dorper vs katahdin
The American Sheep Industry recognizes 47 different sheep breeds in the US, with hundreds more recognized internationally. we really enjoy that black baby lamb and she is 9 months old now. In Canada, Katahdin sheep commonly gain well over a pound per day. Lambing %: Approximately 125%, exceeding 200% with subsequent lambing. 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. Fourteen years ago my wife got into the sheep business when she purchased three registered Katahdin ewes, a ram, and later, three Romanov ewes. I had a Texel flock of 100 breeding ewes at the time when I bought my first White Dorper rams. Sheep are one of the most versatile producers when it comes to livestock animals. My friend also mentioned his Katahdin-Dorper lambs are much fatter when born than Polypays. Blackbellys often breed easily and well, usually birthing multiple lambs in one breeding. Hampshire sheep can live in almost any climate, making them a hardy breed. The phrases youll hear most often is either mutton or lamb. ), In fall 2000, we grazed our flock on cocklebur and waterhemp that followed an oat crop. 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. Bosnians want 60-pound animals while Muslims often prefer 60-80 pound animals. Thanks, Noela. The Cheviot sheep is best suited for northern, colder climates, and does not tolerate heat as well. My wife and I feel theres no best breed, but rather which breed best fits your operation. The Dorper is a mutton breed of hair sheep developed in the 1930s. Half of the group thinks it is okay to feed hot sheep, the other half disagrees. Hi currently running flock of 600. The trend is now reversed. They are the generally more fertile in hot humid regions and show greater tolerance to parasites than woolen breeds. When the pastures are poor, hair animals hold their body condition much better. Mexicans prefer a larger lamb, and let nothing go to waste. 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. These include: Dorper sheep dont produce much milk or wool, which means raising them for meat is your only option. Some general information on hair sheep is found on the next page. study was done that showed the parasite resistance. Dorpers DO NOT shed their coats as well and consistently as katahdins. How the breed carries fat is, I think, important when dealing with older sheep. Mature Weight (Lb): Ewe = 120 - 160, Ram = 180 250. i want buy texel sheep unit so please tell how can buy it this breed. To properly flush a ewe, she should be on an upward nutritional plane and gaining weight. Dorpers tend to be a little larger, and Katahdins are excellent mothers, so a Dorper /Kathadin cross is nearly perfect. Coat & Color: The coat can be reddish brown, tan or yellow. Id recommend getting in touch with the author of this article- he might have some good insight for you. I would also be interested in bred young ewes. Katahdins are awesome and productive mothers plus they are a very hardy breed and the Dorper will put more size on the meat sheep. And does anyone have experience with katahdin ewes on dorper bucks . 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. 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. $300. Dorper sheep originated in South Africa and were the result of crossing Dorset Horn with Blackheaded Persian sheep. Are Llamas Dangerous? Our spring lambs on pasture alone (17-20 percent protein and 65-72percentdigestible organic matter-DOM) will average 55-60 pounds. Relative resistance of Dorper crossbred ewes to gastrointestinal nematode infection compared with St. Croix and Katahdin ewes in the southeastern United States. It should be kept in mind that performance varies greatly with genetic, management, climate, etc. Katahdin sheep and Dorper are bred as meat sheep breeds. They grow quickly and reach market weight early. or you can contact me at- In a second study, Dorper or Dorset sired lambs were compared to Barbados Blackbelly x St. Croix or Katahdin lambs. They were an excellent choice for this as they seldom bothered the pine trees. For several years weve had Romanov/Katahdin crosses. Now meat sheep producers are lucky if wool prices cover . The Gayogoh:n are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The Dorper and the Katahdin were derived from very different types of hair sheep. Thank you. Sales at the 2022 mid America Dorper Show nearly broke $1 MILLION with the top Dorper ewe bringing $20,000 and ram $12,800. I have a question. FLAVOR Hampshire sheep have a muscular and stocky build, and are comparative to the Suffolk in size. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 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 web-accessibility@cornell.edu for assistance. However, in older hairsheep the flavor is still impressive due to the genetic factor. Lambs can also take a little longer to reach their market weight than some other breeds of sheep. We prefer using forage to produce lambs rather than wool. The breed is famous in the United States for its high performance and low maintenance. Market Weight/Live/Age: 80 110 lbs / 5.5 6 months. I used to want a Dorper cross over Katahdin but finally got to see the results of this cross and was not very impressed with the results. Fact: Eight or ten years ago you could expect a 5-10 cents/pound discount for hair animals. Twinning is common and triplets and quadruplets are not rare. He can be reached at 585-554-3313 or by e-mail at ulf@whitecloversheepfarm.com. What happens if you leave the ram out all year round? 46:131-143.. Making a Good Ewe Flock. 