Dorper sheep originated in South Africa and were the result of crossing Dorset Horn with Blackheaded Persian sheep. 46:131-143.. Making a Good Ewe Flock. The Royal White produces more mea t than Katahdin sheep and Dorper sheep. marina@mgdorpers.com. Are Llamas Dangerous? November/December 2003 and regularly vetted for accuracy. Tunis sheep are known to have an excellent flavor of meat. We live in central NSW ( Australia ) our usual rainfall is 30 inchs, temp range from -7 deg to 45 deg C ( yes 115 F ) but over the past 3 years we have been experiencing a huge drought. including sheepamong them an extra-special Dorper-Katahdin lamb named Mopple. Mature Weight (Lb): Ewe = 70 -120, Ram = 110 140. Originally, the established buyers at auctions resisted hairsheep in general and they fetched lower prices in places like New Holland. Jacksonville, FL 32254. When the weathers hot and the pastures are dry, their wool animals will be under a tree while the hair animals are out grazing. This breed was imported in the US in 1904 and was crossed with Mouflon (wild sheep), Rambouillet and other European breeds to produce what is known as American Blackbelly. Get Shipping Quotes Opens in a new tab. Animal Breeding Abstracts. Dorper sheep do well in warm, arid climates, but can tolerate cold as well. Katahdins have hair and not wool, which means they are a low-maintenance breed that will shed their hair naturally. Dorsets commonly produce twins and even triplets. study was done that showed the parasite resistance. If you plan on raising lambs for meat, youll need to know everything that comes with taking care of baby sheep. This matters up here as our point of having hair sheep is to eliminate useless shearing. We have a dispute between the members about feeding sheep after working them. Our paddocks are grazed for 5-7 days followed by 25-34 days of . We began our Katahdin Sheep herd with non-registered sheep but have added registered Katahdin ewes to our farm. Can someone tell me a few of the pros and cons for both dorper sand katahdin. Ta Paul.5. 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. It is also well established that heavy grain feeding does not suit these medium sized sheep since they thrive on so little. Crossing these breeds with woolen breeds for efficient meat production does hold some potential. Hi just wondering it may be a silly question anyways can you milk Dorper sheep. 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. I would also be interested in bred young ewes. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. For registered breeding stock, permanent wooly fibers are a no-no. Katahdin Pedigrees Public Area Members List. Suffolk ewes are excellent mothers and prolific breeders. The breed is famous in the United States for its high performance and low maintenance. His information is given at the conclusion of the article, pasted below. We currently manage between 45-60 ewes per year with about 70% of our flock being registered. A unique characteristic about the Dorper is that they do not breed seasonally, instead they are able to breed year-around. What You Need To Know, link to Goats vs Sheep: Profit, Care & Behavioral Differences, Best Sheep for Wool: Top 8 Sheep Breeds for Wool. While mutton and lamb may seem like more of a rarity in America, it is more popular as a main dish in other parts of the world. The Dorper originated in South Africa from crosses between the Dorset and the Blackhead Persian. For several years weve had Romanov/Katahdin crosses. Four Barbados Blackbelly sheep arrived in the United States in 1904. Sure enough, hes been trimming hooves. In general they have low maintenance requirements. Materials and methods Compared to other breeds, these sheep are relatively new, dating back to the 1950s. Katahdin would adapt best under humid, warm conditions, while Dorper would be best suited for dry arid and semiarid rangeland conditions. Katahdins are alert, protective mothers. Hair sheep dont bring as much on the slaughter market. (I know, Im not a good farmer) This may or may not be the case in other states. 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. You can find out more about lambing Dorper sheep through the American Dorper Sheep Breeders Society. To learn more about how you can make money off of sheep, read my article What Do Sheep Produce? While weve missed out on export sales the last several years because of retaining ewes to increase flock numbers, Mexican buyers will be coming by this spring. One of the first breeds to be recognized for its commercial production, the rams can reach more than 250 lbs. 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. This information may be used to compare breeds of hair sheep. Special Notes The Dorper sheep are very hardy animals. Bred to produce less back fat, their meat is lean and flavorful. Non selective grazers that perform well under both extensive and intensive production systems. Looking forward to reply. 