Breezy Ridge Rideau Sheep

01/08/2025

Breeding time : Dec 28th is when we turn the rams in with the ewes that lambed in November, even though they are still nursing, and the lambs won’t be weaned till Jan 15th. Our breeding back rate is 91% to lamb in May. We have been doing this for 34 years and selecting rams from ewes that can do it.

12/31/2024

Coccidia affect both Confinement and pasture system sheep equally. Breeding resistance to blood sucking parasites in sheep has the biggest economic effect on a flock’s profitability. Through our long time cooperation with the University of Guelph, we have been tracking the ewes and their offspring, weighing and body condition scoring from birth and throughout their lives to monitor our resistance. Today is one of those big data collection days.

12/25/2024

I want to thank the Canovas Small Ruminate team 2024 from the UofG. for their work on our parasite resistance breeding program. This program has been ongoing since 2011, looking for the rams and ewes with low f***l egg counts. This work has increased the level of resistance to coccidia haemonchus, and other blood sucking parasite by 89% in the flock, and vastly improved lamb survival, growth rates, ewe flock longevity and overall health. It was great to have Mark Ferguson from NZ. here in Ontario speaking on similar work there.

12/02/2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC5If2VRaq0

On Episode 2 of our new season we meet Phil Smith, owner of Breezy Ridge Farm. Host Caird Urquhart chats with Phil about everything from raising lambs to wha...

11/23/2024

These are the 2024 fall breeding rams we're using

These are Breezy Ridge Farm’s, purebred Rideau breeding rams for the fall of 2024. The Rideau breed is considered one of the most productive breeds of sheep ...

11/15/2024

11/15/2024

It has been great to be part of the campaign and thank you to the King.

10/23/2024

We still have some, purebred, Rideau ewe lambs, high health, parasite resistance, available and ready for breeding in Dec. We also have unrelated, low f***l egg count tested rams, to go along with them.

10/14/2024

This is Ken and Erin Price. Ken is a top Boarder Collie breeder trainer and judge in North America, Ken was here from Northern British Colombia to judge the dog trials and so they took the opportunity to also pick up some low f***l egg count Rideau rams from us.

10/13/2024

Liz and I spent today at the Ontario Boarder Collie Clubs, dog trials. What a good day we had, the sun was out and we got to catch up with some old friends and meet some new one. These events are well worth going to, the skill of these shepherds working their dogs is just amazing. This video is of the handler having the dog separate the sheep in to two groups, it's a very difficult challenge indeed.

10/10/2024

We've started grazing our hay fields they should last us till the end of November.

09/12/2024

This group of yearling ewe lambs, are on the parasite resistance breeding program and being infected. According to Massy Collage NZ. a sheep that shows resistance has low carbon output and has better feed conversion and over all more efficiency. This is the 7th pass this season for this paddock.

08/26/2024

After day 4, the 280 ewes move to the last section of the 6 acre field, this is the 6th time through this paddock.

08/24/2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RwJeefdL28&t=38s

These are the yearling Rideau rams for 2024 all tested for parasite resistance fertility and production. Sheep that are resistant to parasite have a more ef...

08/23/2024

This is now the 6th grazing of this field for this season. This is one of the best grazing season I can remember because of all the moisture.

08/11/2024

Saturday was the the Sutton Horse show and fair. Our friends Norm and Heather have come camping on the farm with the horses for the night. It great to see them again, and love to see the horses. Saturday was a good day now that the clouds have cleared and the rain has gone away. Norm is from Multi Shelter Solutions a great product we use.

08/06/2024

Carter our new pup and the lambs

07/30/2024

2024 Parasite resistant testing group. This year we cover 6 different countries working with us on this project. Headed up by Angela Canovas from the Canovas Small Ruminants Institute, UofG. Delma Kennedy Ministry of Agriculture Ontario. Also following the project, NZ Massy U. in NZ. by Dvm. Brad DeWolf here in Canada. Dvm Mohammad Boareki Kuwait small ruminant specialist working on EBV. for the project.