Thousand Oaks Ranch is located in southwest Missouri. We have been raising Limousin cattle here for over 40 years. In 2003, we added goats to help with weed control. We wanted goats who could provide a dual purpose of weed control while still providing meaty kids. We chose does who were moderately sized, easy keepers with good muscling. In 2005, we realized the goats had eaten most of our weeds, so we needed to add either sheep or more cattle. We were intrigued by the reputation of the Katahdin Hair Sheep and decided to add a few of them to our farm. We have not been disappointed. They truly are “a breed whose time has come.” Their parasite resistance is excellent. They have good mothering ability. They are easy lambers, very hardy, naturally polled, and require no shearing or docking, making them very low maintenance with high prolificacy.

We have been so pleased with the sheep that we have sold all of the cows as well as all of the goats. Our kids have enjoyed showing the Katahdins at local and State Fairs and have done very well, but show sheep are not our main focus. Since the original intent of many Fairs was to showcase the agriculture industry, we see these events as a way to inform people about this wonderful breed of sheep. We can’t bring everyone to the farm, but we can bring a little of the farm to everyone.