Barred Owl Brook Katahdins

grass & tree fed Katahdin hair sheep

Katahdins Bred for Silvopasture

We are committed to producing highly maternal, parasite resistant Katahdin breeding stock that thrive in a silvopasture-based, 100% forage production system where tree fodder and browse comprise a portion of the diet.

 

 

Interested in our breeding stock?

Currently available:

  • Rams (lambs & yearlings)

Current expected availability:

  • Ewe Lambs: September 2025

  • Proven Ewes: September 2025


If you would like to be notified regarding future availability, please send us an email specifying your interest and we will add you to the waitlist.

 

Our Flock

We started our flock in 2019 with the purchase of a registered ram and 3 registered ewes from Downing Acres in Burke, NY, along with 5 commercial grass fed Katahdin ewes from Mace Chasm Farm in Keeseville, NY. Our goal was to establish a productive and profitable flock for our silvopasture-based system by combining these two distinct sets of genetics.

We found that the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP) offers many valuable resources and a proven framework for flock improvement, so in 2020 we began the process of enrolling the flock and collecting the necessary data.

We officially joined NSIP in 2021, and in February 2023 we submitted our first three years of data dating back to 2020. In 2021 we also purchased two rams from a couple of well-established NSIP flocks at Waldoview Farm in Winterport, ME and Rolling Spring Farm in Glade Spring, VA.

The Boys

The Mesdames

Photos and descriptions coming soon!

Our Ideal Ewe

Every sheep producer has their version of an ideal ewe. Since farm goals and sheep management systems vary from one operation to the next, an ideal animal for one producer may not be the same for another. If you’re in the market for breeding stock, you should purchase stock from a breeder who shares similar production goals to your own to ensure that the animals will perform well in your management system.

The ideal ewe at Barred Owl Brook:

  • Exhibits high parasite resistance

  • Has a self-shedding hair coat

  • Has robust hooves that require minimal trimming

  • Has an excellent mouth, pasterns, and overall conformation

  • Weighs 140-175 lbs at maturity

  • Displays a calm but attentive demeanor

  • Can be bred at 7-8 months of age

  • Produces twins on average

  • Lambs without assistance

  • Produces sufficient milk and successfully weans all her lambs in a 100% forage based system

  • Produces lambs that finish at 90+ lbs at 7 months of age on 100% forage

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Why Katahdins?

  • Katahdins are a widely adapted hair breed that can thrive in a variety of management systems across a wide geographic and climatic range

  • Compared to some breeds, they exhibit a greater willingness to consume and utilize tree and shrub fodder sources

  • Ewes have exceptional mothering ability and well-bred stock can often lamb without assistance making them ideal for pasture lambing systems

  • Well-managed Katahdins demonstrate greater parasite resistance than wooled sheep and require only minimal parasite treatment

  • Katahdins produce superior quality lamb and mutton that is naturally lean and consistently offers a very mild flavor

  • This is just the tip of the iceberg! Check out the KHSI website for more info.

Coyotes BEWARE! The Tenacious Trio is on guard. From left: Acacia, Hoosier Boy and Burke Man

Coyotes BEWARE! The Tenacious Trio is on guard. From left: Acacia, Hoosier Boy and Burke Man

Yearling ewes munching on some early season winter rye and tender shoots of coppiced Japanese bush honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

Yearling ewes munching on some early season winter rye and tender shoots of coppiced Japanese bush honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

Check out that browse line! Ewes and lambs getting their fill of bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata) that was intentionally spared by the brush hog

Check out that browse line! Ewes and lambs getting their fill of bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata) that was intentionally spared by the brush hog

Hoosier helping Audrey get some weights on the lactating ewes

Hoosier helping Audrey get some weights on the lactating ewes

Ewes and lambs chowin' on some high-coppiced European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)

Ewes and lambs chowin' on some high-coppiced European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)

Othello and the ladies takin' it easy on an Adirondack fall day

Othello and the ladies takin' it easy on an Adirondack fall day

Grazing alongside black locust for future fence posts and tree fodder

Grazing alongside black locust for future fence posts and tree fodder

Ewe lamb OWL 2102 foraging among the milkweed

Ewe lamb OWL 2102 foraging among the milkweed

**SOLD OUT**

For Sale - 2023 Market Ram Lambs & Cull Ewes/Rams

Market Ram Lambs - 16 available

  • Grass-fed & pasture raised; no grain

  • Born late-April/May 2023

  • Rotationally grazed from birth; transitioned to hay 11/25/23; began supplemental feeding 1/25/24 with alfalfa pellet/beet pulp mix in addition to free choice hay to keep body condition up

  • These animals are well-muscled and lean (~3 body condition score)

  • Wt Range = 75 - 100 lbs; Avg. Wt = 87 lbs (as of 2/5/24)

  • $3.00/lb live weight for individual lambs

  • $2.80/lb LW for 2-5 lambs

  • $2.60/lb LW for 6-9 lambs

  • $2.40/lb LW for 10+ lambs

  • Price negotiable if purchasing entire group

Market Ram Lambs - 11/10/23
Market Ram Lambs - 11/11/23
Market Ram Lambs - 12/21/23
Market Ram Lambs - 12/21/23

Cull Ewes/Rams - 4 available (2 ewes/2 rams)

  • Grass-fed and rotationally grazed seasonally; no grain

  • Ewes are 2.5 yrs old; Rams are 1.5 yrs old

  • Wt Range = 135 - 175 lbs

  • $1.50/lb live weight

  • Price negotiable if purchasing all 4 animals

  • Photos available upon request

Terms of Live Meat Animal Sales:

  • Animals are located at Barred Owl Brook Farm, Westport, NY (Postal address: 735 Lakeshore Rd, Essex, NY 12936).

  • Cash or certified check due at time of pickup. Can also arrange payment with PayPal or credit card through our website (service fees apply).

  • Buyer responsible for transport and processing arrangements.

    • Can personally deliver within 50 miles driving distance of Westport, NY for a fee

    • If purchasing 7+ animals, we can help to arrange delivery via a local transporter within 150 miles driving distance of Westport, NY for a fee

  • Animals sold as-is; all sales are final

  • All animals have scrapie tags and are in good health.

  • Buyer can provide own certified scale, if available, and be invoiced on a live weight basis. Otherwise, we will use our non-certified scale to determine a per head average price and buyer will be invoiced on a per head basis. This is in order to comply with NYS regulations which do not allow for on-farm sales based on weight without the use of a certified scale.

  • These animals are intended for processing channels. In order to maintain the integrity of our breeding program, buyer agrees to have animals processed and not to use them for breeding. (If interested in seed stock, please contact us for info.)