As with selling anything, you need to try to get as much as the market will bear. But it is important that you disclose the history of these animals to the people who want to purchase them. I unfortunately lost several years on my breeding plan because someone sold me a "polled" ewe and misrepresented her bloodline. He told me she was from polled stock when in fact every ram lamb she threw had horns, despite being bred to several proven polled rams. This was a serious omission because that ewe was half my breeding stock. I had to cull all lambs off her for three years, and eventually I gave up and sold her, too. But by then, at least I could warrant that she came from a horned bloodline!
As a buyer, I need to know if there is any question regarding the animal's bloodline. I may still choose to purchase the animal even if the seller isn't sure, but it needs to be MY decision, not the seller's.
Without knowing the bloodline and without several years of breeding records, you cannot represent your stock as either polled or horned. There are plenty of customers out there who don't care, but there are also serious breeders of both horned and polled stock who care very much. The Barbados Blackbelly breed has been so cross-bred with woolie sheep that it is very difficult to determine what their genetic lines are. As a result, the breed is in serious danger of disappearing. Sure, we can register animals who meet the breed standards, but looks aren't everything. When I purchase sheep, I want to know that sheep's family history. To me, a registered animal is not worth any more than an unregistered animal. In contrast, a registered or unregistered ewe that has consistently thrown good-looking polled ram lambs off of different polled sires is worth a whole lot. Serious breeders keep good records and continually work toward improving their flock. You don't necessarily need registered animals, but without knowing the history of the sheep you purchased, I personally would not perceive you flock as having much value to me as a breeder. But three years from now if you can show me records of consistent breeding, then things will be very different. All of us start somewhere at this sheep breeding thing, and most of us are hobby farmers who started off not knowing anything and our flock began as a couple of sheep that may have come from a sale barn. Like so many things in life, it's not so much where you start from, but how you proceed toward meeting your goals.
I can't guide you regarding price because it really depends on your local market. Perhaps someone on the list who lives closer to you can help.
Carol
At 01:13 PM 12/19/2002 -0800, you wrote:
Now I'm wondering if I should have spent the money for registered. I'm currently raising for meat, but would like to sell breeders. Some of these are very nice looking sheep. They have good composition and color. Should I stick with what I have not knowing the bloodline? And what would be a reasonable price to charge for those I sell?
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