Katahdin x Lacaune. This market presented difficulties such as lambing in the dead of winter, having lambs large enough (especially when Passover comes early) and pooling with your neighbors to find enough lambs for a truckload. ByBasil Bactawar, UF/IFAS Duval County Extension Service. Tunis sheep are able to thrive in a variety of climates, and tolerate both heat and cold well. We let them be sheep and just help them along. The Katahdin breed has hair instead of wool, and that means less work, according to the couple, who raise the sheep near Perham, Minnesota. This composite "easy-care" breed was developed from crosses of African hair sheep and a variety of wool breeds with selection for a hair coat, prolificacy, and conformation. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. We also sell breeding stock locally. The first generation grows quite well due to the heterosis effect, but nearly always has a wool coat. This is a very good article to read and understand the secrets of Raising Katahdin Sheep. Dorpers grow a combination of hair and wool, and shed naturally meaning no shearing is required. People in the Midwest or southern states see this and make a trip to Alberta to purchase a super ram. There are black headed Dorpers (most common) and white Dorpers (harder to find). Why they are Crossed - YouTube 0:00 / 4:43 Dorper Sheep vs. Katahdin Sheep. Last but not least on our list is the Cheviot breed. Suffolk meat is hailed as lean and somewhat sweet, with a good muscle to fat ratio. has anyone had CL in Dorper sheep one of my fav ewes has CL and we are trying to find a way to maybe stop it! After slaughter, all thats left is hide, manure and stomach contents. Hello! (Icelandic sheep grow a double coat.) They are the generally more fertile in hot humid regions and show greater tolerance to parasites than woolen breeds. The flocking instinct of hair animals generally isnt as good as wool breeds. I could always pick out the dorper/katahdin crosses. The Dorper is a breed of sheep that originated in the south of Africa in the 1940's. It is the product of cross-breeding between the Dorset Horn and Blackhead Persian breeds. If you combine all traits I have not found a better breed for a farming system based on pasture and direct marketing. Farmersville. Often, when a new breed or type is rising in popularity, careful breeding can fall to the wayside in the haste to have stock to sell. You will always need to make compromises if you choose to have a purebred flock. Katahdin ewes weigh around 125-185 pounds, and rams average around 200 pounds. For example, cold wind and warm sun quickly result in herd finding shelter under conditions when woolen sheep remain in the open. All Rights Reserved | Website by Maple Creative, God Save the Beef: Trials of Sustainable Farming in the UK . The Dorper has a high rate of lambing and is tolerant of the arid conditions it was developed for in South Africa. Just weaned 530 lambs .If we can get some weight on them worth $200+ in current market. Hope this helps! Subsequent generations with higher percentage shed better and better although shedding is not a black and white thing. Though size and time to mature are not the Blackbellys strongest points, there are many advantages to raising this hardy breed of sheep. If youre grazing crop-field aftermath, their coat will pick up trash where a Katahdin wont. mantap ! At 90 days, weve had November-December lambs on pasture, hay and whole grain (corn or milo) average 75 pounds. I'd go with Dorper ram on Katahdin ewes. Forty-six Dorper, 46 Katahdin, and 43 St. Croix female sheep from four regions of the USA were used to evaluate responses to high heat load index (HLI) conditions. The Dorper Sheep is a hardy resilient South African breed of sheep that can withstand various harsh climates, environments and intensive operations. Plainview, Tx. These breeds are called hair sheep because the coat consists of hair more like that of cattle and many goats rather than wool. As they say, the proof is in the pudding eating. We have eight foot Scotch Pines that look like a girdled palm tree and have seen them strip an old dried Christmas tree of its needles. Between their size and their courage, llamas may seem intimidating at first. study was done that showed the parasite resistance. When youre raising sheep for meat, the wool is a by-product. This has nothing to do with genetics and everything to do with the latitude in which the animal lives: Things being equal, our weights will be lower than the weights of similar Katahdins raised in Canada, but higher than ones raised in Florida. Beginning in the mid-1950s, Piel imported three St.Croix sheep. They can provide you with information pertaining to