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. The Katahdin sheep breed was developed in Maine to help clear brush in powerline corridors. Dorper sheep are exceptionally popular amongst both hobbyists and commercial homesteads. Katahdin can be used for both meat and milk, whereas Dorper sheep are only good for meat production. Environmental Adaptability: Well adapted to hot, dry, humid and wet conditions. The mild and yet rich flavor of these culled ewes is remarkable and does not at all remind anyone of mutton. Dorper's are by far the closest hair sheep to the wool breed. Dorper and Katahdin are medium size breeds. Good luck! They have incredible growth of lambs at butcher weight within 6-8 months with carcass weights in the 45-60 lb range. However, as the challenge escalated, parasite resistance was greatest in St. Croix lambs, followed by Katahdin and Dorper lambs. and, as such, the data are estimates. You can overcome this by making sure your walls are high enough, and that there is nothing in their enclosure that they can climb onto. There is no such thing as an ideal breed. If my product would be poorly finished or wouldnt taste good, I surely would lose customers. Weight Gain/Daily: 0.4 lbs daily with good nutrition.
Easy Care Hair Sheep: Is There Really Such A Thing? we find dorpers a great sheep to raise and to eat.. had ribs tonight and use the grease on the dry dog food.. dogs love it.. They also benefit from a long productive life, giving you maximum bang for your buck.
Sheep Breeds - North Florida Livestock Agents' Group - UF/IFAS Im sorry I cannot help you. Good milkers, and is suggested not to wean lambs before three months. More on that subject later. 80 pounds at 90 days can be expected. To showcase the commercial qualities of our animals, all breeding stock we sell comes directly from pasture, having received no special treatment. Though the breed produces wool (and lanolin), it is known to have a particularly mild taste. Question is this common? The thickness of a Katahdin sheeps winter coat will vary among individuals, but it needs to shed completely for an A or AA coat classification, which is the norm. There are a few characteristics you will want to look for when choosing a meat-producing sheep. http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b365/Accursed/Smileys/waiting-bored-waiting-boy-smiley-em.gif, Birthing, Weaning, and Raising Young Sheep. After slaughter, all thats left is hide, manure and stomach contents.
Viewing a thread - Dorper Sheep vs. Katahdin Sheep He farms in the Finger Lakes area in upstate New York. And does anyone have experience with katahdin ewes on dorper bucks . Katahdins are docile, medium-sized sheep; ewes weigh 125 to 185 pounds, rams 180 to 250 pounds. Check out my article Best Sheep for Wool: Top 8 Sheep Breeds for Wool. Because of their hair, they do not produce the lanolin that can lend gaminess to the meat, giving it a milder flavor. The lighter weights are the result of hot weather reducing forage intake (occurs with all grazing animals) and lowered nutritional quality of cool-season forages.
Dorper Vs Katadhin Sheep: Which Is Better For Your Farm? They dont need to be sheared, they have a docile temperament making them easy to handle, and they are resistant to disease. Dorper-sired lambs produce carcasses that are most similar in weight and muscling to that of wool breeds, but generally have greater fatness when slaughtered at the same age.
Katahdin Sheep - Kiko and Boer Goats Special Notes The Dorper sheep are very hardy animals. Consider the pros and cons featured above before making your decision. The first generation grows quite well due to the heterosis effect, but nearly always has a wool coat. His information is given at the conclusion of the article, pasted below. Milk replacers should be fed at 10%-20% of the lamb's body weight, divided into 4-6 feedings/day during the first week of life. 2022 Cornell Small Farms. These include: The fact Dorper sheep are easy to breed is a huge advantage. We are fortunate that buyers for the large ethnic market in St. Louis often attend sales. As one of the most populous sheep breeds in America, the Suffolk is a popular choice for meat producers. With an annual rainfall of approximately 175mm (7 inches), the grazing is mainly scrubland with a stocking rate of 1 LSU per 32 hectare. Feeding these breeds too much grain can result in an overabundance of internal fat. However, if thats what you are looking for then this breed might not be for you. Coat & Color: Most of the individuals are white, but tan and spotted ones exist. There are black headed Dorpers (most common) and white Dorpers (harder to find). Animal Breeding Abstracts.
