best beef in the word is lamb,i like lamb beef spesialis sate.. Amazing sheep, been breeding the Dorper for sometime now and i must say their adaptability is really outstanding. While both breeds are exceptionally popular in the US, there are some differences between the two. a From the review: Notter, g. 1978. These include: The fact Dorper sheep are easy to breed is a huge advantage. I would love to get in touch with the author personally. ( From Buckler Farms near Granville TN) His mom is at least 50% dorper and Katahdin. I've seen some really nice Dorper/Katahdin crosses. They grow quickly and reach market weight early. 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. There are very few disadvantages of keeping Katahdin sheep. Unsave Save. 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. Required fields are marked *. The Royal White produces more mea t than Katahdin sheep and Dorper sheep. We have just over 1200 breeding ewes & aim for around 2000 when things get better. While Im sure Ill rile a lot of Dorper breeders, Ive seen too many that had been sheared before a sale, which defeats the purpose of a hair animal. Dorper Sheep. Three ewes needed assistance lambing (one got it, the other two didnt and lost their lambs), one of which was 8 years old. Libyans prefer old worn out buck goats for their stronger flavor. As we disperse all our crossbreeds, weve found the crossbred cull ewes with a wool coat have sold for 50-75percentof what comparable weight hair ewes bring. Weve found that while genetics play an important role in weight gains, flock management, parasite control, forage quality and forage availability seem to be more important when it comes to the bottom line. These lambs that I have seen are usually by percentage Dorper rams or rams of lesser quality and out of smaller ewes or lesser quality ewes. This is not a true hair sheep. This breed produces rapid-growing lambs, with most lambs being considered ready for market at 12 weeks of age. I have no way of weighing him. Cole, N.A. I raise all my sheep and lambs strictly on pasture and feed no grain whatsoever. This is down to the fantastic range of benefits they deliver. Required fields are marked *. Dorset ewes weigh approximately 150-200 pounds, with the rams weighing on average 275 pounds. 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. Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogoh:n (the Cayuga Nation). Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Animal Breeding Abstracts. At that weight the fat cover did indeed get too much. Secondly at what age are you removing lambs from mothers . Dorpers Our goal is to develop a flock of productive, easy-care sheep that are scrapie resistant, require no shearing and that reach market specs on grass. He is a native of Germany and lives in the US since 1995. They also have a fat rump, short legs, and a compact body. This information may be used to compare breeds of hair sheep. 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. 100 Dorper - Bred Ewes. Dorper and Katahdin are medium size breeds. He is a native of Germany and lives in the US since 1995. Please indicate pricing as well. Their hair falls off naturally during the year, making them an easy breed to care for. One of the oldest breeds of sheep, the Tunis is still a favorite breed for meat production. For several years weve had Romanov/Katahdin crosses. Coat & Color: Most of the individuals are white, but tan and spotted ones exist. We feel that our time must be used where it will improve our operation, rather than maintaining status quo. . This information may be used to compare breeds of hair sheep. Do you want to earn multiple income streams from your flock. His information is given at the conclusion of the article, pasted below. Just like to make a comment. Katahdin is probably the more economical choice, however, namely because they can produce both meat and milk. There was only the body fleece that needed shearing. $300. Hope this helps! You can check my blog at Merino sheep for sale. 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. "We liked their look," Ruby puts in. No wool to deal with makes perfect economic sense. 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 . Dorset ewes weigh approximately 150-200 pounds, with the rams weighing on average 275 pounds. What is the point of getting hairsheep when you end up shearing them? He seems pretty big to me, but since he is my first sheep, I dont know what he should weigh. The majority of ewe lambs are sold as registered breeding stock; the majority of ram lambs are sold for slaughter. Mature Weight (Lb): Ewe = 100 130, Ram = 120 150. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. For instance, they have extended breeding season, and can be used to produce lambs to be marketed when lamb prices are usually high thereby reducing marketing risks. That is normal. . What sheep breeds are best for meat? Our flock is content to sleep outside in the coldest weather and will have unmelted snow on their backs like a wool animal. I have noticed that some lambs are showing caramel patches. The Dorper has a high rate of lambing and is tolerant of the arid conditions it was developed for in South Africa. How about Field Corn! 