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Our family farming operation is located in West-Central Illinois about 25 miles northwest of Macomb. We began raising Katahdins in 1995 when we purchased our first group of ewes from Laura and Doug Fortmeyer in Kansas, Donna and Bill Watkins and the Troy Park’s family from Illinois, and the Jim Lovelace family from Troy, Missouri. Our first main breeding ram, HHF 300, was purchased from Donna and Bill Watkins as well. We currently have 170 breeding ewes and five main rams on the farm. We are enrolled in the Volunteer Flock Scrapie Certification Program (VFSCP) since April 2000, and are looking forward to receiving our scrapie-free certification this year. We have also implemented the use of the FAMACHA program for parasite monitoring and prevention within our flock, which we have found very beneficial since receiving our training. It is a very simple, yet valuable tool for flock improvement. We Codon 171 genetic test all of our breeding stock during weaning time, which affords us the opportunity to select for QR and RR lines. We have also maintained a 200% lamb crop yearly, which we feel is very important to the growth, development, and profitability of a sheep operation. On the farm, we are very conscientious of the health and diet of our sheep. We use a rotational pasture grazing program in the spring and summer months, and supplement our sheep with a home-grown hay supply in the winter. Our hay is a high-quality, well-balanced alfalfa-grass mix, which we typically cut four times yearly. We continuously offer a free-choice sheep mineral that has been enhanced with Vitamin E and Zinc. We are very enthusiastic about the progress we have made on our farm thus far, as we approach our tenth anniversary in Katahdins. We are equally excited for the many opportunities that lie ahead.
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Brokaw Farms strives to produce quality, good milking ewes and rams built up to our finest breeding specifications. Our market lambs have been raised to meet our breed meat specifications, as well. We have a quality pasture supply for our sheep, and during the winter months our ewes and rams are supplemented with a home-grown hay and grain ration.
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Our farm’s main focus lies in the ability to produce hearty, sound, functional, and parasite resistant lambs that will grow and take to the pasture with ease as expected. Our market lamb strategy involves raising fast-growing lambs that produce a high quality meat product that is centered on length of loin, thickness of leg, and overall marbling. We focus on maternal traits in our breeding ewes, which include high milk production, ease of lambing, and superior maternal instinct. Our ewes are selected for size and growth, but moreover for their ability to produce multiple births with above average growth and vigor. We expect our ewes to take to their lambs immediately after lambing and to provide the necessary care expected. We keep accurate records on each ewe’s ability to care for her offspring. In addition to our ewe selection, we place much focus and importance on the selection of well-balanced rams that coordinate with our ewe characteristics and that meet our expectations in fertility, growth, soundness, masculinity, and prolificacy. We feel it is very important to select rams that will transfer positive maternal traits to his daughters. Each year we offer 90-100 registerable breeding ewe lambs, and the top 10% of the ram crop for sale on the farm. We select the highest quality rams for sale to breeders, as we feel it is important to provide others with the genetically superior stock our farm strives to produce. Each year we sell a large number of our young male lambs for to a local Easter Market. This has been a great opportunity for our farm, as we have the chance to sell a large number of lambs to a profitable market.
We feel so blessed with such a great group of friends in the Katahdin community, and are very appreciative to the many buyers that have placed their trust in our farm over the past ten years.
We will have breeding stock available for sale this spring. If you are interested in information on our lambs or our genetic lines please feel free to call or write.
We welcome all to stop by and visit.
Pat, Brenda and Family
RR1 Box 39
Stronghurst, IL 61480
309-924-1510
pbbrokaw@monmouthnet.net
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Katahdin