Stud Service (Sheep & Goat)
I am planning to start offering East Friesian sheep and possibly Oberhasli goat stud service starting Fall 2025. This is designed to provide small flock and herd owners with the opportunity to breed their females to quality male studs without the hassle or expense of maintaining a stud year-round, or finding a new stud (and getting rid of the old stud) every year or two. I do not let my studs leave my homestead, but you may bring your females here.
How does it work? Each stud has a pen and a shelter where he can be housed with a small group of females at a time - up to eight. Every Saturday, one group of females leave and another group arrives later in the day. The stud spends the entire week, day and night, with the females. They are provided hay, shelter, and water. They do not have access to pasture during this time. If your animals have special feed needs, you may provide the feed but there is no boarding discount. I also recommend bringing a grain or pelletized supplement that you have been using to "flush" your females for 1-2 weeks prior to breeding. This increases the likelihood of multiple births. Please be advised I will feed this daily and the stud will have access to it as well.
How much does it cost? Please see below. There are two fees include in the price: boarding and the stud fee. The boarding covers one week of hay, water, shelter, and access to a mineral salt lick. This fee is charged for every week the female is here. The stud fee is based on the male selected and is charged once whether the female is here one, two, or three weeks. Please see the males listed below for stud fees. Up to eight females can be put in with a stud at a time. More than this, and I think it runs the risk of a female slipping by unbred.
What costs are excluded/extra? Any special feed, treatments, or care is not included and will cost extra. Special feed must be supplied by you. Any veterinary costs or health care your animals may need is entirely your expense. Any pregnancy or disease testing is entirely your expense. Other than feeding a grain supplement as part of flusing, I do not provide any animal care services. If your animal is lactating and you would like her to be milked while here, I cannot promise I can offer this services, so please contact me.
Do you guarantee pregnancy? No, I do not guarantee pregnancy. If you keep your females near an intact male, such as one of another breed, you will likely need to synchronize estrus before you bring them so you know they are ready to breed. If you do not keep a male nearby, that should not be necessary. Both sheep and goats tend to experience a "buck" or "ram" effect. This is when a fertile female is exposed to the presence of a male after not being around them, it triggers ovulation and they are susceptible to breeding. This should occur within that week they are spending with the stud. If they have been around another male, even if he is on the other side of the fence or on a neighbor's property where they can smell him, this effect may not work. They may be cycling already, in which case they are susceptible to breeding about every 14-19 days (17 days being average). If you do not want to synchronize estrus, you may consider a longer exposure to the stud or gamble that she will be receptive during the week she is here.
Any recommendations to improve breeding success? I recommend synchronizing estrus if you keep your girls around a male. If you don't, then no need for that. I do recommend for all breeding females to flush them first. Flushing is feeding them improved rations for about one to two weeks prior to and during breeding. This signals to their body that things are plentiful, they may put on a little weight even, and they are more likely to release more eggs when they ovulate, which means they are more likely to twin or even triplet than just have a single. Of course flushing is not guaranteed to work on every female, but I find it does help. When flushing, you want to ease into the increased rations by feeding small portions of grain the first time and then increasing with each feeding. If you want the grain portion to continue while they are here breeding, just provide the grain that you have been feeding them and we will give it to them up to twice daily at no extra charge. I do recommend continuing flushing while they are here with the stud.
How do I schedule a breeding? Right now, you will need to email or text me to schedule a breeding. I require a deposit when booking and a signed agreement, which I provide. When you drop the girls off, you will pay the breeding fee. When you pick them up, you pay the balance of the boarding fee. If you are late picking them up, there is a penalty, as well as I will hopefully have other females to breed.
Do you require testing/vaccination of the females? I have considered requiring testing or vaccinations, but at this time I do not. I prefer vaccinated livestock, but I will accept your females if they appear healthy. All females I hold in a pen near to a stud for 12-24 hours to observe them. If they appear well, which I assume they will, I then move them in with the stud. This contact throught he fence still helps with the ram/buck effect and breeding should not miss their receptive window. If you have had illness in your flock, I ask that you not bring them for breeding.
I do require scrapies tags on all animals brought for breeding. I also track breeding and will need information on all of your females for my records. If there is concern for any sort of outbreak or illness, or if you have a buyer in the future who want to verify pedigree, I keep records to assist with this. I do not use it for reporting to anyone else.
