Woolfarm.com
( Priscillamas )
Priscilla Meinholz
1351 County Road T
Marshall, WI 53559
Icelandic Sheep at Woolfarm.com - Priscilla Meinholz, Shepherdess
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Woolfarm.com |
Woolfarm.com is home to the largest flock of Icelandic sheep in the Midwest! While we boast of providing the largest selection of Icelandic sheep within a thousand miles, we also take particular pride in breeding and offering for sale some of the highest-quality Icelandic sheep outside of Iceland. We spend a great deal of time socializing with our flock, and tending to their individual needs. "Fence shepherding" is our specialty, which means simply taking the necessary time to leisurely inspect and enjoy our flock! Watching them while they eat, noticing how they interact---it's all part of "good shepherding" and is absolutely the best (and most enjoyable) way to monitor a flock. Being a full-time shepherd allows me the luxury of bonding closely with my flock.
New shepherds (as well as experienced ones) definitely appreciate our friendly, on-going guidance when acquiring and caring for their new flocks. Continued assistance after-the-sale is something you should depend on and expect from a competent breeder. We feel that "repeat customers" are a must, and our reputation is extremely important to us. We also realize that "cheap" doesn't always necessarily mean a true "savings" in the long run. Promoters of a "bargain" usually know what their product is worth.
Prior to our Icelandic sheep, we raised 4 other registered breeds: Romney, Shetlands, Navajo-Churro, and Jacob sheep. Then, I began searching for a "dairy sheep" breed, and the Icelandics caught my eye. They are a true triple-use sheep that is also strikingly beautiful to look at! After having Icelandics for just a year, I realized they were doing MORE for us than our other 4 breeds combined, so we dispersed the other breeds, and now have had strictly Icelandic sheep since 1997.
Our
Icelandic base flock originally came from Stefania Dignum, Yeoman Farm, Ontario,
Canada in 1996. That group consisted of 11 purebred Icelandic ewes and 1
ram. We imported another group of ewes from Canada in 1998, and again in
1999. This '99 group consisted of 15 ewes, including 9 elderly ewes
who were actually born on the island of Iceland and traveled to Ontario by plane
in 1990!! Our importation of them into the U.S. in 1999 made them official
citizens of 3
countries during their lifetimes-----very well traveled sheep!
Those Icelandic ewes are the ONLY sheep ever born in Iceland to enter the U.S.!!! These old girls
are truly our "Old Gems" (please see their own page, complete with
individual photos!). They are enjoying lush accommodations here on our farm and
will, until death do us part, remain here with us at Woolfarm.com with love, appreciation, and
ultimate care for their well-being. I again thank
Stefania Dignum for allowing me the opportunity to experience these beautiful
old gals!! They are truly some of my absolute favorites!! 7 out of 9
twinned in 2001, and
raised all their lambs without assistance at the age 11 years old. In
2002, one of them TRIPLETED naturally!! (meaning, not the result of AI
hormone-induced multiples)
Our lastest importation from Yeoman Farm was in November 2001
which consisted of 14 horned ewes. Although the majority of our breeding
stock has originated from Yeoman Farm, Ontario, Canada, a few have been
obtained elsewhere, but only from strictly selected base flocks.
The "origination" of
any purebred Icelandic breeding stock
is very simple to determine, simply by noting the animal's "flock
identifier". Every breeder has
an individual "flock identifier". Our flock identifier is "PAM".
That means any sheep with the identifier "PAM" was born
here at Woolfarm.com. When looking through our web page for instance, you can tell
exactly where each of our breeding-stock sheep originated. (For instance: PAM=
Priscilla Meinholz, STS= Stefania Dignum, BLW= Barbara Webb,
FFC= Elaine Clark, LNB= Lyle Behl, etc.)
