The best genetics wont keep an animal from starving to death. Katahdin sheep and Dorper are bred as meat sheep breeds. Culling the genetic faults and only keeping the best rams for breeding will ensure a good future for any new hair sheep breeds. After 22 years they are well rooted in South Paris. 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 ? 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. They do produce wool, and need to be shorn on a regular basis. Weight Gain/Daily: 1 pound under intensive production. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. The Cheviot sheep is best suited for northern, colder climates, and does not tolerate heat as well. . Ewes will breed back before the lambs are weaned. Lamb chops from Barbados Blackbelly x St. Croix lambs were similar to those from Dorset-sired, Dorper-sired, or Katahdin. The trend is now reversed. This behavior causes problems with maintaining desirable trees unless protection is provided. St. Croix Sheep have been used to develop other breeds such as the Royal White. In colder zones they produce a very heavy winter coat that is shed in spring. To be successful, you must sell quality, and I stress quality animals; send anything else to slaughter. Since hair sheep dont have a heavy wool coat, they cant take the cold. While both breeds are exceptionally popular in the US, there are some differences between the two. Dorper sheep originated in South Africa and were the result of crossing Dorset Horn with Blackheaded Persian sheep. Apparently, Momma Kathadin doesnt wait around to see what happens when Mr. Coyote shows up for dinner. Consider the pros and cons featured above before making your decision. The ewes are also heavy milkers with excellent maternal instincts. Sheep 201: Hair sheep primer We are currently using rams with high shedding scores, while culling heavily on production traits. for info and videos along with books and much more! I'd go with Dorper ram on Katahdin ewes. A maternal breed, Katahdin ewes breed well with the Dorper rams to produce a meaty but feminine lamb. They can mature to be up to 6 tall, can reach over 400 pounds, and they dont back down Goats vs Sheep: Profit, Care & Behavioral Differences. History tells us our present-day sheep are derived from the wild Mouflon sheep, among others, that grew coarse hair with a downy undercoat. Like most of the sheep listed here, Texel lambs reach market size quickly, by 5-6 months. Dorper lambs tolerated the infection more so than Suffolk (wool) lambs when fecal egg counts were low. Suffolk ewes are excellent mothers and prolific breeders. Katahdin Hair Sheep | Successful Farming Dorper's are by far the closest hair sheep to the wool breed. We feel that our time must be used where it will improve our operation, rather than maintaining status quo. Breeding Season: They breed throughout the year. A qualityregistered lamb will bring triple the fat lamb price. We let them be sheep and just help them along. Get Shipping Quotes Opens in a new tab. The coat is a mixture of hair and wool and will shed from animal in late spring/early summer. However, they are suitable for markets requiring smaller carcass size. Environmental Adaptability: Well adapted to hot, dry, humid and wet conditions. It is more flighty than Dorper, Kathadin and St. Croix breeds. "Shearing the wool was tough," he recalls, but the price paid for wool nearly covered feed costs. In terms of temperament, cost, and maintenance, they are both excellent options. including sheepamong them an extra-special Dorper-Katahdin lamb named Mopple. Myth #2: Hair sheep don't bring as much on the slaughter market. At that weight there are no problems with too much fat cover whatsoever. Dorper Sheep. We are in the process of installing another 10,000 feet of electric fence on 25 acres that will result in another nine paddocks. At that weight the fat cover did indeed get too much. 2022 Cornell Small Farms. Will they settle into a seasonal pattern or will they breed continually? They have less subcutaneous fat on average and are a bit leaner because there is less feathering in the muscles. 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. If you plan on going into the meat production business, its important to know the difference between types of sheep meat. Katahdin ewes weigh around 125-185 pounds, and rams average around 200 pounds. 2022 Cornell Small Farms. Carcass Composition of Hair Sheep Breeds and Crosses - Virginia Tech We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Dorset lambs, like the Suffolk and Dorper, mature quickly and are market-ready earlier than many other breeds. They reach sexual maturity early, and will remain fertile for a longer period of time than many other breeds. ~Ann, Your email address will not be published. Lamb comes from a sheep under the age of 1 year old. Best Meat Cross-Breed with Katahdin Ram - Permies Libyans prefer old worn out buck goats for their stronger flavor. Mutton is meat that comes from mature sheep over the age of 1 year old. 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.. Katahdins have hair and not wool, which means they are a low-maintenance breed that will shed their hair naturally. Breeders often use less-expensive Katahdin ewes to initiate an upgrading program with registered Dorper as the final goal. I am trying to locate a couple of nice ewe lambs now. (Icelandic sheep grow a double coat.) The breeder from whom I purchased the lambs said she is breeding in dorper with the katahdins to "beef" them up a little. It is common to have ewes lambing twice per year. Feed conversion is good since these sheep fatten easily on less than ideal pasture and forage. 