Hoddinott Acres

As this year draws to a close we wanted to do a little Hoddinott Acres year in recap. As usual it was a busy year full of watching two and four legged critters grow!

-January- baby goats started arriving!
-February- lots of lambs arrived 🐑 and one of the farmers got influenza 🤢
-March- watched the babies grow and had our yearly pictures with the amazing Cari Wilbur Photography
-April- everyone got set loose on pasture!
-May- weaned lambs with our helper
-June- we taught summer camps and the sheep got to help.
-July- we showed at the Lenawee County Fair!
-August- started marketing rams to prep for the end of show season.
-September- showed at the Hillsdale County Fair
-October- finished off some fall grazing
-November- the sheep enjoyed the after effects of Halloween
-December- everyone’s growing babies and enjoying the theatrics of the little humans sledding in their pasture.

Avoiding Greenwashed Genetics: How to Match Genetics With Your Program

Livestock buyers hear the same marketing words everywhere … pasture-raised, forage-only, grass-fed, no grain, hardy, easy-keeper.
But those same terms can describe wildly different management systems, depending on pasture quality, acreage, stocking rate, environment, and breeder goals. One producer’s “pasture-raised” might mean hundreds of acres of native grass, while another’s might mean 50 head on 10 acres with supplemental feeding.

Most buyers simply want an animal that can stay sound, grow reasonably, breed on time, and hold condition on whatever forage their own land provides. The best way to make that match is through transparency, because when breeders explain how and why they feed the way they do, buyers can decide whether those genetics will work at home.

Transparency builds trust, and trust builds repeat buyers.

PASTURE-RAISED:
What people assume: livestock on grass with minimal help.
Reality can be: Lush legumes, irrigated pasture, sheep that graze by day and get heavy alfalffa or grain at night.

FORAGE-BASED / FORAGE-ONLY:
What people assume: Grass, hay, browse.
Reality can be: Dairy-quality alfalfa, almond hulls, baleage, or high-calorie forage blends that act just like grain w no or limited access to pasture.

GRASS-FED / GRASS-ONLY:
What people assume: Simple grass pasture.
Reality can be: cover crops, brassicas, legumes, dairy quality alfalfa.

NO GRAIN:
What people assume: Natural, low-input growth.
Reality can be: Calories from tubs, pellets, alfalfa, or hulls, nothing technically labeled as “grain.”

HARDY / EASY-KEEPER
What people assume: Thrives anywhere with minimal input.
Reality can be: They looked great on one system but may not have faced drought, low-quality forage, parasites, or harsh winters.

Supplementing doesn’t necessarily mean weakness or coddling. Just like athletes need enough protein to build muscle, livestock need adequate nutrients to express their genetics, milk well, breed on time, and stay healthy, especially in operations where:
• pasture quality is thin, drought-stressed, or winter-killed
• producers have limited acreage or inconsistent access to pasture
• grass growth can’t keep up with stocking rate
• parasite seasons are heavy
• maiden females need to reach proper frame size for early breeding
• weather extremes reduce forage availability

Many operations don’t have unlimited acres of mixed grasses. It’s unrealistic (and unprofitable) to let animals fall apart just to say they weren’t supplemented.

Responsible supplementation supports animal health, productivity, and the producer’s bottom line.
Coddling is when everything gets fed so well that the weak ones never show themselves, whether that weakness is structural, metabolic, or just poor doers.

There’s a sweet spot between feeding enough for health and not feeding so much that you hide genetic weakness. The goal is livestock that stay productive on your forage, with supplementation as a tool, not a crutch.

***Understand the Breeder’s Goals

You might want hardy, low-input grass based stock.
Someone else may want the fastest gain possible in a feed-rich system. Both are valid, and both types have a place, if they match your goals.

One of the best questions a buyer can ask is:
“What kind of stock are you trying to produce long-term?” Goal alignment matters more than any label.

Six Questions Every Buyer Should Ask:

1. What were they actually eating from birth to now?
Grass, hay, cover crop, grain, alfalfa, pellets, whatever it was.

2. What made you choose that feeding program?
Pasture quality, acreage, drought, winter, stocking rate, or growth goals.

3. What does your pasture look like through the year?
Native grass, legumes, dry lot, rotational grazing, small acreage, or mixed systems.

4. How do they hold up when feed quality drops?
Do they maintain, melt, or stay productive?

5. What pressures do they face in your environment?
Parasites, heat, cold, thin pasture, limited acreage, or heavy rotation.

6. What type of stock are you trying to produce long-term? Low-input hardy? Fast gain? Maternal? Muscular? Balanced?

Everyone’s goals and management styles are different, and that’s exactly how it should be. Ask what the stock were actually raised on, understand why, and choose genetics that match your pasture, your goals, and your environment. Doing that sets you up for long-term success.

A Tufts University study has found that the sheep and goat dewormer fenbendazole failed in 87% of cases—signaling rising parasite resistance and the need for improved management 👉 https://loom.ly/fEQSCG0.

We have only a few February born Suffolk ram lambs left for sale this fall. If you need a breeding ram that will pack a punch we have what you need. Located Adrian Michigan and ready to go to work for you. Pm me for more information or questions.

We have two yearling Lincoln’s rams looking for a new home. One white and one natural colored both born late February 2024. Located Adrian Michigan and ready to go to work for someone. Pm for more details or any questions you may have.

Our doe Diamond and all of her Valentines (only one is hers).

Happy Valentine’s Day from Hoddinott Acres!

Here is our 2024 year in farm review. This has been an exciting year with some exciting achievements and lots of fun watching our two and four legged babies grow. So excited to see what 2025 has in store. Happy New Years everyone!

January- We were honored to receive the purebred producer of the year award from the MSPA. Also started kidding.

February- baby season! Lots of goats kids and lambs were born.

March- a first for us, one of our lambs got to be a supermodel for Easter pictures. Thanks again Cari Wilbur Photography

April- watched the weather warm up and the babies grow.

May- Hoddinott Acres had another great year at Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival

June- Nice weather means lots of time in the barn for everyone

July- Showed at Lenawee County Fair with a great group of kids and took home the Supreme Champion Ewe trophy!

August- showed at the Michigan State Fair with some our favorite people. This was Quinn’s first peewee class.

September- showed at Hillsdale County Fair, end of this years show season and I think the sheep were ready.

October- fall means breeding season!

November- took to Virginia and brought home some of Catherine Camp’s amazing genetics, hopefully with UK AI babies on board 🤞

December- cooler weather and lots of family time.