1. Twice a year my friend with Polypays shows up at work doubled over as he shuffles around in pain. Why Katahdin x Dorper Crosses At Stoneheart Farms we specialize in Katahdin x Dorper crosses for exceptional market lambs and for replacement breeding stock. The Blackbelly is a smaller breed of sheep, with ewes maturing at around 100 pounds, and rams weighing on average 120 pounds. 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. I have a pet ram lamb, texel dorset cross I was told. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Between their size and their courage, llamas may seem intimidating at first. Mature Weight (Lb): Ewe = 170 200 (can be less than 170lb), Ram = 220 250. -. If ewes are fed well, lambing rate approaches the higher end. May-June lambs on pasture alone (10-13percentprotein and 60-65percent DOM) will average 45 pounds. Your email address will not be published. The flocking instinct of hair animals generally isnt as good as wool breeds. Hello! The breed is actually very good for meat production, and it produce more meat than Dorper and Katahdin sheep. Since these breeds are so adaptable, when found in colder climates, the hair sheep adapt by growing a thicker 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. http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b365/Accursed/Smileys/waiting-bored-waiting-boy-smiley-em.gif, Birthing, Weaning, and Raising Young Sheep. Dorper Sheep vs. Katahdin Sheep. In another study conducted by Gamble and Zajac for the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA and Virginia Tech, the scientists found that St. Croix "demonstrated high levels of acquired resistance to Haemonchus contortus under conditions of experimental or natural infection." HARDINESS Dorset lambs, like the Suffolk and Dorper, mature quickly and are market-ready earlier than many other breeds. Dorset sheep have lean and muscular carcasses, making them excellent at producing meat. It was a fairly bold move at the time since it meant giving up on the customers who bought breeding stock from me, and since I also didnt know how well my market lambs would sell. Suffolk meat is hailed as lean and somewhat sweet, with a good muscle to fat ratio. Romanov The Romanov breed may not be as popular as the Katahdin and Dorper, but it holds a very important value in this . Anymore (at least in Missouri) its the carcass quality that sets the price. Looking forward to reply. In many cases, farmers are adding hair sheep to pastures with cattle to maximize efficiency and for parasite control. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Have been buying in feed since the start of 2018. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Yes, you can milk Dorper sheep! Hairsheep breeds such as the Barbados Blackbelly and St.Croix are largely found in these tropical areas of the world. Hi Joanne. Last but not least on our list is the Cheviot breed. Cheviots are easy to breed, meeting a 90% lambing average without assistance. The breed was developed in the mid-1950s by crossing imported St. Croix Sheep and several other breeds, including the Suffolk Sheep. He seems pretty big to me, but since he is my first sheep, I dont know what he should weigh. Also, much of the flavor ( good or bad) comes from the fat. This increases the risk of falls and injury, which can be expensive to fix. While I cant speak for other hair breeds, Katahdin sheep are tough, hardy animals with eating habits more like that of a goat. The cross breeding results in the best of both breeds but also in the benefits of heterosis, commonly known as hybrid vigor. The customers, including the many ethnic customers, caught up and appreciate the milder flavor of hairsheep. Ta Paul.5. Farmersville. Katahdin can be used for both meat and milk, whereas Dorper sheep are only good for meat production. Katahdin Dorper The Dorper is a mutton breed of hair sheep developed in the 1930s. 2 are Katahdin and 2 are katahdin/dorper crosses. 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. But the pasture littered with wool as I had feared just did not happen. He can be reached at 585-554-3313 or by e-mail at ulf@whitecloversheepfarm.com. No wool to deal with makes perfect economic sense. There are a lot of advantages to keeping Dorper sheep in the US. Four years ago we began converting all our cropland into pasture and expanded the flock. One needs to do a detail review of the information related to the hair breed one wishes to raise. About. The breed has a thick, well muscled carcass and extended period of fertility. Just a little more "stingy" than the Dorper (and I am talking more for working them with dogs). Because of the wool, the Icelandic sheep do need to be sheared once to twice per year. The coat is a mixture of hair and wool and will shed from animal in late spring/early summer. 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. I forgot to ask for notification via e-mail, so I am reposting my questions. I have bought a dorper lamb an intend to serve mountain horny ewes with him has it ever being tried out, hi, Dorper ram purchased from Juan Navarro of J.N. There are black headed Dorpers (most common) and white Dorpers (harder to find). Lambing %: Average lambing rate is between 150 and 250%. These breeds are called hair sheep because the coat consists of hair more like that of cattle and many goats rather than wool. Shear force values were greatest, tougher, for Dorset-sired than Dorper-sired or Katahdin lambs. Dorper Sheep - Sheep Breed Series 22,946 views Mar 15, 2020 417 Dislike Share The Grass-fed Homestead 75.8K subscribers Shepherdess Tess talks about her Dorper sheep breeding program and how. let me know! They naturally shed their wool throughout the seasons. The carcass of the Cheviot tends to be plump and meaty, with just enough fat to produce a succulent meat. 