regulations, health requirements and local export brokers. Katahdins are a popular meat breed for sheep farmers. Suffolk ewes have an excellent lambing rate of 180%, making them a solid choice for breeding. They are easy care sheep that divert most of their energy into producing meat instead of wool. Some of the main pros of keeping Katahdin sheep include: Katahdin sheep are one of the easiest breeds of sheep to care for. The shedding process may take some getting used to but will not litter your pasture with wool Photographer: Ulf Kintzel. Breeding stock is selected under rigorous criteria, including parasite resistance, hair coat, growth characteristics on grass alone and general thriftiness. I sell a lot of culled ewes as roasts, ground meat, stew meat and various sausages. Good milkers, and is suggested not to wean lambs before three months. My friend also mentioned his Katahdin-Dorper lambs are much fatter when born than Polypays. Vigorous growers, the Icelandic produce lambs that are market-ready at 70-100 pounds in as little as 4-5 months. Mexicans prefer a larger lamb, and let nothing go to waste. Ron remembers raising wool sheep as a teenager. Due to its heavily muscled carcass, the Texel sheep is a very popular meat breed. They grow quickly and reach market weight early. Some general information on hair sheep is found on the next page. and, as such, the data are estimates. To learn more about baby sheep, check out my article Baby Sheep: What a Baby Sheep is Called & Other Fun Facts. Featured Listing. Unfortunately, as the percentage of Dorper increases, more wool is found in their coat and some animals lose some of their shedding ability. Our flock is content to sleep outside in the coldest weather and will have unmelted snow on their backs like a wool animal. Its important to have an animal thats pure or unaltered for sacrifice in observance of many holidays. His father Barley ( in picture behind him) is a full blooded Dorper. Flock owners with less than 50 animals have a difficult time getting someone to shear unless they pool their animals with neighbors. They still dont take a huge amount of time to reach it, but it is something to be aware of if you are looking for fast production. There are lots of Dorper breeders in NC also, as well as "commercial" crossbreeds: You can search this site by States to find Scrapie-free certified breeders of sheep and goats: Choosing breeding stock with this in mind can avoid this problem. Why Katahdin x Dorper Crosses. a From the review: Notter, g. 1978. Hair sheep dont bring as much on the slaughter market. Next Page: Flock ID Last Name First Name Farm Name Address City State . Katahdins have generated a great deal of interest from all parts of North America. Id recommend getting in touch with the author of this article- he might have some good insight for you. High latitudes (up north) have a short growing season with long daylight periods and fast grass growth that is high in protein and low in fiber. Apparently, Momma Kathadin doesnt wait around to see what happens when Mr. Coyote shows up for dinner. Some hair breed rams are long-bodied which can create a lengthy birthing scenario for the ewe. I dont want him to get unhealthily fat. If this same time is spent building homestead fencing, watersystems, improving lambing or handling facilities, its improving an operation. He can be reached at 585-554-3313 or by e-mail at ulf@whitecloversheepfarm.com. Katahdin meat tends to be leaner than many other breeds. After lambing season, most of our sheep time is spent managing our pastures so that we can provide our animals with the best quality forage possible. The breeds of hair sheep that are of importance in Florida include Katahdin, St. Croix, American Blackbelly, and Barbados Blackbelly. At that weight there are no problems with too much fat cover whatsoever. Blackbellys are often left unvaccinated due to their disease and parasite resistance (though of course, we recommend you do your research on the breed and talk to a vet about what they recommend for vaccinating). In 1975 Utah State University imported a small flock of Virgin Island White which is the basis for the present St. Croix breed in North America. Keeping Boer Goats: 5 Biggest Disadvantages, 4 Best Places with Sheep for Sale in Missouri, They are easy to breed and commonly give birth to multiple lambs, They arent great for milk or wool production, They dont require shearing, tail docking, or crutching, Lambs take a little longer than some breeds to reach market weight. He is a native of Germany and lives in the US since 1995. This breed averages in maturity at around 175 220 pounds. Lambing %: Average lambing rate is between 150 and 250%. Fourteen years