After more than a decade of selectively breeding high-percentage East Friesian dairy sheep, we decided it was time to take the next step: importing sheep to establish a true purebred East Friesian flock in the United States.
We love cows and goats and have owned both, but dairy sheep are different. Unlike cattle and goats, the U.S. still lacks well-established pure dairy sheep lines and infrastructure for East Friesians. Our goal is to help change that.
Over the years, I’ve identified several challenges limiting the growth of purebred East Friesians in the U.S., and we are actively working to address them.
Creating a Dedicated Registry and Breed Association
One of the largest obstacles is the lack of a dedicated East Friesian registry with verified breed percentages and traceable lineage.
To address this, I am opening our studbook and building an online flock database to document pedigrees and breeding records. Other breeders will also be able to participate, but credibility matters. Parentage DNA testing will be required for all registered animals including my own flock.
Because there is currently no formal purebred East Friesian association in the United States, the registry will also function as a breed association with:
- Membership
- A published studbook (registry)
- The breed standard
- Breeder listings
- A marketplace for registered sheep
The goal is to create something reputable, transparent, and useful for breeders across the country.
Establishing a Breed Standard
Breed standards matter.
They guide breeding and culling decisions while also creating consistency for evaluation and exhibition. Even though I do not personally show animals, formal standards help promote recognition and respect for the breed.
Because the breed originated in Friesland, it made sense to return to the source. I studied the original East Friesian standards from Germany and the Netherlands and merged their very similar guidelines into a single published standard now available on the website.
Building a Better Market for Dairy Sheep
Right now, selling East Friesians in the U.S. is often a scattered and highly localized process. Importing sheep and building a registry requires substantial investment, and the market for purebred dairy sheep is still relatively small.
My hope is that as stronger pure lines become established, availability will improve and prices will eventually become more accessible.
To help connect breeders and buyers, the registry will include:
- A public marketplace for registered sheep
- Member breeder directories
- Tools to help breeders promote their flocks
- Opportunities for breeders to refresh genetics through wider networking
By working together under a recognized registry, smaller breeders can benefit from shared visibility and reputation.
The Challenge of Genetic Diversity
Genetic diversity may be the greatest long-term challenge for purebred East Friesians in the United States.
A sustainable breeding population requires far more animals than any one breeder can realistically maintain. Rather than trying to house hundreds of sheep myself, I believe the better solution is coordinated breeding among serious breeders working together.
To support this effort, I have:
- Established relationships to import semen from champion European bloodlines
- Invested in long-term semen storage
- Collect and store genetics from every ram I own
- Incorporated coefficient of inbreeding (COI) tracking into the registry
Registry members will be able to evaluate pedigrees and inbreeding levels before purchasing or planning breedings. The long-term goal is simple: create a credible, transparent, and genetically sustainable foundation for purebred East Friesians in the United States.
A Few Final Thoughts
I should probably mention something controversial: I am not currently milking sheep. I consider myself a breeder first.
Some people criticize me for that, I know because I’ve already heard it. How can I make breeding decisions without milking? I buy and import the best lines for both conformation and production. My focus is establishing elite genetics and building a strong foundation for the breed in the U.S. Commercial milking is an entirely separate operation and fulltime business endeavor especially since I don’t keep a little “backyard” flock. If I milk all my ewes, I have do to something with all that milk! I have full intentions of expanding into commercial dairying, and I’ll write more about that in another post. But for now, my focus is on establishing an amazing flock and promoting purebred East Friesian sheep in the US.