Click on Pictures Below To View Pictures of Our Sheep

TEXAS DALL SHEEP

Click Here or on Picture above for our Texas Dall Sheep

PAINTED DESERT SHEEP

Click Here or on Picture Above for our Painted Desert Sheep

WILTSHIRE HORN SHEEP

Click Here or on Picture Above for our Wiltshire Horn Sheep

NM DAHL SHEEP

Click Here or on Picture Above to See Pictures of our NM Dahl Sheep

HORNED DORSET SHEEP

Click Here or on Picture Above to See Pictures of our Horned Dorset Sheep

CORSICAN & MOUFLON SHEEP

Click Here or on Picture Above for our Corsican Sheep

JACOB SHEEP

Click Here or on Picture Above to See Pictures of our Horned Dorset Sheep

HYBRID or "COMPOSITE" SHEEP

Click Here or on Picture Above to See Pictures of our Hybrid/Composite Sheep 

HAND CRAFTED HORN BUTTONS FOR SALE!

SHEEP PELTS FOR SALE!

We proudly feature Texas Dall Sheep & Registered Painted Desert Sheep.  We also have a new sheep breed under development called the NM Dahl.   We also have wool sheep - the rare Jacob Sheep & the beautiful Horned Dorset Sheep.

ABOUT OUR SHEEP & SOME OF THE BLOODLINES WE HAVE:

• Grained with premium natural feed during winter and also during pregnancy months/lambing.

• Vaccinated appropriately.  We use Covexin 8.

• Wormed as needed.

• Given proper hoof care.

• Not given any hormones.

• We do not let more than one ram in at a time with our ewe flocks - we know the dam and the sire of all of our lambs born here at Rafter SB and many times we know grandparents and beyond!

• Most of our foundational rams for our Painted Desert Sheep are straight from farms and ranches in Texas and they have the horns and the conformation of what you would expect, including Cheyenne Tybalt Warrior (GOLD CLASS HORNS) and Blackwood's Tuff Champagne (SILVER CLASS HORNS).  Both Cheyenne Farm and Blackwood's Painted Desert Sheep pride themselves on high quality horn genetics.  We also have the color and horn genetics from JJ's Desert Dakota - a GOLD CLASS Black/White Ram. Pictured below are Cheyenne Tybalt Warrior, Blackwood's Tuff Champagne, both here at Rafter SB. JJ's Desert Dakota is pictured on the below right at JJ's Painted Desert Sheep in Texas.

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• In Late Summer of 2007, we added the bloodlines of SANDOAH ACHERS of Michigan when we purchased their ENTIRE Adult Ewe and Ewe Lamb Flock as they needed to sadly leave sheep breeding.  We also purchased our Corsican Ram, Noah; and our now SILVER CLASS Painted Desert Ram, Rafter SB Sandoah Sequel from Sandoah Achers. 1/2 of the ewe flock and all of the ewe lambs, Noah, and Sequel came home with us to Ohio with the rest of the sheep being wintered in Michigan as per agreement.   In Late Winter/ Early Spring of 2008, a ranch in Butternut, Wisconsin, purchased the remaining 1/2 of the adult Sandoah Achers ewes and one former bottle baby which were still in Michigan awaiting our pick up. Meanwhile, we have continued the tradition of quality breeding with the Sandoah sheep and their offspring which we have retained and have sold. Buyers/breeders from New Mexico to Wisconsin to Kentucky to Massachussetts and in between, are now utilizing sheep with Sandoah Achers/Rafter SB horn genetics. Pictured below: FIRST ROW: Sandoah Ewe Lambs from 2007 and the 1/2 of the Sandoah Acher Adult Ewe Flock we kept, along with Sequel and Noah.  SECOND ROW: The 1/2 of the Sandoah Acher Adult Ewe Flock in Michigan which was sold to ranch in Wisconsin in 2008. Pictures are from September 2007.

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• In the Fall of 2007, we added color genetics from Blackwood's Painted Desert Sheep in Texas thru purchase of their entire Flock including their beautiful black/white ram: Blackwood's Cruiser.  Knowing that they needed to get out of sheep breeding for a few months, we gladly welcomed the Blackwood Flock and look forward to the second lambing from Cruiser due in 2008/2009. Pictured Below is the Blackwood Flock here at Rafter SB in October of 2007.

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• In December 2007, we added the horn genetics from Moondust Ranch in California via our handsome black/white ram who now has GOLD CLASS HORNS: Moondust Blackstone, Registered Painted Desert Ram. Blackstone also contains bloodlines from JJ's Desert Dakota, Gold Class Black/White Ram.  Pictured Below Left is Blackstone's Arrival in December 2007 and Below Right is Blackstone here at Rafter SB in March 2008.

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• In Summer of 2008, we were able to procure the sire to a few of our favorite ewes, Bentley's Ecliptic Granite, from Lazy JV Ranch in Kentucky. This ram was born in Texas, raised in Kentucky and now resides with us.  He has seen quite a bit of the country as he has been used for live shows.  He has good conformation/show genetics and good color genetics and is Bronze Class. Pictured Below is Ecliptic here at Rafter SB.

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• Our Texas Dall foundational Ewes & Painted Desert foundational Ewes were selected for having great rams & ewes in their known background and come from KY, TX, & OH.  We are currently in process of revamping and heavily improving bloodlines of our Texas Dall Flock in order to continue to offer you the best Texas Dall Sheep that we are able to produce in the future. Pictured below is our favorite Texas Dall Ewe we raised from a weanling lamb, Echo.

