Cooke Creek

Sheep Company

Sheep, Lamb and Wool from the Pacific Northwest

Scrapie Certified Flock WA2336

 

Cooke Creek Sheep Company is located in the pretty and fertile Kittitas Valley of Central Washington between the Cascade Mountains and the wheat fields of Eastern Washington. We run a farm flock of Texel, Coopworth, crossbred ewes and raise hay.

PASTUREproduction


Choosing the right breeds of sheep has been part luck and part trial and error on our farm. Texels are where we ended up and have stayed since 2002. These are the easy-keeping, easy fleshing breed on grass, just as you may have heard. They adapt well to the changing nutritional value of pasture through the year.

Crossbreeding with Coopworth/Border Leicester and Southdown breeds has added to the size of our lambs without adding to the feed bill. We get one cutting of hay a year which feeds the sheep through the cold months and graze these pastures the rest of the year. It's about the most sustainable (and most inexpensive) way we've found to raise a farm flock.

Rotational grazing is the second part of the equation. We manage the pastures by not over-grazing, fertilizing, watering when available and resting them at the proper time.

 

TEXELsires


cooke Creek philosophy has been to raise a dual purpose animal with #1 priority being carcass quality of our lambs.  We knew Texels had the "eye appeal" and carcass measurements to demonstrate their muscling, but soon we had scientific evidence when the myostatin gene (muscling gene) was

identified in only the Texel breed. Additionally, Texel rams are gentle to handle, never require grain to stay in condition and are vigorous breeders. This muscled up dynamo is the terminal sire choice of many producers around the world. We have built up a nice flock of high quality Texels with imported bloodlines from the UK and the Netherlands through Portland Prairie Texels and their AI program and other quality breeders throughout the US. See what we have for sale here or drop us an email to ask questions of how a Texel terminal sire can fit into your breeding program.

 

QUALITYwool


soft and luscious describes the wool from our sheep. We take care to assure our wool is as clean as possible and it is high quality. Healthy sheep grow a healthy fleece, a new one each and every year. Ewes are gently sheared during late pregnancy enabling lambs to find that so important first meal easier. 

Coopworth and Border Leicesters are longwool breeds with crimp, structure, sheen and durability - a favorite among handspinners! Sock knitters adore the attributes of BL yarns and rightly so. They wear well and are cushy and soft on tired feet. Texel wool has insulating properties that are hard to beat while being a lightweight airy, lofty wool.

Visit our Wool Products page to see what is currently listed for sale but signing up for our newsletter assures you are informed of the latest inventory. You can do that below.



FARM NEWSupdated weekly


Two purebred Texel rams are available. One is RR. Angus is sold. Go here to get more info.

See us at the 2010 Kittitas Valley Farmers Market on 4th Street in downtown Ellensburg on the following Saturdays.

* August 7 * September 18 * October 2 * October 16 *

We will be taking orders for locker lambs and selling yarn, roving and handmade products from our farm raised wools. We are sharing a booth with Starshire Ranch


NEWSLETTERsign-up


We have met many wonderful fiber artists through our farmers market booth this summer. So many have shown interest in coming to gather at the farm for workshops and classes and fibery fun. We have been listening and for starters, we have a newsletter! Please sign up if you're interested in any of the above. Our promise is that that we are not sharing this list with any outside sources! Instead of putting a form on our site, we have opted to have you go to the newsletter software sign-up page. Too many of you were not getting the subscribe link with spam filters.

We'll include tutorials and tips on working with wool and then.......drumroll please....further news on any possibility of opening a yarn and fiber store in Ellensburg. We need feedback before we take on this venture...so here you go. Thanks!

 

 

COOKE CREEK SOCIALlife


Read Jami's blog to hear about life on the farm and creative endeavors with wool.

We are members of the following sheep organizations:

Washington State Sheep Producers

Texel Sheep Breeders Society

Kittitas County Sheep Producers

OPP Concerned Sheep Breeders Society

Cooke Creek Sheep Company

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