At McClure Licking River Farms we raise heritage breeds of livestock and practice good husbandry. Part of that is the responsibility to preserve the breeds we are stewards of and follow good breeding standards. There are two St. Croix Hair Breed associations the first and longest-organized one is St Croix Hair Sheep International Association. We choose to join this organization and register or transfer all of our sheep to the international registry.
The other association formed in 2021 is St. Croix Hair Sheep Breeders Association. The first Ewes we bought were from a breeder that is a member of this association. We transferred the registration of these sheep to the International Association.
Why St. Croix Sheep The maintenance and feed requirements are minimal for St Croix sheep. They are natural forages and do well as grass-fed sheep. Some breeders or small farmers may choose to feed them grain in the winter but we have heard this can contribute to having to trim their feet and the meat does not last as long. The St. Croix sheep are fine-grained, low-fat meat that is mild and superior in texture and flavor. They can adapt to various climates. In Cold weather, they grow a thick winter coat that will be shed naturally during warm weather. Their coat also repels water and will allow them to tolerate all climates.
McClure Licking River Farms St Croix sheep stay out on pasture all year and even in the snow, they prefer grazing. We do have a portable shelter we do move with them as we rotate them into different small pasture paddocks. During the rain, they will get in the shelter but in snow, they prefer the outdoors. We gave them a bale of hay when there was a lot of snow on the ground and instead of eating it they spread it out as bedding and bedded down in the middle of the pasture on the fresh hay rather than get in the shelter.