Woolfarm.com
consists of 130 acres located near Marshall (a small
village in south-central Wisconsin) just 10 miles east of the capitol city
Madison, in the heart of America's Dairyland. Here on the farm, I reap
great rewards and fulfillment of being an "on the farm" full-time shepherdess. Raising
beautiful, strong, healthy and happy animals are my top priorities! Our
purebred, registered Icelandic flock offers an extremely wide variety of colors
and patterns, which thoroughly delight shepherds and hand-spinners alike.
We strive to create top-quality breeding and fiber-producing stock, as well as
selecting for the natural Icelandic milking-quality genetics. Long,
flowing, lustrous fleeces combined with straight, correct body structure,
including good udder construction and capacity are some of our main breeding program goals.
When tested for OPP, all animals in our flock have tested negative.
We have never experienced footrot in our flock. When anyone visits our
farm, (including vets or shearers) they must either wear our footwear or
disinfect their footwear with Nolvasan solution we provide, to maintain our bio-security program set
for the health of our animals. Noone is allowed to enter our barns without
adhering to our strict guidelines----gentle "reminder" signs hang
across every doorway preventing accidental entry by uninformed "visitors". For the
health of our flock, we must adhere to strict standards. Thank you for your understanding.
We belong to the FVSP (Federal Voluntary Scrapie Program). Our "premise ID" is "WI96". All our sheep are officially identified with federally-approved ear tags prior to leaving our farm.
Additionally, our sheep
are "tattooed" with our flock identifier "PAM" (per
CLRC registration standards) in their right ear, and their "farm
number/year letter" in their left ear. This assures that these sheep
are identified permanently.
We are members in good standing of these sheep-related organizations:
ISBONA
- (Icelandic Sheepbreeders of N. America)
Member and online
List Moderator (past Secretary and Board member)
CLRC - (Canadian Livestock Records
Corp.) Our
flock code: PAM
Registry of
Icelandic sheep
Wisconsin
Sheep Breeders Association - State
group of sheep producers
MATC - I
attend as a 7th year student in their "sheep production" class.
(If
you have an interest in enrolling in this informative and educational class,
please contact me for enrollment information and contact numbers. It helps
create great shepherds through education and discussion! An enjoyable way
to
learn shepherding skills while also benefiting from fellowship of other
shepherds.)
Our animals are all purebred and registered, (except "wethers"
sold as pets) so customers can be assured of correct genetic information. We encourage
you to visit our farm to meet our flock in person. Please contact us,
and we can set up a time that's convenient. We usually have an annual
"open farm" shearing day when the public is encouraged to attend and
learn (usually in October). Raw fleeces fresh off the sheep are available to
purchase, usually at a "shearing day special price"!! Come join the
fun! (Additional information on separate page!)
If a specific animal is of interest to you as you browse
our web page, I can send additional photos, fleece samples, and pedigrees upon
request. A 25% deposit is required to "hold" a particular
animal, with the balance due prior to it leaving our farm, whether it is picked
up or delivered. All animals are guaranteed to be healthy upon leaving our
farm. If you have put a deposit on a certain one, and decide when you
arrive to pick it up that it isn't what you expected, you may apply the deposit
to another animal of your choice. We want you to be happy and completely
satisfied with your purchases from us. Free delivery can sometimes be
arranged, depending on the time of year. We attend several "fiber" related festivals throughout
the year, and animals can also be delivered to these. If you're attending
and wondering about a particular event, just contact us and ask.
Having our animals loved and well cared for after leaving our farm is of utmost importance to us, therefore we always provide unlimited "after sale" support for any questions or problems that you may encounter. New shepherds most times need gentle guidance---that's what your "breeder" is for. Please choose wisely! Your breeder ultimately should be a wealth of important information and experience for you to turn to---before, during, and most importantly AFTER the sale. Make sure you utilize that valuable asset you have paid for when purchasing your sheep flock!
If you have any questions pertaining to anything here, please don't hesitate to call, write, fax, or email us. We promise a prompt response.
Woolfarm.com
Priscilla Meinholz
1351 County Road T
Marshall, WI 53559
Phone: (608) 655-1351
Email: woollady@chorus.net