Glenn Land Farm Dexter Cattle & Dorper Sheep Publication : USDA ARS Because of their hair, like the Dorper they do not produce lanolin which will give their meat a milder taste. Youll find these sheep to have an easy-going temperament, and they tend to produce leaner meat with even fat distribution.
WHY I DON'T RAISE ST. CROIX SHEEP | DORPER vs. ST. CROIX as Meat Breeds Although they are one of the newest sheep breeds introduced in America, Katahdin sheep have quickly become a popular choice. The customers, including the many ethnic customers, caught up and appreciate the milder flavor of hairsheep. This breed was developed after 20 years of breeding and selection.
PDF Productive Performance of F Dorper vs. Katahdin Ewes Under Semi Differences in the taste of sheep breeds - BC Boards Cheviots are easy to breed, meeting a 90% lambing average without assistance. An interesting study was done that showed the parasite resistance was higher in the purebred hair sheep over the crossbred shedding sheep. In terms of lambing, youll find Katahdins mostly give birth to multiple lambs. There were sequential 2-wk. Request PDF | Signatures of selection in sheep and goats infected with Haemonchus contortus | Host genetic variation for resistance to Haemonchus contortus allows selective breeding of animals for . 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. A type of hair breed, Katahdin sheep originate in the United States. I used purebred as opposed to full blood White Dorper rams to upgrade my flock. This information may be used to compare breeds of hair sheep. The bodybuilder of the sheep world, the Texel sheep is known for its heavily-muscled and sturdy frame. At 90 days, weve had November-December lambs on pasture, hay and whole grain (corn or milo) average 75 pounds. In years past, 18-30 pound lambs sold well in Chicago for Jewish Passover. ~Ann, Your email address will not be published. A list of the breeds of sheep that are thought of as being good ewe breeds would start with (1) Rambouillet sheep such as there are in Texas (2) several kinds of Whitefaced Western sheep, (3) the Dorset breed, which is a white-faced meat breed . While I cant speak for other hair sheep breeds, Katahdin sheep are often more flighty than many other breeds: Several producers of both hair and wool animals have found coyote losses are considerably lower with Katahdins. They shed their winter coats during spring and early summer. My Texel sheep had served me well with their ability to finish on pasture, with their excellent meaty carcasses and with their lambing percentage of over 200 percent. I can only put this down to past genetics. What is the point of getting hairsheep when you end up shearing them? Some general information on hair sheep is found on the next page. Lambs can also take a little longer to reach their market weight than some other breeds of sheep. Work with your states department of agriculture if youre interested in export sales.
Hair Sheep Breeds - The Right Choice for You? - Countryside There was only the body fleece that needed shearing.
Katahdin Pedigrees ~ Members List Newbie trying to decide (Katahdin, Dorper, or St. Croix) In California prices for hair sheep have surpassed prices for wool sheep and in New Holland they are catching up. It is now farmed in other areas as well, and is the second most common sheep breed in South Africa. Subsequent generations with higher percentage shed better and better although shedding is not a black and white thing.
