People raise livestock for many different reasons. Some keep animals around because they are what they grew up with, while others use them to take advantage of their land or resources. Some people have livestock for a hobby or something to do in their free time, and some people buy animals because they really want them, and then, their animals become their passion.
Darlene Megli’s sheep permeate nearly every aspect of her daily life. She cares for the sheep and has done so for over 20 years. Her husband Loris had grown up with sheep, so when they got married, they got sheep. Even after Loris passed away, she kept the sheep. Now, she has about 25 ewes on her farm outside of Lamar, Mo. She raises two different breeds: Romney and Blue Faced Leicesters.
She and her friend, Judy Crouch of Aurora, Mo., operate a business called “A Twist in Time” which is centered on wool. They both own sheep that they shear, and they process and sell some of their raw wool. They also sell the wool in its washed and processed form – roving – as well as the equipment to process and spin wool. Darlene and Judy enjoy traveling to fiber shows around the area and sharing their experiences and products with others.
She specifically chose the breeds she has because of their capacity for wool production, though she can attest they also serve well for meat production. The Blue Faced Leicesters don’t produce as much wool as the Romneys, but are much easier to sheer than the Romneys. The Leicesters do not have wool on their faces or their underbellies, whereas the Romneys, as Darlene said “have wool from their nose to their toes.” Both breeds are very calm, docile and gentle animals. Because of their easy dispositions, Darlene said that sheep are great animals for women and children to show. They are also easy to handle because of their size, their ease of confinement and their relatively miniscule feed requirements.
Sheep don’t need as tight of fence as goats do, and they don’t push fences like cattle, horses or hogs do. A mature ram from either breed will weigh somewhere around 200-250 pounds, so a child can handle and control a sheep better than an animal that might weigh 4 or 5 times as much. Darlene also said that sheep are a great choice for people who don’t have large acreages. She said that 5-6 sheep can live on the pasture and feed that are required to maintain one cow. They are also a good choice for smaller families who want to raise their own meat. Darlene recommended keeping the rams intact because they grow faster and are leaner without any toughness or unsatisfactory flavor to the meat.