46:131-143.. Making a Good Ewe Flock. (Allardt) "Spike" is a 3 year old ram. My wife and I feel theres no best breed, but rather which breed best fits your operation. Owning Goats vs. Sheep However, as the challenge escalated, parasite resistance was greatest in St. Croix lambs, followed by Katahdin and Dorper lambs. Katahdins tend to birth twins, with triplets and quadruplets occurring often with good flock management. 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. The entire belly is black including areas between the legs, nose and forehead. I have bought a dorper lamb an intend to serve mountain horny ewes with him has it ever being tried out, hi, If you have a disability and are having trouble accessing information on this website or need materials in an alternate format, please contact Cornell University via email at, Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogoh:n. Photo courtesy of: Dr. Stephan A. Wildeus. The major disadvantage is that they grow slower and produce a lighter weight carcass than most breeds of European origin. while letting some lambs reach weights up to 100+ lbs. Lambs can also take a little longer to reach their market weight than some other breeds of sheep. There is a growing market demand for high-quality, naturally-fed lamb. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare productive performance of F 1 Dp vs . Disposition & Mothering Ability: Breed is docile and calm with good flocking instinct. Future importations to university breeding flocks led to the development of the American Blackbelly sheep breed. Produce large amount of milk. Two weeks later, the ewes hadnt lost any body condition. Technical Abstract: They are well adapted to a variety of climatic and grazing conditions. Despite being a hairsheep, White Dorpers do not lack winter hardiness Photographer: Ulf Kintzel. To showcase the commercial qualities of our animals, all breeding stock we sell comes directly from pasture, having received no special treatment. Ive spent my entire life around farm animals, and I created Savvy Farm Life to share the helpful information Ive learned over the years. Mating season for Suffolk sheep usually happens in the Autumn or Winter of each year, as it is for most sheep breeds. While hair breeds comprise a small percentage of the number of sheep in North America, this is changing as sustainability becomes a bigger issue for landowners. Katahdin Pedigrees Public Area Members List. Our spring lambs on pasture alone (17-20 percent protein and 65-72percentdigestible organic matter-DOM) will average 55-60 pounds. Though size and time to mature are not the Blackbellys strongest points, there are many advantages to raising this hardy breed of sheep. However, they all shed around the belly, legs, head, and all the other places that would otherwise prolong shearing. Why Choose St. Croix Hair Sheep? Parasitol. His information is given at the conclusion of the article, pasted below. Good set of ewes. Dorper sheep originated in South Africa and were the result of crossing Dorset Horn with Blackheaded Persian sheep. The breed is famous in the United States for its high performance and low maintenance. As mentioned earlier, hair sheep breeds are considerably more heat-tolerant than wool breeds. It is now farmed in other areas as well, and is the second most common sheep breed in South Africa. It should be kept in mind that performance varies greatly with genetic, management, climate, etc. Average Birth Weight (Lbs): 7 lbs for small lambs, 4-5 lbs for twin lambs. The Dorper Sheep is a hardy resilient South African breed of sheep that can withstand various harsh climates, environments and intensive operations. Just a little more "stingy" than the Dorper (and I am talking more for working them with dogs). Sheep are like lawnmowers, while goats are more like Bush Hogs (for the uninitiated, that's the brand name for a machine designed to clear heavy brush). Looking forward to reply. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. You can check my blog at Merino sheep for sale. I think this is where the good reputation of hair sheep comes in. Please indicate pricing as well. 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. They also have a fat rump, short legs, and a compact body. The Blackbelly is a smaller breed of sheep, with ewes maturing at around 100 pounds, and rams weighing on average 120 pounds. Sales at the 2022 mid America Dorper Show nearly broke $1 MILLION with the top Dorper ewe bringing $20,000 and ram $12,800. Some breeders have been working on crosses between traditional wool meat breeds and hair sheep breeds. What is worse, however, is the fact that there are breeders who do not select for shedding ability and for the show ring instead. Hair sheep breeds are growing in popularity as consumers look for economical ways to raise homestead meat animals. . Hope this helps! 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. Have been buying in feed since the start of 2018. About - stoneheartfarm May-June lambs on pasture alone (10-13percentprotein and 60-65percent DOM) will average 45 pounds. The Dorper has a high rate of lambing and is tolerant of the arid conditions it was developed for in South Africa. But what about the market lambs getting too fat?