Our sheep
The Barbados Blackbelly sheep are able to tolerate heat and exhibit more stamina than most breeds of sheep. They are fleet of foot and in many ways resemble deer. They are "hair sheep," which means they do not grow wool but have coarse hair instead. If raised in cooler climates, they often develop a wool undercoat that they shed in the spring. They are also very disease resistant and parasite tolerant, and these genetic traits have created a demand for Blackbelly sheep in crossbreeding operations. They are a perfect choice as a homesteader's sheep because they do relatively well on poorer forage, can be raised with very little grain, and do not require intensive management. Blackbelly sheep range in color from light tan to a dark mahogany red, with black stripes on the face and black legs, belly, inguinal region, chin, and chest. Despite being goat-like in appearance, they are true sheep.
Our goats
The Boer goat was developed in South Africa in the early 1900s for meat production. Their name is derived from the Dutch word "Boer" meaning farmer. The Boer goat was probably bred from the indigenous goats of the Namaqua Bushmen and the Fooku tribes, with some crossing of Indian and European bloodlines being possible. They were selected for meat rather than milk production; due to selective breeding and improvement, the Boer goat has a fast growth rate and excellent carcass qualities, making it one of the most popular breeds of meat goat in the world. Boer goats have a high resistance to disease and adapt well to hot, dry semi-deserts. U.S.production is centered in west-central Texas, particularly in and around San Angelo. The original US breeding stock came from herds located in New Zealand. Only later were they imported directly from South Africa.
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The Spanish goat, also called the brush goat or scrub goat, came originally from Spain via Mexico to the USA. The Spanish goat has the ability to breed out of season and is an excellent range animal because of its small udder and teats. In addition, Spanish goats are very hardy, able to survive and thrive under adverse agroclimatic conditions with only limited management inputs. Within the general group of what are called "Spanish goats," there are those that are purely of Spanish origins, but the term has been used to represent an amalgam of all genotypes introduced to the area. There have been obvious infusions of dairy and Angora blood in many "Spanish" herds but no organized attempt has ever been made to use them for milk or mohair production.
In recent years, the escalating demand for goat meat has focused research into the qualities of the Spanish goat as a meat goat. Spanish goats have shown excellent hardiness and have shown themselves to be a low-input goat compared to other meat breeds. Several Spanish goat producers in Texas have been intensively selecting for increased meat production for the past several years. From information obtained from these producers, these "selected" Spanish goats appear to greatly outperform the ordinary Spanish goat used primarily for pasture maintenance.