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. The entire belly is black including areas between the legs, nose and forehead. $300. This information may be used to compare breeds of hair sheep. In terms of lambing, youll find Katahdins mostly give birth to multiple lambs. In 2001, my friend with Polypay paid $2 to shear $.50 worth of wool per animal. Some European sheep genetics were incorporated into the African sheep to arrive at the existing hair breeds mentioned above. The Dorper grows more wool but self-sheds annually. While they always have access to a wind break when the wind howls, they are not being housed with the exception of those that lamb during the winter. Our paddocks are grazed for 5-7 days followed by 25-34 days of . They naturally shed their wool throughout the seasons. Because of their hair and their low fat content, this breed is known to produce both flavorful and mild meat. (Weve heard them all.). My Dorper ram is not really large but he is bigger than her. My wife and I feel theres no best breed, but rather which breed best fits your operation. We have members from Mexico to Northern Canada and have exported to Ecuador, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, United Kingdom, Chile, and Central America. Lambing %: Given an average lambing percent of 150 and 3 lambing in 2 years, Dorper will produce 2.25 lambs on an annual basis. This article first appeared in the May/June 2010 Hobby Farms. i want buy texel sheep unit so please tell how can buy it this breed. The Katahdin sheep is listed as a Recovering heritage breed on the ALBC Conservation Priority List. You will find the occasional larger patch of wool in your pasture and you will definitely find wool and hair on the trees where the sheep rub. Dorper Sheep vs. Katahdin Sheep. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'savvyfarmlife_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_9',108,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-savvyfarmlife_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0');This breed is also exceptionally hardy, able to thrive in both the cold, and the hot, humid climates in which many farmers struggle to raise sheep, making it a good choice for almost any climate in the United States. They are well adapted to a variety of climatic and grazing conditions. Environmental Adaptability: Well adapted to hot, dry, humid and wet conditions. Mexicans prefer a larger lamb, and let nothing go to waste. The customers, including the many ethnic customers, caught up and appreciate the milder flavor of hairsheep. 2 are Katahdin and 2 are katahdin/dorper crosses. Hair sheep primer . Twice a year my friend with Polypays shows up at work doubled over as he shuffles around in pain. Just remember that Dorpers do have multiple births.. we raise some dorpers and they start off with the first time lambing with twins then after that triplets. Now you have a good idea of the pros and cons of both Dorper and Katahdin sheep, which one is right for your homestead? The American Sheep Industry recognizes 47 different sheep breeds in the US, with hundreds more recognized internationally. 80 pounds at 90 days can be expected. However, they all shed around the belly, legs, head, and all the other places that would otherwise prolong shearing. The main differences between these two breeds are the colors available, and what they can be used for. The shedding process may take some getting used to but will not litter your pasture with wool Photographer: Ulf Kintzel. Currently have a friend running dorper but was looking at katahdins since they are a little bigger. 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. If my product would be poorly finished or wouldnt taste good, I surely would lose customers. 3 year old Dorper Katahdin Ram. Crossing with the Dorper led tothis larger hair breed. I think this is where the good reputation of hair sheep comes in. 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). Parasitol. The desire to climb mandates the use of a bale ring to prevent excessive waste. Katahdin can be used for both meat and milk, whereas Dorper sheep are only good for meat production. His father Barley ( in picture behind him) is a full blooded Dorper. It should be kept in mind that performance varies greatly with genetic, management, climate, etc. I have seen many Dorper X Katahdins which are small and the only sign they have Dorper in them is the fact that they have black heads, if they had been crossed with a white Dorper, one would assume that there was no Dorper in there at all. If you have space to corral a few sheep, you can fill the freezer with a healthy alternative to beef and chicken. Katahdin sheep and Dorper are bred as meat sheep breeds. Interested in raising sheep for wool? They do produce wool, and will need to be shorn annually. It is also exceptionally low-maintenance. While I cant speak for other hair breeds, Katahdin sheep are tough, hardy animals with eating habits more like that of a goat. Katahdin would adapt best under humid, warm conditions, while Dorper would be best suited for dry arid and semiarid rangeland conditions. For example, cold wind and warm sun quickly result in herd finding shelter under conditions when woolen sheep remain in the open. 