ago my wife got into the sheep business when she purchased three registered Katahdin ewes, a ram, and later, three Romanov ewes. Ten percent of sheep breeds are hair breeds but ninety percent of these are found in tropical areas. Lambing %: Given an average lambing percent of 150 and 3 lambing in 2 years, Dorper will produce 2.25 lambs on an annual basis. The second reason I chose Dorper over St. Croix is desirability. Thanks for the belly shaking laugh! This means that, theoretically, a Dorper ewe can produce a lamb (or 2 or 3) every 8 months. We have all three breeds. Environmental Adaptability: Tolerant of both high and low temperatures. Docking tails is unnecessary, although you still see some old timers that dock just because they always have. Dorper sheep are exceptionally popular amongst both hobbyists and commercial homesteads. The main differences between these two breeds are the colors available, and what they can be used for. Breed utilization for meat production in sheep. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Contact | About Us | Sitemap, As one of the most populous sheep breeds in America, the. This may be due to the fact that wool can hide a lot of rib bones and other defects, while with a hair sheep what you see is what you get. link to Are Llamas Dangerous? Have been buying in feed since the start of 2018. Keep reading to learn more about the best sheep breeds for meat. This breed is also exceptionally hardy, able to thrive in both the cold, and the hot, humid climates in which many farmers struggle to. Fact: While its true that Barbados and St. Croix are small animals (ewes 80-110 pounds), few commercial breeders raise them. This is a very old article and I do not have the contact info for John. The Dorper is a mutton breed of hair sheep developed in the 1930s. Four Barbados Blackbelly sheep arrived in the United States in 1904. I had on occasion lambs butchered that exceeded 110 pounds. A type of hair breed, Katahdin sheep originate in the United States. Required fields are marked *. Is there any way to contact him? In general they have low maintenance requirements. You have to pay to have it sheared once a year. A qualityregistered lamb will bring triple the fat lamb price. Wondering whether to add Dorper or Katahdin sheep to your homestead? FLAVOR Special Notes The Dorper sheep are very hardy animals. We figured the combination would be a meatier sheep." They bought the ram in 1996 and some ewes the following spring. Sheep and cattle have different grazing needs and preferences, and the sheep will clean up the growth that doesnt appeal to the cows. Just like to make a comment. take it from me, you dont have to worry about anyone getting too fat. Being aware of the pros and cons of each breed will help you to make a better-informed decision over which one is right for your setup. In winter puts on coat that is shed as temperatures increase. Mostly Katahdin hair ewes exposed to Dorper and Katahdin bucks. Arguments exist concerning the exact origin of the Barbados Blackbelly evidence is shown for both Africa or Barbados. They started with an idle, tired farm and through years of blood, sweat and tears have transformed it into a vibrant . Disposition & Mothering Ability: Breed is docile and calm with good flocking instinct. They are seasonal breeders, conceiving in the Fall and Winter. I like the Dorper temperament, generally they are a pretty docile breed. What Needle Felting Supplies Do You Use for Sculpting? Thank so much for this information. However, if I consider the traits described in this article and add the easy lambing, good mothering and fertility as well as the calm disposition and eye appealing looks of these sheep to the mix, I have come very close to the ideal breed at least for my farming system and my market. They will stand on their hind feet like goats to strip any low hanging limbs of their leaves. For the Katahdin vs Dorper analysis (Table 1), 8 SNPs under selection were observed in SOCS2, NOS2, TGFB2 and IL2RA genes within OAR3, 11, 12 and 13, respectively. Breed ideal for pasture lambing and grass/forage based management systems. Origin: This breed originated from Maine, U.S. from crosses of woolen breeds mainly Suffolk and later Wiltshire Horn with hair sheep from the Virgin Islands. Four years ago we began converting all our cropland into pasture and expanded the flock. I have a black face ewe and she is very fat and is 7 months old, should I be worried about her having a lamb and is she old enough to get in lamb. Due to the high amount of red muscle fibers, the Icelandic sheep has a uniquely tender and fine texture. Relative resistance of Dorper crossbred ewes to gastrointestinal nematode infection compared with St. Croix and Katahdin ewes in the southeastern United States. Blackbellys often breed easily and well, usually birthing multiple lambs in one breeding. Suffolk grow wool continuously, and will need to be sheared annually. In our operation, that sheep breed is the Katahdin sheep. The breed is famous in the United States for its high performance and low maintenance. Kt ewes under low-input semiarid conditions of northern Mxico. Baby Sheep: What a Baby Sheep is Called & Other Fun Facts. The Dorper is the fastest growing, heaviest-muscled hair sheep breed in the U.S. Dorpers do not shed as well as other hair sheep, but their carcasses are superior to any other breed of hair sheep. