Friends of Slate Run Farm
Animal of the Month
The animals at Slate Run Farm are much the same as those that would have been found on a family farm in Ohio in the 1880's. Many visitors are curious about our animals. Each month we'll share some information about a different type of animal found at the farm.
What animal would you like to learn more about?
Email us at friends@friendsofslaterunfarm.org and tell us your choice. The animal with the most votes will be featured next month.
CATTLE
This month we'll feature our cattle.
Our cattle are all Milking Shorthorns, originally called Durhams, and were all born here on the Farm. This was the most common breed of cows in central Ohio in the 1880’s.
We currently have four bovines (two moms and their two calves).
There are 2 cows (females that have had calves). They are : Sassafras, red with a white belly, and Tulip, all red with a black tulip-shaped patch on her side. Cows can be milked only after they have had a calf.
Our newest calf was born on Saturday, June 25th. His name is Dutch. He is a male (bull) calf and his mom is Sassafras. Sassafras was born here in 2007. This is her third calf.
Tulip had a calf in April . Her name is Poppy and she is a heifer (young female).
OUR SHEEP
For the past several years, all of our sheep have been Merinos, a breed developed in Spain, and were the most common sheep in this area in the 1880’s. The original Merinos had very wrinkled skin and were known for their fine wool. The modern Merinos still have the best wool, but the wrinkled skin has been bred out of them. Our sheep have been back bred to return to the wrinkled skin.
This year, however, we are trying something a little different. Here's an excerpt from our monthly volunteer newsletter "Slate" that introduces the new breed to the farm.
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--from the April 2009 "Slate"
A New Breed of Sheep on the Farm
The new ram that has produced this year's crop of lambs is a breed known as Southdown. The Southdown was at one time the favorite meat breed, with a medium-small size, but good weight. It has a short broad head, dark legs, and a face partly covered with wool. Unlike the Merinos, the Southdown ram has no horns.
It is one of the oldest English breeds, originating in the South Downs, a hilly portion of southeastern England. Other breeds are now more popular for meat production.
The Southdown fleece is medium wool, and its short staple is suitable for spinning into fine yarn. Breeding the Southdown ram with the Merino ewes produces lambs that still have good wool but are better for meat production than pure Merinos.
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The sheep are sheared only once each year in the spring. Some of the wool goes to market and the rest is given to the school groups to take back to the classroom. The sticky feel of the wool is caused by lanolin, a naturally occurring oil. When the wool is commercially processed, the lanolin is washed out and used in lotions.
The female sheep are known as ewes, and the male is a ram. A castrated male is a whether, and the young are lambs.
Most Merino ewes give birth to a single lamb, but can have twins. The ewe lambs stay with the flock to replace old ewes that are sent to market, and the ram lambs stay only until they are old enough to market. The tails of the ewes, and any rams we keep, are normally docked, or cut off, for sanitary purposes. The sheep do not have names, only ear tags for identification.
Jan H.
