$850:

Merino Rams are born in April and May each year. They are free range. They are young, and easy to handle. We like to use 2-year-old rams for two seasons. The first year, you may see some confusing attempts at first (crayon on sides and heads of ewes, etc.). But they usually manage to figure it out by January/February after the ewes cycle twice. You will have late spring lambs.

The second year they know what to do and go right to it. If you breed early, you can even sell your ram to a late season breeder the same year.

Separate rams from ewes by February or March so you don’t end up with really late lambs. Summer flies can be miserable on young lambs, often making tail banding impossible. The current ram, “Surprise” was born in August, thus he still has his tail. It doesn’t interfere with his job. Tails on females are not desirable as some ewes contaminate their tails with manure and urine and in Michigan winter months they become 40 pound icicles.

For 2024 we have:

Eeyore: Born in 2022 white stud, born on the farm with Missouri genetics. Not too many wrinkles. His sire was Tzar, a gorgeous black stud (standing at stud on Mayberry Farm in Northville, MI). He has scurs, not heavy horns. Tail was banded. Very mellow, but big and tall.

Surprise: 2022, white (with fabulous horns) stud, out of old-style merino mom (Moorhouse Farms breeding) and Tzar a natural color stud born on our farm (Genopallette/Missouri). This boy will give you wrinkled babies, thus producing additional wool. He was born in August, so to avoid fly strike and get him on pasture, his tail is in tact.

Hay prices went up this year, thus feeding and keeping the studs is more expensive. A Two-Year-Old stud is $850. Both studs were given mature and seasoned ewes from November 15 to December 23, to learn how to breed. They will be 2 years and 9 months old for the 2024 breeding season.