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. Because of the wool, the Icelandic sheep do need to be sheared once to twice per year. Their main advantage is that they adapt well to hot humid climate where woolen breeds do not thrive well. Despite being a hairsheep, White Dorpers do not lack winter hardiness Photographer: Ulf Kintzel. Keep reading to learn more about the best sheep breeds for meat. Suffolk ewes have an excellent lambing rate of 180%, making them a solid choice for breeding. You have to pay to have it sheared once a year. Mutton is meat that comes from mature sheep over the age of 1 year old. the last time the ewe had triplets she would not take care of the tiny black one but at first she did.. but my husband ended up bottle feeding the last one born. What is worse, however, is the fact that there are breeders who do not select for shedding ability and for the show ring instead. Dorper-sired. Romanov The Romanov breed may not be as popular as the Katahdin and Dorper, but it holds a very important value in this . Dries Wiese, the owner and Studbreeder, was 9 years old when his father bought him his first . There is no such thing as an ideal breed. Origin: This mutton breed was developed in South Africa in the 1930s from Dorset Horn and Blackheaded Persia for the extensive regions of South Africa. The outside temp is above 85* sheep are heaving and panting rapidly. Lamb comes from a sheep under the age of 1 year old. The Katahdin hair sheep is the fastest growing breed in the United States. The Dorper is a good example of this interbreeding. To be successful, you must sell quality, and I stress quality animals; send anything else to slaughter. I direct sell a great number of lambs. Mating season for Suffolk sheep usually happens in the Autumn or Winter of each year, as it is for most sheep breeds. Like most of the sheep listed here, Texel lambs reach market size quickly, by 5-6 months. Katatdin x Dorper . They grow quickly and reach market weight early. If youre grazing crop-field aftermath, their coat will pick up trash where a Katahdin wont. We prefer using forage to produce lambs rather than wool. He can be reached at 585-554-3313 or by e-mail at ulf@whitecloversheepfarm.com. It should be kept in mind that performance varies greatly with genetic . Ten percent of sheep breeds are hair breeds but ninety percent of these are found in tropical areas. Here is a list of the top 10 sheep breeds for meat:if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'savvyfarmlife_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_0',121,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-savvyfarmlife_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Sheep are one of the most versatile livestock animals you can find when it comes to the number of different products they are able to produce. In winter puts on coat that is shed as temperatures increase. Market Weight/Live/Age: 80 110 lbs / 5.5 6 months. My friend also mentioned his Katahdin-Dorper lambs are much fatter when born than Polypays. Four Barbados Blackbelly sheep arrived in the United States in 1904. In colder zones they produce a very heavy winter coat that is shed in spring. Your email address will not be published. Some general information on hair sheep is found on the next page. Sheep for sale: young grass-fed butcher ram lambs (Dorper & Katahdin) Since todays hair sheep breeds are developed from hardy ancestors, they are considered easy keepers because they have a natural resistance to disease and parasites. An interesting study was done that showed the parasite resistance was higher in the purebred hair sheep over the crossbred shedding sheep. Carefully breeding only the best stock will ensure that the extreme hardiness and good mothering ability remain. November/December 2003 and regularly vetted for accuracy. Environmental Adaptability: Withstand heat and cold well, and part of this adjustment to extremes is behavioral. How do you decide which breed is right for your needs? Later on I found out that this was the faster route to accomplish shedding in the offspring. Half of the group thinks it is okay to feed hot sheep, the other half disagrees. While you can make a great profit selling meat, if you are looking for multiple income streams from your flock then the Dorper may not be the right breed for you. The only problem with colesterol is that the big pharma found a new drug to sell. I am new to the sheep business so I am concerned that she will never be large enough to breed. As mentioned earlier, the Katahdin breed has served us well. The Dorper originated in South Africa from crosses between the Dorset and the Blackhead Persian. I recently purchased 4 ram lambs for meat. I bottle fed him for three months and give him grain 2x a day, and free choice hay as well as pasture grass. Have good flocking instinct. Katahdin ewes weigh around 125-185 pounds, and rams average around 200 pounds. Katahdin-sired lambs typically produce carcasses that are heavier in weight and more muscular than St. Croix or Barbados Blackbelly when harvested at a similar age. This means that, theoretically, a Dorper ewe can produce a lamb (or 2 or 3) every 8 months. Ron remembers raising