Sheep: Dorper, White Dorper and Australian White Sheep Exports 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. The Dorper is highly adaptable and does well in harsh conditions. Ewes will weigh an average of 190 pounds, with rams reaching up to 300 pounds. This breed is medium-sized and is hardy with a high-quality carcass. May 23, 2011 #3 Beekissed Herd Master Joined Aug 3, 2008 Messages 3,634 Reaction score 5,536 Points 453 Location mountains of WV For specific questions, please contact the author. The Katahdan tend to be a little more "active", in general not quite as docile, though many would disagree but they are still quiet. Katahdins are a popular meat breed for sheep farmers. A Katahdin ewe will average between 140-180 pounds, while Dorper ewes will average 160-200 pounds. The Katahdin is another great dual-purpose breed, producing on average 210 liters of milk per 210 day cycle. At lower latitudes (down south), summer daylight periods are shorter, the temperature higher, grass growth is slower and is lower in protein and higher fiber. Featured Listing. 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: Some European sheep genetics were incorporated into the African sheep to arrive at the existing hair breeds mentioned above. Dorper lambs tolerated the infection more so than Suffolk (wool) lambs when fecal egg counts were low. It is also exceptionally low-maintenance. In general they have low maintenance requirements. Some of the main pros of keeping Katahdin sheep include: Katahdin sheep are one of the easiest breeds of sheep to care for. The Dorper Sheep is a hardy resilient South African breed of sheep that can withstand various harsh climates, environments and intensive operations. 2022 Cornell Small Farms. Disposition & Mothering Ability: Extremely reactive to dogs and cats usually as though they wish to flee. Dorper Vs Katadhin Sheep: Which is better for your homestead? Produce large amount of milk. One in particular is more like a paint horse. As with any young growing animal, the weight gains of a Katahdin lamb increase as the protein and digestibility of the forage increases. Lambing %: Average lambing rate is between 150 and 250%. When youre raising sheep for meat, the wool is a by-product. There is the wool type and the hairtype with the hairtype being slightly less meaty but far better shedding. Vet. Hi currently running flock of 600. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Dorset ewes weigh approximately 150-200 pounds, with the rams weighing on average 275 pounds. Your email address will not be published. Do you want to earn multiple income streams from your flock. Like the Dorper, Dorset ewes are able to breed year-round and are not limited to a typical Fall/Winter breeding season. The breed was created by crossing Dorset and Blackheaded Persian sheep.
Our first lamb - Katahdin Dorper Cross - Farm Homestead 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. He farms in the Finger Lakes area in upstate New York. Ulf owns and operates White Clover Sheep Farm and breeds and raises grass-fed White Dorper sheep and Kiko goats without any grain feeding and offers breeding stock suitable for grazing. The Dorper carcass has a good conformation and fat distribution. Disposition & Mothering Ability: This breed is a bit flighty. We are currently using rams with high shedding scores, while culling heavily on production traits. Dorset lambs, like the Suffolk and Dorper, mature quickly and are market-ready earlier than many other breeds. By John Kirchhoff For many people, mentioning hair sheep evokes either I wouldnt have anything else or a No way would I have them response.
Katahdin Dorper cross ram lambs for Sale - Highnote Alabama In winter puts on coat that is shed as temperatures increase. 100 Dorper - Bred Ewes. . marina@mgdorpers.com. One of the first breeds to be recognized for its commercial production, the rams can reach more than 250 lbs. Hair sheep dont bring as much on the slaughter market. As a result, the Katahdin is the most common hair sheep in America. Hair sheep breeds simply shed their hair covering and fleecy undercoat when the weather warms. Flock owners with less than 50 animals have a difficult time getting someone to shear unless they pool their animals with neighbors. Average Birth Weight (Lbs): 7 lbs for small lambs, 4-5 lbs for twin lambs. I sell a lot of culled ewes as roasts, ground meat, stew meat and various sausages. Lamb meat is known to be more tender and tasty. Most Muslims prefer intact ram lambs without tails being docked. I have a question. Sold all our cattle. Between their size and their courage, llamas may seem intimidating at first.
Best Sheep for Milk: 7 Best Sheep Breeds for Milk - Savvy Farm Life We have an 18-cell planned grazing system with 10,000 feet of electric fence and 5,000 feet of underground waterline on 35 acres. Disposition & Mothering Ability: Ewes have good mothering ability and lamb easily unassisted. Katahdin x Texel. Thank so much for this information. The Dorper is a mutton breed of hair sheep developed in the 1930s. Hi Joanne. When it comes down to it, the choice of whether to add Dorper sheep or Katahdin sheep to your homestead is more about personal preference. Very tolerant of the humid hot conditions in the Carribean andSomolia, Blackhead Persians have a white body and black head. You can even crossbreed them to develop unique varieties for your farm or homestead. In lambs, grain feeding versus grass-fed has a greater influence on flavor than the differences in breeds.
Dorper Sheep vs. Katahdin Sheep. Why they are Crossed To learn more about how you can make money off of sheep, read my article What Do Sheep Produce? While Hampshire sheep are seasonal breeders, they tend to have a longer breeding season than others. This spring we had an overall lambing average of 1.9 lambs/ewe born with 1.7 lambs weaned.