select for ewes that produce twins regularly. Ewes that produce lambs with below-average growth are culled.
4. Parasite resistance. Internal parasite resistance (to barber pole worms and some other roundworms) is a valuable attribute of the St Croix sheep, and can only be maintained in the breed by allowing sheep to show their degree of resistance. Thus, any ewe that needs frequent worming is culled from our flock. We use rotational grazing and mixed species grazing (with cattle) to lower parasite loads. We usually worm lambs that are out on grass once in late spring; we worm adult sheep only rarely (once per year on average). We also recognize that St Croix sheep have not demonstrated resistance to lung worms, liver flukes, or nasal bots, and so we will treat the entire flock if these parasites begin to accumulate.
5. Improved Conformation. We select for longer and straighter backs, straighter and more correct legs, somewhat larger bone, and additional thickness over the loin. We like to see masculine rams with a good mane, and feminine ewes with a graceful neck and a well-placed udder.
6. Conservation of genetic diversity. Conservation breeding focuses on maintaining genetic diversity. Our conservation breeding plan was developed in cooperation with the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. We strive to maintain 4 lines (or families) of St Croix sheep within our flock, so that we can both conserve the genetic distinctiveness of these lines and provide several relatively unrelated families for buyers to choose from. To reduce the genetic impact of any one individual (part of conservation breeding), even exceptional rams are used only once or twice before being replaced.