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• We had the FIRST Registered Painted Desert Sheep Flock in OHIO and the FIRST Registered Painted Desert Sheep in SOUTH DAKOTA! Pictured Below, TOP ROW: most of our Adult Ewe Flocks here in Ohio with 2008/2009 "clean up" ram, Rafter SB White Lightning, SECOND ROW: our 2007/2008 Ewe Lambs we are retaining.    BOTTOM ROW: our Sheep out in South Dakota (which have since joined us here in Ohio).

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• Brief advantages of Hair Sheep:

  • Texas Dall Sheep, Painted Desert Sheep, NM Dahl Sheep & Wiltshire Horn Sheep are considered hair breeds and will shed their "wooly" undercoat during the spring months - NO SHEARING NEEDED!

  • Painted Desert Sheep are beautifully colored with spots, stripes, and speckles - some brightly while others are only minimally spotted! Texas Dall Sheep are all white and Black Hawaiian Sheep are all black with a grey muzzle sometimes or a bronze hair tint from the sun in the summer.

  • Hair Breeds are less susceptible to both internal and external parasites than wool breeds! However, internal parasite control is extremely important.  Talk to your local veterinarian for specific needs and best treatment for your location.

  • Hair Sheep differ in hoof growth based on environment, feed, & genetics.  Be sure to provide hoof care as needed.

  • Bottle fed ewes can be great and unique pets if, as with any pet, they are cared for properly!

  • Texas Dall, Black Hawaiian, and Painted Desert Rams can grow trophy size horns of 30+ in length.  A World Record of 52 X 52 is held by a Texas Dall Ram!

  • The meat from hair sheep is leaner and has less of a mutton taste!

   

• Sales Information:

  When Lambs or Adult Sheep are available for sale they will be posted on our Sale Rink Page.  We also offer handcrafted Horn Buttons and Sheep Pelts for sale.

  If you would like to be notified when any Adult Sheep or Lambs are available for sale and are posted on our Sale Rink Page, please Email Us to be placed on our Lamb List.

  Please note that many times we have received Reservation Deposits.  The First Deposit received gives sender first choice of any available sheep for that season, the second deposit gives second choice, etc.   For Painted Desert Lambs, this usually means that our most colorful lambs are spoken for before they are even placed on our Sale Rink Page.  Please consider contacting us for more information about Reservation Deposits.

   

As you can probably tell, the sheep are our lives and we have chosen our foundational sheep as well as any new sheep providing new bloodlines very selectively!  Please feel free to contact us with any questions!

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Scroll Down or click on the links below:

Special Sheep Links

Click Here to visit a Page full of Silly, Funny, & Darling Sheep Pictures!

Thank you to all who have generously offered pictures for this page!

CLICK HERE to visit the Rafter SB Sale Rink for Rafter SB Livestock for sale

CLICK HERE to visit the Rafter SB Favorite Links Page.  Listed Breeders may have livestock for sale at this time

CLICK HERE to see first pictures of new lambs!

The 2009/2010 Lambing Season is just getting started!  Pictures are posted for your enjoyment of our new lambs.  PLEASE NOTE not all of these lambs pictures will be available for sale.

Click on the following buttons to view detailed information about the Corsican Family of Sheep, including Painted Desert, Texas Dall, & Black Hawaiian

Did you know that there are Sheep Farmers who raise Hair or Shedding Sheep across the world - including Barbados Blackbelly Sheep?  Have you heard of Nolana Sheep?  And what are Kamerun Sheep? Is there a breed named "Easy Care" Sheep?

Sheep farmers from around the world have opportunities to learn from each other thru sharing experiences and results of crossbreeding experiments with the advent of the Internet.  You can not only share with your fellow sheep farmers here in the United States, but you can follow the efforts of sheep farmers from Europe and beyond.

We, at Rafter SB, encourage you to explore how sheep farmers everywhere are focusing on hair sheep and are developing new breeds and working to improve current breeds.  Visit the links in the box to the right and learn from sheep breeders across the world!

The Nolana Network Germany is an Association in Germany that is dedicated to promoting hair sheep breeding in Germany and knowledge of hair sheep breeding on a global level.  Rafter SB is pleased to be  a cooperation partner in spreading and sharing knowledge about hair sheep breeding.

This network offers links to various Hair Sheep Breeders and Breeds in an effort to spread knowledge and assist in exchanges of information throughout the sheep breeding world.

Shows In Which Our Sheep Appear

Click on this link to view Results and pictures of the winning Painted Desert Sheep in several shows from around the nation.

If you show Registered Painted Desert Sheep, PLEASE let us know and we will be glad to include you on this page!

Updated each year after show season - so check back!

Click here to see additional Pictures from the 2008 Washington County Farmers & Merchants Open Sheep Show in Salem, Indiana!

Click here to see additional Pictures from the 2008 Southern Slam Open Hair Sheep Show in Chrisney, IN!

Click here to see pictures from the 2006 Southern Slam Open Hair Sheep Show in Chrisney, IN!

The show was held on June 3, 2006.  Look for   some of our sheep in the show as well as other magnificent Painted Desert Sheep.  Enjoy pics of PD and TD sheep in the arena!

Memberships, Cooperative Partnerships & Special Links

Member

Nolana Network Germany

Member

Click Here To Meet Our Livestock Guardian Dogs

Sheba, Bart, Patches & Beau

and our LGD in training - Gus

  Use the following links to explore other pages on our website

PLEASE NOTE:  Website was designed and is maintained by ^SB.   All pictures, design elements, information, etc., on this website are property of ^SB and copyrighted  2005.  Pictures given to Rafter SB for pedigree or other informational purposes are copyrighted by their owners. All rights are reserved.  Any pictures emailed or mailed to you in the course of sheep/cattle sales are also property of ^SB and are copyrighted  2005.  Please do not use any of our pictures, design elements, information, unless you have written permission.  For more information or for comments on the website, please email ^SB at raftersb@yahooo.com