The Nixon’s pasture lamb during the day, and ewes are brought into the barns at night. “Our climate is very moderate during winter lambing time, with the temperature not going lower than about 30 degrees over night.”  The farm buildings consist of several large barns with jugs for ewes and lambs. Heat lamps and fresh straw give lambs a good start.

Today, John and his family have a Southdown flock that consists of a ewe base of 50-70 Southdown mature ewes and 7-8 foundation Southdown rams.  Starting in 2000, they purchased ewes from the flocks of MB Genetics, Duron Howard, Fielder Southdowns, Splendorview, Randy Lewis and Mike McElvain created their ewe base. John is very proud of the consistent lamb crop they are able to produce today. “When we started out, we had some very diverse genetics both in frame and breed character. By combining these genetics and selecting the type of sheep we were looking for to retain in our breeding program, our ewe flock grew very consistent. Now, we can breed to any ram and get a very consistent lamb crop.” John notes, “A strong focus has been breed character. We are breeding and selecting for a small head, small ears, wide muzzled, and mouse grey nose. My feeling is, I have to look at it and feed it every day, so I better like what I’m looking at.”

The Nixons also have 10 blackface Suffolk/Hamp cross ewes that they cross with their Southdown bucks, to produce muscular and fast growing lambs they sell as locker lambs off the farm. John markets about 65 lambs a year as locker lambs, noting the Southdowns and Southdown crosses, “make an excellent carcass. This high quality, flavor and texture is not often available in the US.”

Daughter Elizabeth, explained some of the challenges of operating a sheep operation in their geography, “We have more parasite issues, because we don’t experience freezing temperatures. Fly strike can occur in January in a bad year. We also combat a lack of agricultural education within the general public.  We have to be very careful when exhibiting our sheep, as many people attending the shows have never seen sheep in person; a lot of people have no concept of agriculture or where their food comes from. We have made it our personal goal to educate the public and be good ag ambassadors whenever the opportunity presents itself.”

John commented,  “California breeders are very removed from rest of the Southdown breeders across the country. In the Western States, we probably have about 11 active breeders. Louisville is a 42 hour drive and our State fair is 100 miles away. However, we have a California Southdown Association that is growing with a few dedicated breeders driving it. We are in the 3rd year of awarding a donated ewe to a youth just starting with Southdowns. This program has been growing due to the generosity of a few breeders who are committed to developing a youth program and helping kids getting started with Southdowns.”  Elizabeth said, “We have a great group of Juniors coming up. The future is very bright for our breed in California.”