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. Nitrogen retention by lambs fed oscillating dietary protein concentrations. Ewes weight approximately 200 pounds, and rams average out to around 260 pounds. They can harbor significant worm populations, yet not suffer the same effects a wool animal would. Grading up to Dorper. These are some of the best reasons to raise Katahdin sheep - though the list is by no means exhaustive! They are the generally more fertile in hot humid regions and show greater tolerance to parasites than woolen breeds. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. The Dorper is a good example of this interbreeding. Four years ago we began converting all our cropland into pasture and expanded the flock. Forty-six Dorper, 46 Katahdin, and 43 St. Croix female sheep (initial BW of 58, 59, and 46 kg, respectively, SEM = 1.75; 3.3 0.18 yr of age, 2.6 - 3.7) from 45 commercial farms in four regions of the USA (Midwest, Northwest, Southeast, and central Texas) were used to evaluate responses to high heat load index (HLI) conditions in a central . How do you collect wool from self-shearing sheep? Lambing Interval:It ranges from 6 to 8 months. -. However, they all shed around the belly, legs, head, and all the other places that would otherwise prolong shearing. While I cant speak for other hair breeds, Katahdin sheep are tough, hardy animals with eating habits more like that of a goat. 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. For a number of years, there has been a good export market for ewe lambs going to Mexico. Of the ewe lambs exposed, 95 percent gave birth at the age of 11-13 months. Question is this common? The purpose of the breed is to efficiently produce meat. The Dorper has a high rate of lambing and is tolerant of the arid conditions it was developed for in South Africa. As one of the most populous sheep breeds in America, the Suffolk is a popular choice for meat producers. They will definitely get too fat. 2022 Cornell Small Farms. Just like the Katahdin, you do not have to shear them as they shed their winter coat in the spring. "Shearing the wool was tough," he recalls, but the price paid for wool nearly covered feed costs. In 2001, my friend with Polypay paid $2 to shear $.50 worth of wool per animal. Katahdins are a popular meat breed for sheep farmers. 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. ), more intense selection for increased body length and a ewe flock of around 160-175 ewes. How about Field Corn! 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 ? 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. The phrases youll hear most often is either mutton or lamb. Dorper and Katahdin are medium size breeds. The Dorper grows more wool but self-sheds annually. The Blackbelly is a smaller breed of sheep, with ewes maturing at around 100 pounds, and rams weighing on average 120 pounds. I bottle fed him for three months and give him grain 2x a day, and free choice hay as well as pasture grass. If youre grazing crop-field aftermath, their coat will pick up trash where a Katahdin wont. I am new to the sheep business so I am concerned that she will never be large enough to breed. Disposition & Mothering Ability: Ewes are docile with good mothering ability. (Allardt) "Spike" is a 3 year old ram. In Canada, Katahdin sheep commonly gain well over a pound per day. The major disadvantage is that they grow slower and produce a lighter weight carcass than most breeds of European origin. The flocking instinct of hair animals generally isnt as good as wool breeds. The majority of ewe lambs are sold as registered breeding stock; the majority of ram lambs are sold for slaughter. Hairbreeds have many positive traits that make them an ideal animal for small farms, homesteads, and of course, larger commercial farms. 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 . Though not year-round breeders, Tunis often breed out of season, with the occasional lamb (or two) born in late Summer / Fall. View Details. 1. As a result, about 50 percent of the first generation of White Dorper cross bred sheep shed partially or mostly. Environmental Adaptability: Withstand heat and cold well, and part of this adjustment to extremes is behavioral. Katahdin sheep and Dorper are bred as meat sheep breeds. Ten percent of sheep breeds are hair breeds but ninety percent of these are found in tropical areas. History tells us our present-day sheep are derived from the wild Mouflon sheep, among others, that grew coarse hair with a downy undercoat. Any sheep can technically produce meat, but if youre looking to raise sheep for commercial meat production, youll want to make sure you get a good return on investment. