Pictured, Back Row: Katie and Keith Anderson, Derrick Cramer, Kathy and Ken Soder
Middle Row: Tristan Hamman, Kolton Gaff, Garret Cramer, Joce Whitsel, Shavonna Fegan, and Xavier Wright. Front Row: “Little Clovers” Emme White, Alayna Gaff, and Camille Fegan.
On Saturday March 5th, members of the Southern Pride 4-H club attended a tour of K Bar K farm in Petersburg, PA. The farm is owed and operated by Ken and Kathy Soder and son Nathan. To begin the tour the club first learned about the Registered Polled Dorset breed of sheep. The Soders raise pure breed Dorset sheep that are usually raised for a meat product. Because of the unique reproductive genetic practices and quality of the breed, most of the ewes and rams on the Soder farm are used as breeding stock rather than meat. A very unique and rare (to this area) method of reproduction is practiced at the Soder farm. The method that is practiced is artificial insemination; the semen used for breeding came from Brittan. Many of the Dorset sheep on the farm are 50% British and very true to the original breed. The club also learned about feed management. Kathy and Ken talked to the club about the farms feeding practices and the difference between feeding a market sheep or a breeding sheep. Also, how sheep in comparison to other animals graze, and that sheep are very selective about grazing pasture. The club also toured the sheep barn and was able to see lambing pens that are called “jugs”. Ken explained how each ewe would spend 24 -48 hours in a lambing jug to help the ewe and lamb bond, before returning them to pasture. Because of the reproductive method used, 80 of the ewes are expecting lambs all within a week. The Soder family will be very busy lambing in the next 5 to 7 days. Southern Pride would like to thank the Soder family for taking the time to talk to the 4-H members and share their sheep farm knowledge.
