22
—Uncastw Farming, February 17,1979
Sheep
By JOANUESAU
SPRING CITY - “For a
person interested in
agriculture, FFA supplies
all the opportunities anyone
could ask for, all you have to
do is take them” said Daryl
Schafer, 17, who is the
president of the Owen J.
Roberts FFA chapter.
The Chester County youth
has had many opportunities
during his four years as a
FFA member, excelling in
leadership, public speaking,
and his sheep raising.
Daryl, the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Carl Schafer, Spring
City, has held most of the
offices in his chapter, along
with being the Chester-
Delaware County treasurer
and president.
After participating in the
Chester County cooperative
workshop for two years,
Daryl became a Penn-
Daryl Schafer, Spring City, has shown out
standing leadership qualities through his Owen J.
Roberts FFA chapter and its activities. Daryl’s
main FFA project is raising purebred Hampshire
sheep.
aren’t a baa-d idea for
sylvania Association of
Farmer’s Cooperative
(PAFC) scholar in 1977.
After his training at Ship
pensburg College - with
PAFC, Daryl was chosen to
go to the national AIC, at the
A & M University, Texas.
“The big thing of all the
people there,” Daryl said
“was that the Pennsylvania
delegation was the best
educated in co-ops, m the
United States. I never
realized that the
cooperatives were so big out
west” Daryl added “out
there, it is a multi-million
dollar business.” In 1978,
Daryl returned to PAFC and
was a staff member.
Daryl began raising sheep
as a 4-H project when he was
nine years old. The last four
years, he has raised pare
bred Hampshire sheep as
part of his FF A program.' I
have had a commercial
shearing business for two
years” he said. “I sheared
225 sheep the first year and
just over 300 head the second
year. I learned how to shear
at the Bucks-Montgomery
County shearing school.”
Daryl then purchased his
own equipment with the
thoughts of shearing only his
own sheep. People would
call, he said, asking him to
shear for them. The demand
for shearers far out
numbered the supply in
Daryl’s area, and he soon
found himself in business.
“I usually try to breed for
December and January
lambs so I can benefit from
the high Easter prices” the
young shepherd said. “I try
to get as many of the lambs
sold before they are bom as
SEE THE LATEST 79 MODELS IN STOCK
——*—— - * * -
possible.” Daryl flushes his
sheep and puts his better
ewes in with the ram early so
he will have sent lambs for
show. “I flush the lest of the
flock and the better ewes
again in August so I can get
them bred for December-
January lambing, for the
Easter crop.”
Daryl has been making
money on his sheep flock. In
1977 and 1978 he said he had a
160 per cent lamb crop. This
year he said his ewes were
“having definitely more
smgles this year”. Ewes that
usually dropped twins are
having singles.
The youth's 13 ewes with
lambs are fed WL3 11
alfalfa, 14 per cent protein
grain and a supplimentation
of calf manna. His lambs get
18 per cent protein grain,
Daryl Schafer
plus calf manna and hay “I timothy together, gradually
start the sheep out on alfalfa feeding total timothy” tor
fust. Then I put alfalfa and (Turn to Page 23)
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