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Ultimate Guide. 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. The Katahdins in the study had a consistently less barber pole worm infestation rate compared to the Dorper and Dorset crosses. Hampshire sheep have a muscular and stocky build, and are comparative to the Suffolk in size. As a bit of trivia, the majority of cull ewes the U.S. exports go to the Mexico City area. When youre raising sheep for meat, the wool is a by-product. All Rights Reserved | Website by Maple Creative, buildwithmaple.com. Breeding Season: They breed throughout the year. I saw that the author is from Central Missouri, which is where we live. However, Texel sheep breed strongly seasonal, are heat sensitive, have at times problems lambing due to the broad head and shoulders, and they need shearing. I could always pick out the dorper/katahdin crosses. The hair sheep breeds lamb easily in the pasture and the lambs gain weight rapidly and develop to maturity quickly. You are using an out of date browser. When the pastures are poor, hair animals hold their body condition much better. The Dorper is highly adaptable and does well in harsh conditions. I used purebred as opposed to full blood White Dorper rams to upgrade my flock. Wondering What to Feed Sheep? The Dorper is a mutton breed of hair sheep developed in the 1930s. While there are far fewer cons than there are pros for keeping Dorper sheep, you do need to consider the potential downsides. Wondering whether to add Dorper or Katahdin sheep to your homestead? After 22 years they are well rooted in South Paris. Katahdins often breeding out of season. The customers, including the many ethnic customers, caught up and appreciate the milder flavor of hairsheep. Will they settle into a seasonal pattern or will they breed continually? 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. Variance in RT in periods 3 and 4 ranked St. Croix < Dorper < Katahdin. Rams generally have horns. This spring we had an overall lambing average of 1.9 lambs/ewe born with 1.7 lambs weaned. Culling the genetic faults and only keeping the best rams for breeding will ensure a good future for any new hair sheep breeds. A common lamb on good pasture will perform better than Super Lamb on poor pasture. Hair sheep primer . Dorset sheep thrive in a wide variety of climates, and being wool-producers, they will need to be sheared annually. No wool to deal with makes perfect economic sense. while letting some lambs reach weights up to 100+ lbs. Why they are Crossed - YouTube 0:00 / 4:43 Dorper Sheep vs. Katahdin Sheep. Very tolerant of the humid hot conditions in the Carribean andSomolia, Blackhead Persians have a white body and black head. Several Polypay owners in the area worm all animals 6-8 times during the summer and still lose animals to stomach worms. Katahdin sheep will strip the bark from cedars, pines and any deciduous tree that has smooth, immature bark. Mature Weight (Lb): Ewe = 170 200 (can be less than 170lb), Ram = 220 250. Ewes will weigh an average of 190 pounds, with rams reaching up to 300 pounds. The St Croix are also quiet, but seem to be next on the ladder. Weight Gain/Daily: 1 pound under intensive production. 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. Suffolk ewes reach between 180-250 pounds, while rams can top out at 350 pounds. The coat is a mixture of hair and wool and will shed from animal in late spring/early summer. I've seen some really nice Dorper/Katahdin crosses. Photo courtesy of: Dr. Stephan A. Wildeus. 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. . Icelandic Sheep are another popular choice for meat, with ewes weighing an average of 150 pounds at maturity, and rams averaging 200 pounds. The mild and yet rich flavor of these culled ewes is remarkable and does not at all remind anyone of mutton. There was only the body fleece that needed shearing. What happens if you leave the ram out all year round? Most hair sheep breeds will lamb out of season without resorting to hormone therapy. Keep reading to learn more about the best sheep breeds for meat. A ewes wool will pay her winter feed bill. Thanks, Noela. Thank you for stopping by, and best of luck with your farm! The breed is actually very good for meat production, and it produce more meat than Dorper and Katahdin sheep. Some Ewes shed coats after second lambing. Have been buying in feed since the start of 2018. We currently have about 100 ewes. When comparing weights, keep in mind we live in north central Missouri. Katahdins are awesome and productive mothers plus they are a very hardy breed and the Dorper will put more size on the meat sheep. The Blackhead Persian is a fat-rumped hair breed from the arid lands of the Middle East. Unfortunately, Mr. Piel did not live long enough to see his breed reach having a registry and breed standards. Dorper lambs have amazing growth rates when young. They are excellent mothers. Staking livestock to a rope and expecting them to clear vegetation is ineffective and can result in . 