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'savvyfarmlife_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_11',105,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-savvyfarmlife_com-large-leaderboard-2-0');Considered to be the 2nd most popular breed of sheep in the US, the Dorset sheep is another solid meat-producer. The Dorper sheep has gained popularity in the last decade for meat production, with ewes reaching a weight of 170-250 pounds, and rams up to 250 pounds. The Dorper originated in South Africa from crosses between the Dorset and the Blackhead Persian. Ive seen Shropshire being used to keep weeds and grass down in Christmas tree plantations. St. Croix Sheep have been used to develop other breeds such as the Royal White. For registered breeding stock, permanent wooly fibers are a no-no. We normally worm our lambs 3-4 times a summer and the ewes not at all. Our paddocks are grazed for 5-7 days followed by 25-34 days of . Tunis are solid breeders and excellent mothers. I have found that the Katahdin can be a little taller than many of the Dorper but then it will also depend on what bloodlines. My friend used to manage a flock of purebreds of both breeds and crosses. Why Katahdin x Dorper Crosses At Stoneheart Farms we specialize in Katahdin x Dorper crosses for exceptional market lambs and for replacement breeding stock. Hi..I have a merino female sheep and I would like to know if its possible to cross it with male dorper sheep to get pregnant .. Do Dorpers only breed seasonally ? We are currently running 130 registered ewes with 10 commercial ewes that will be dispersed this year. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. However, if thats what you are looking for then this breed might not be for you. Hampshire sheep can live in almost any climate, making them a hardy breed. As you can see in picture Spike has some tiny horn buds; they have never grown . Our spring lambs require 4-5 pounds of dry matter forage to produce each pound of gain. "Shearing the wool was tough," he recalls, but the price paid for wool nearly covered feed costs. There was only the body fleece that needed shearing. Considered to be the 2nd most popular breed of sheep in the US, the Dorset sheep is another solid meat-producer. J. Anim Sci 77:215-222. Average Birth Weight (Lbs): 7.5 lbs for single, 6.5 7 for twins, and less for triplets. Katahdins have hair and not wool, which means they are a low-maintenance breed that will shed their hair naturally. They can harbor significant worm populations, yet not suffer the same effects a wool animal would. In terms of temperament, cost, and maintenance, they are both excellent options. Because of the wool, the Icelandic sheep do need to be sheared once to twice per year. The wool and hair comes mainly off in such small pieces that it is like a cow or a goat shedding you dont worry about their hair littering the pasture either. This information may be used to compare breeds of hair sheep. Thirdly how long after separation to market. How do you collect wool from self-shearing sheep? Benefits of This Breed The Dorper are preferred for their excellent feed utilisation and conversion: they don't need shearing, crutching and mulesing, and they are disease resistant. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Sheep will eat woody vegetation but prefer grass and weeds on the ground. for info and videos along with books and much more! After 22 years they are well rooted in South Paris. I usually harvest my lambs between 80 and 90 lbs. My wife and I feel theres no best breed, but rather which breed best fits your operation. Katahdins tend to birth twins, with triplets and quadruplets occurring often with good flock management. Dorset lambs, like the Suffolk and Dorper, mature quickly and are market-ready earlier than many other breeds. Some Ewes shed coats after second lambing. The customers, including the many ethnic customers, caught up and appreciate the milder flavor of hairsheep.
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