Over the years, my father and I had tried quite a few different breeds.  We started in the late 1980s with a mix of Rambouillet, Hampshire, Shropshire and Suffolk ewes.  These were crossed with Dorset rams.  Around 1998 we knew we had to change something.  From '88 to '97 our average weaning rate was 1.33 lambs per ewe.  We were not making a whole lot of money for the work involved.  So, we brought in Polypay and a Romanov x East Friesian rams.  The first thing we noticed was that ewe lambs could be as productive as mature ewes.  Our ewes starting raising triplets successfully.  From 1998 through 2007 my dad's flock weaning rate averaged 1.56.

In 2001, I started my own flock of Polypay, East Friesian x Romanov  and Columbia ewes. My first lambing was in 2002.  From 2002 through 2007 my flock weaned an average of 1.7 lambs per ewe.  During that time I was searching for the perfect breed/cross.  My flock had two types: very prolific ewes, which were harder to manage and "easy care" sheep that I hoped would work with well with my off-farm employment. 

The very prolific ewes were a mix of Romanov, East Friesian and Polypay breeds.  These sheep were harder to manage because they required better health and nutrition practices, required more help at lambing and often had more orphan lambs (especially the Polypays).  The "easy care" sheep were Columbia crosses which were big and tough, but not especially prolific.  The very prolific sheep were more profitable, but it seemed a guy could handle more of the "easy care" sheep, so I continued with a split flock.

Then came the ethanol mandate.  In 2005, corn averaged $1.76 per bushel and lambs were $1.05 per pound.  By 2007, corn was running $3.37 a bushel and lamb fell to $0.97.  If we thought things were bad in 1998, they looked downright hopeless in 2007.  My father sold his flock.  That fall, I took a few days to strategize on a plan going forward.  I came up with a software system that would help me manage my flock based on sound business principles.  Two things became clear: I had to cut costs (especially feed costs) and I hand to get my unit production up.  The "easy care" sheep had to go.

I now have a flock that is primarily Polypay, East Friesian and Romanov crosses; some Suffolk ewes were recently added as well.  Over the last few years I've progressed from searching for the perfect breed/cross to seeking individual animals with exceptional production.  While there are certainly differences between breeds, there is probably as much variation within a single breed as there is across breed averages.  Consequently, I am always looking for exceptional individual animals, regardless of breed.  Still, it is obvious that there is a better chance of finding those individuals in some breeds than others.  The odds of finding a Southdown that can meet my production requirements is lower than that of a Polypay.

I have identified the following breeds to have the most potential for my system, but am open to any animal that has shown exceptional production performance.

Polypay:
I have been raising Polypay sheep for nearly 15 years .  Based on NSIP data, it would seem that the average Polypay cannot really out-produce an average Suffolk, especially for feeder lamb production.  However, a top-end Polypay can be incredibly productive.  Over the last 5 years, my mature Polypays have weaned 2.11 lambs per year that finished to 138 lbs.

East Friesian:
If your ewes have a lot of triplets and quads, it doesn't take long to figure out that milk is a limiting factor.  East Friesians add milk production, growth and prolificacy.  Over the last 5 years, my mature high-percentage Friesian cross ewes have produced 2.03 lambs that finished to 135 lbs.  The big advantage of the Friesian is in the weaning weights and first year performance of the ewe.  Friesians cross ewe lambs wean lambs that are much heavier than other breeds.  In 2011, Friesian-sired ewe lambs weaned twins that were 10% heavier than the twins weaned by Polypay-sired ewe lambs and had total litter weights 40% higher!

Romanov:
I have not been especially impressed with Romanovs as a pure breed.  Over the last 5 years my mature Romanov ewes have produced 2.30 lambs averaging 112 lbs (not Romanov sired lambs).  I find their value is in cross breeding.  My mature 1/4 Romanov ewes produce 2.28 lambs per ewe that finish at 128 lbs.

Finn:
I don't have any Finnsheep at this time, but may in the future.  I would generally prefer a Romanov to a Finn.

Rideau:
I don't have any Rideau sheep at this time, but am very interested in importing some semen from Canada.  I think this breed could outperform Polypays.

Suffolk:
It is hard to match the growth performance of Suffolks.  The problem is that some breeders have sacrificed too much to obtain that growth.  Fortunately, there is a lot of diversity in the Suffolk breed.  There are still some moderate-framed, heavy bodied Suffolks out there.  In 2010 and 2011, I added a total of 9 heavy-bodied Suffolk ewe lambs.  I am hoping to mate them to some maternal rams to infuse growth into the gene pool without sacrificing maternal characteristics.  They will not be given any preferential treatment; if they can perform, I will retain their daughters; otherwise they will be culled.

Charollais:
I have had limited experience with Charollais, but was very impressed with them for light to medium weight lamb production.  The vigor of the lambs at birth is very good.  The muscling is incredible and they have almost a magical ability to condition on pasture.  I sold my ram but kept a son from him (Suffolk dam).