wool sheep as a teenager. Did you know that Dorper sheep dont need to be sheared? FLAVOR Breeders often use less-expensive Katahdin ewes to initiate an upgrading program with registered Dorper as the final goal. In a second study, Dorper or Dorset sired lambs were compared to Barbados Blackbelly x St. Croix or Katahdin lambs. For registered breeding stock, permanent wooly fibers are a no-no. Typically, the 75 percent Dorper crosses will exhibit the Dorper coloration and conformation. Ewes typically reach sexual maturity by 7 months. Origin: Developed in the Virgin Islands for crosses of West African hair sheep and Wiltshire Horn. Check out my article Best Sheep for Wool: Top 8 Sheep Breeds for Wool. They do produce wool, and will need to be shorn annually. Baby Sheep: What a Baby Sheep is Called & Other Fun Facts. Royal Whites are more recent in the hair sheep scene and development is still ongoing. Photo courtesy of:Dr. Stephan A. Wildeus. The Katahdin breed has hair instead of wool, and that means less work, according to the couple, who raise the sheep near Perham, Minnesota. The Royal White sheep shed their wool naturally, it saves the cost of shearing. 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. Feed conversion is good since these sheep fatten easily on less than ideal pasture and forage. 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. Thanks, I am considering starting a small Dorper and or Katahdin herd to raise meat for the Western New York market. Best guess is he is 175-200 lbs. Thirdly how long after separation to market. In years past, 18-30 pound lambs sold well in Chicago for Jewish Passover. While many of the characteristics hair animals possess appeal to the hobby flock owner, we expect an animal to make us money; if it doesnt, its gone. We are currently using rams with high shedding scores, while culling heavily on production traits. The breeds of hair sheep that are of importance in Florida include Katahdin, St. Croix, American Blackbelly, and Barbados Blackbelly. Why Katahdin x Dorper Crosses At Stoneheart Farms we specialize in Katahdin x Dorper crosses for exceptional market lambs and for replacement breeding stock. As we said in the introduction, if youre looking to earn multiple income streams from your sheep, youll probably find Katahdins to be the better option. While Dorper sheep are considered a hair breed, Ive found a large number have quite a bit of wool or curly fibers in their coat. That applies to purebred WD market lambs as well. There are black headed Dorpers (most common) and white Dorpers (harder to find). 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. Dorpers are well-known to mature early as well, with most lambs considered market-ready in as little as 4 months old. No Need to Shear One of the most obvious benefits of raising Katahdin sheep is that they do not need to be sheared on an annual or twice-per-year basis. We normally worm our lambs 3-4 times a summer and the ewes not at all. It may not display this or other websites correctly. They reach sexual maturity early, and will remain fertile for a longer period of time than many other breeds. We just started raising Katahdins this year. People converting to hair sheep breeds all notice certain things. The bodybuilder of the sheep world, the Texel sheep is known for its heavily-muscled and sturdy frame. All Rights Reserved | Website by Maple Creative, God Save the Beef: Trials of Sustainable Farming in the UK . However, since Dorpers can also be found further North in colder climates, I am sure that a lack of winter hardiness is not a trait applying to Dorper sheep. Although the breed was created in the 1930s, it is still fairly new to the US. We saw their ad and went to look at their Dorper rams. They dont need to be sheared, they have a docile temperament making them easy to handle, and they are resistant to disease. (Grabbing a Romanov thats been walking through cockleburs is like wrestling with a 130-pound cocklebur.). The phrases youll hear most often is either mutton or lamb. 7 year old Katahdin ewe . Future importations to university breeding flocks led to the development of the American Blackbelly sheep breed. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'savvyfarmlife_com-leader-1','ezslot_7',106,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-savvyfarmlife_com-leader-1-0');Katahdins are a popular meat breed for sheep farmers. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Flock owners with less than 50 animals have a difficult time getting someone to shear unless they pool their animals with neighbors. There are three main reasons to raise hair sheep. Some general information on hair sheep is found on the next page. Mature Weight (Lb): Ewe = 130 140 (Average is 136), Ram = 170 - 200. This is a very good article to read and understand the secrets of Raising Katahdin Sheep. Is there any way to contact him? Do you have to go around picking it up out of the pasture? A caution when breeding is to choose the right size ram for the ewe. Dorper fullbloods, Katahdin fullbloods and St Croix fullbloods, We have a nice big fullblood dorper ram that we are putting over the St Croix and the Katahdin.
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