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. Relative resistance of Dorper crossbred ewes to gastrointestinal nematode infection compared with St. Croix and Katahdin ewes in the southeastern United States. Dorper sheep originated in South Africa and were the result of crossing Dorset Horn with Blackheaded Persian sheep. The breed has a thick, well muscled carcass and extended period of fertility. As well as a hand full of peanuts every day. Three ewes needed assistance lambing (one got it, the other two didnt and lost their lambs), one of which was 8 years old. Though the breed produces wool (and lanolin), it is known to have a particularly mild taste. 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. The Kasteel White Dorper Stud farm lies in an arid area of the Republic of South Africa, called the Great Karoo. Check out my article Best Sheep for Wool: Top 8 Sheep Breeds for Wool. Ulf, Im Carmella. Between their size and their courage, llamas may seem intimidating at first. Did you know that Dorper sheep dont need to be sheared? They do produce wool, and will need to be shorn annually. Disposition & Mothering Ability: This breed is a bit flighty. Lamb comes from a sheep under the age of 1 year old. I think that we are asking for bloat. $300. Featured Listing. Thanks, I am considering starting a small Dorper and or Katahdin herd to raise meat for the Western New York market. As mentioned earlier, theres no price discount for Katahdin sheep or Dorper sheep in central Missouri. 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. A year and many dollars later, they cant understand why the rams offspring doesnt grow any faster than the rest of their animals. Katahdin Sheep work very well in a variety of production situations as a low-maintenance, easy care sheep. I have bought a dorper lamb an intend to serve mountain horny ewes with him has it ever being tried out, hi, Breed ideal for pasture lambing and grass/forage based management systems. They require less worming medications as a general rule. Research has shown Dorper have good parasite tolerance or resilience rather than resistance. 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. Arguments exist concerning the exact origin of the Barbados Blackbelly evidence is shown for both Africa or Barbados. Very interesting and informational! i do not want to cull her from the flock! About. I really like all three breeds. Some general information on hair sheep is found on the next page. Rather than stay in a group, they will scatter in all directions like a covey of quail. Are you interested in raising sheep for meat? Lambs can also take a little longer to reach their market weight than some other breeds of sheep. More on that subject later. Bosnians want 60-pound animals while Muslims often prefer 60-80 pound animals. I would love to get in touch with the author personally. Their main advantage is that they adapt well to hot humid climate where woolen breeds do not thrive well. Average weight for the Cheviot is 130 175 pounds. This site is owned and operated by Wild Wire Media, LLC. Just weaned 530 lambs .If we can get some weight on them worth $200+ in current market. He can be reached at 585-554-3313 or by e-mail at ulf@whitecloversheepfarm.com. This article first appeared in the May/June 2010 Hobby Farms. Our young Katahdins can be difficult to move. Dries Wiese, the owner and Studbreeder, was 9 years old when his father bought him his first . I direct sell a great number of lambs. In lambs, grain feeding versus grass-fed has a greater influence on flavor than the differences in breeds. Moreover, RT was slightly less for Katahdin vs. Dorper in period 4 at 13:00 and 17:00 however, RR was less for Katahdin than for Dorper in periods 3 and 4. Your email address will not be published. The leather from hair sheep grain is finer than the leather from wool breeds and brings in a larger amount of money. They are easy care sheep that divert most of their energy into producing meat instead of wool. Katahdins tend to birth twins, with triplets and quadruplets occurring often with good flock management. Id recommend getting in touch with the author of this article- he might have some good insight for you. Your email address will not be published. Breeding stock is selected under rigorous criteria, including parasite resistance, hair coat, growth characteristics on grass alone and general thriftiness. Our flock is content to sleep outside in the coldest weather and will have unmelted snow on their backs like a wool animal.
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