How does it work? Each stud has a pen and a shelter where he can be housed with a small group of females at a time - up to eight. Every Saturday, one group of females leave and another group arrives later in the day. The stud spends the entire week, day and night, with the females. They are provided hay, shelter, and water. They do not have access to pasture during this time. If your animals have special feed needs, you may provide the feed but there is no boarding discount. I also recommend bringing a grain or pelletized supplement that you have been using to "flush" your females for 1-2 weeks prior to breeding. This increases the likelihood of multiple births. Please be advised I will feed this daily and the stud will have access to it as well.
How much does it cost? Please see below. There are two fees include in the price: boarding and the stud fee. The boarding covers one week of hay, water, shelter, and access to a mineral salt lick. This fee is charged for every week the female is here. The stud fee is based on the male selected and is charged once whether the female is here one, two, or three weeks. Please see the males listed below for stud fees. Up to eight females can be put in with a stud at a time. More than this, and I think it runs the risk of a female slipping by unbred.
What costs are excluded/extra? Any special feed, treatments, or care is not included and will cost extra. Special feed must be supplied by you. Any veterinary costs or health care your animals may need is entirely your expense. Any pregnancy or disease testing is entirely your expense. Other than feeding a grain supplement as part of flusing, I do not provide any animal care services. If your animal is lactating and you would like her to be milked while here, I cannot promise I can offer this services, so please contact me.
Do you guarantee pregnancy? No, I do not guarantee pregnancy. If you keep your females near an intact male, such as one of another breed, you will likely need to synchronize estrus before you bring them so you know they are ready to breed. If you do not keep a male nearby, that should not be necessary. Both sheep and goats tend to experience a "buck" or "ram" effect. This is when a fertile female is exposed to the presence of a male after not being around them, it triggers ovulation and they are susceptible to breeding. This should occur within that week they are spending with the stud. If they have been around another male, even if he is on the other side of the fence or on a neighbor's property where they can smell him, this effect may not work. They may be cycling already, in which case they are susceptible to breeding about every 14-19 days (17 days being average). If you do not want to synchronize estrus, you may consider a longer exposure to the stud or gamble that she will be receptive during the week she is here.
Any recommendations to improve breeding success? I recommend synchronizing estrus if you keep your girls around a male. If you don't, then no need for that. I do recommend for all breeding females to flush them first. Flushing is feeding them improved rations for about one to two weeks prior to and during breeding. This signals to their body that things are plentiful, they may put on a little weight even, and they are more likely to release more eggs when they ovulate, which means they are more likely to twin or even triplet than just have a single. Of course flushing is not guaranteed to work on every female, but I find it does help. When flushing, you want to ease into the increased rations by feeding small portions of grain the first time and then increasing with each feeding. If you want the grain portion to continue while they are here breeding, just provide the grain that you have been feeding them and we will give it to them up to twice daily at no extra charge. I do recommend continuing flushing while they are here with the stud.
How do I schedule a breeding? Right now, you will need to email or text me to schedule a breeding. I require a deposit when booking and a signed agreement, which I provide. When you drop the girls off, you will pay the breeding fee. When you pick them up, you pay the balance of the boarding fee. If you are late picking them up, there is a penalty, as well as I will hopefully have other females to breed.
Do you require testing/vaccination of the females? I have considered requiring testing or vaccinations, but at this time I do not. I prefer vaccinated livestock, but I will accept your females if they appear healthy. All females I hold in a pen near to a stud for 12-24 hours to observe them. If they appear well, which I assume they will, I then move them in with the stud. This contact throught he fence still helps with the ram/buck effect and breeding should not miss their receptive window. If you have had illness in your flock, I ask that you not bring them for breeding.
I do require scrapies tags on all animals brought for breeding. I also track breeding and will need information on all of your females for my records. If there is concern for any sort of outbreak or illness, or if you have a buyer in the future who want to verify pedigree, I keep records to assist with this. I do not use it for reporting to anyone else.
Under construction ... check back for more information.
I will be listing rams and one buck available for stud service ideally posted before summer 2025. I will start taking reservations as soon as possible.
SHAWN: 93.75% East Friesian, 6.25% Lacaune Ram
Under construction ...
SÉ GERÁLD: 100% East Friesian Ram
Under construction ...
SEAMUS: 100% East Friesian Ram
Under construction ...
STANLEY: 100% American Oberhasli Buck
Under construction ...
