Prices - Terms
You get what you pay for.
Lone Star Farm / Barbados Blackbelly Sheep
Prices
Breeding Age Rams with Replacement Guarantee: $500
Our rams will be polled. They will not have scurs, wattles, or any white markings on them and, of course, they are guaranteed to be fertile. We can tell you from our own personal experiences that the initial investment in buying a good quality adult ram for breeding, may cost a little more than buying a ram lamb. However, in the long run it won't cost you the money or time you may waste by buying a ram lamb that has to be replaced because he didn't grow up to be the quality you were expecting to get to breed to your good ewes. After all, didn't you purchase the ram for the purpose of improving your flock?
Ewes with Replacement Guarantee: $500
At Lone Star we consider ewes to be breedable at about one year of age. We have found that this works best for us. If a ewe is bred at one year of age, or even later for some, she is close to being physically developed and her pregnancy will not deplete her of the vitamins and nutrients that she may still need for her own body. If we follow this rule, we are more assured of being blessed with a healthy lamb, or two, or sometimes even three, and a happy ewe who is not fretting. Fretting ewes are nerve-wracking, especially for a first-time buyer.
We do not allow breeding stock ewe lambs to go to their new homes until they are at least three months old. They must have time to nurse and grow with mom, get their vaccinations, be dewormed, be weaned, be eating well on their own and gaining, and adjusted to being without mom to be able to thrive in their new environment and to reach the ideal of their genetic potential. We have found that it takes a minimum of three months to reach that stage of development.
Though adult Blackbellies are very tolerant of parasites, (yes, tolerant, not resistant), young lambs should be dewormed, or you may lose them to a heavy infestation. We deworm our lambs at 2 to 3 weeks, 6 weeks and 12 weeks routinely. By about 6 months, lambs should not be dewormed unless it is necessary. We determine whether it is necessary by using the FAMACHA method. By the age of 6 months, they have developed some tolerance to intestinal parasites and they are not dewormed unless we see an indication that they need it. To this date, we have rarely had to deworm after the 6 month mark if they are rotated on pastures. If you don't have the room to rotate them on grass, then they will probably need to be checked for parasites four or five times a year, since we rarely get a freeze in winter to kill off the parasites in this area. This routine may be adjusted for your particular location. If the sheep can prosper in this environment, they can do well just about anywhere.
We give a CD&T vaccination (Clostridium Perfringens Types C & D and Tetanus Toxoid) at about 5 and 8 weeks, then once a year we give a one shot booster. Bar Vac is the brand we use, but many are just as good.
Depending on how far they will be traveling to their new homes and how many hours they will be on the road makes a big difference in the life of a lamb. All those things create stress for a lamb. We want your lambs to have a good start and we want you to be successful in your endeavors with your sheep. Let's give each of you the best beginning, by waiting until they are 12 weeks old before you take them home.
Wethers (castrated ram lambs): $250
This category includes market lambs or lambs purchased for herding training. Wethers will not be dog-broke for herding, as they trust the Livestock Guardian Dogs they live with to protect them.
TERMS
We will no longer take deposits to hold sheep. When lambs/adults are available, it will be first come - first served. You will be required to pay 50% when you purchase. The balance is due when you pick up the sheep. Please note: You are required to pick up your sheep within thirty days from the time we contact you and tell you they are ready. At the end of the thirty days, if you have not picked up your sheep, we will begin to charge you board. That will amount to $100 per week for pellets, lamb bloom, hay, mineral block and the labor of caring for them. We have limited pastures and pens for breeding, so once your sheep are ready they will be occupying space we need for other animals. If they are interfering with space needed to accommodate breeding groups, your sheep will be sold and your payment will be forfeited.
Your state entry requirements are what determine the tests your sheep will need for shipping with a hauler or crossing a state line driving them yourself. We will take care of finding out which tests are needed and having all tests performed for you, but the responsibility for the cost of these tests belongs to the buyer and must be paid before the sheep leave our farm.
There has never been a case of scrapie disease in Barbados Blackbelly sheep. However, some states are now requiring that each sheep crossing their borders, be Codon 170 tested and have at least one "R" in the test result to be transported across their state line. To date, ours is the only flock of registered Barbados Blackbelly sheep in the United States that has been certified scrapie-free since 2005 by the United States Department of Agriculture. You may view our certificate on this website.
We do not guarantee our sheep against OPP (Ovine Progressive Pneumonia). We have a closed flock and have not introduced any new animals into our flock since 2019. Though our animals have never shown any symptoms of the disease, only a handful have ever been tested. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that our sheep are free of the disease, as they may be carriers. We recommend that buyers learn more about OPP before introducing new animals into their flocks.
We want you to be happy with the sheep you purchase from us, as we believe the best advertisement is a compliment passed on by a satisfied buyer.
We have twenty-six years experience in raising Barbados Blackbelly sheep and offer support seven days a week to help you in your encounters with your own flock. Just pick up the phone and call us or email or text with your questions. We are always happy to help you whenever you need us.
We confidently recommend Jorge Ramirez, owner of Get-Towed LLC based here in Houston, Tx for all your hauling needs. He has up-to-date, state of the art equipment that is cleaned to immaculate. He is an excellent mechanic, so if anything goes wrong on the road, he can fix it immediately. He takes an interest in your animals no matter what species he is transporting, and we appreciate most of all that he will send you an email along the way to let you know how your animal is doing during the trip. That is above and beyond the norm, but that is exactly the kind of service he offers. He's setting a new standard in the world of animal transportation. Transportation costs are always the responsibility of the buyer.
Prices are subject to change without notice.
_______________________________________
Lone Star Mojo
Lone Star Burger King (Whopper)