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. University of South Dakota research found it requires 250-300 pounds of dry matter forage to produce each pound of wool. Im sure by now you have an answer. (Allardt) "Spike" is a 3 year old ram. Sales of sheep meat and sheep breeding stock are on the rise in the United States and Canada. 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. The majority of ewe lambs are sold as registered breeding stock; the majority of ram lambs are sold for slaughter. Hi just wondering it may be a silly question anyways can you milk Dorper sheep. We just started raising Katahdins this year. 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. 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). 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. Some of the main pros of keeping Katahdin sheep include: Katahdin sheep are one of the easiest breeds of sheep to care for. 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. In our city the sheep are raised very much because the grass is still fertile, Kita wajib menjaga kesuburan tanaman agar domba bisa makan dengan cukup dan bisa berkembang biak dengan baik oleh peternak, In addition to the delicious meat, lamb can also be made of skin for a high-value jacket material, Dorper Sheep: Truths and Myths Tempat jasa sablon kaos murah Kaos sablon Bandung Pusat tempat Pembuatan Kaos sablon Baju Distro di Bandung Konveksi Buat Kaos Kelas Reuni Polo Bandung kawasan Jakarta pusat Berkualitas cetak Screen Printing sablon Digital Custom manual Rubber Plastisol komunitas Reuni Jaket satuan grosiran Kemeja ~ Alamat Tempat Sablon Kaos. That applies to purebred WD market lambs as well. 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. Dorpers are well-known to mature early as well, with most lambs considered market-ready in as little as 4 months old. 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: I'll be using my Barbados Blackbelly ram on my BB ewes and also a few Kathadin ewes. Texel sheep do best in colder climates, as they are exceptionally cold-hardy and have been known to be sensitive to the heat. Ulf Kintzel owns and manages White Clover Sheep Farm (www.whitecloversheepfarm.com) in Rushville, NY where he breeds grass-fed White Dorper sheep. Research has shown Dorper have good parasite tolerance or resilience rather than resistance. I saw that the author is from Central Missouri, which is where we live. Bred to produce less back fat, their meat is lean and flavorful. Sheep will eat woody vegetation but prefer grass and weeds on the ground. for info and videos along with books and much more! ~Ann, Your email address will not be published. (Icelandic sheep grow a double coat.) Will they settle into a seasonal pattern or will they breed continually? How often do dorpers have breeding problems and we will then have to pull the lambs? Dorset lambs, like the Suffolk and Dorper, mature quickly and are market-ready earlier than many other breeds. Kt ewes under low-input semiarid conditions of northern Mxico. Bred sheep/ewes (Dorper and Katahdin), bred to a show ram. Our young Katahdins can be difficult to move. 3 year old Dorper Katahdin Ram. Katahdin would adapt best under humid, warm conditions, while Dorper would be best suited for dry arid and semiarid rangeland conditions. Black color covers belly, inside legs and thighs and extends up to the neck. Unlike meat goats, hair sheep are resistant to many of the parasites shed by cattle. ( From Buckler Farms near Granville TN) His mom is at least 50% dorper and Katahdin. American Blackbelly This site is owned and operated by Wild Wire Media, LLC. Due to its heavily muscled carcass, the Texel sheep is a very popular meat breed. Despite being a hairsheep, White Dorpers do not lack winter hardiness Photographer: Ulf Kintzel. In general they have low maintenance requirements. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Average Birth Weight (Lbs): 7 lbs for small lambs, 4-5 lbs for twin lambs. Dorper and Katahdin are medium size breeds. Average Birth Weight (Lbs): 7.5 lbs for single, 6.5 7 for twins, and less for triplets. This, alongside their easy-going dietary needs, really cut down the cost of keeping them. Quite a few meat producers are finding better success with the hair breeds of meat sheep than with meat goats. Because of their hair, they do not produce the lanolin that can lend gaminess to the meat, giving it a milder flavor. We currently have about 100 ewes. Mature Weight (Lb): Ewe = 70 -120, Ram = 110 140. He is 8 months old. Not only do they suffer fewer complications during birthing compared to some other breeds, but they also give birth to multiple lambs. They grow quickly and reach market weight early. As with any young growing animal, the weight gains of a Katahdin lamb increase as the protein and digestibility of the forage increases. $300. We normally worm our lambs 3-4 times a summer and the ewes not at all. The Katahdins in the study had a consistently less barber pole worm infestation rate compared to the Dorper and Dorset crosses. Lamb chops from Barbados Blackbelly x St. Croix lambs were similar to those from Dorset-sired, Dorper-sired, or Katahdin. If you are interested in bringing a herd of small livestock to your homestead, you will want to look into both sheep and goats. 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. This matters up here as our point of having hair sheep is to eliminate useless shearing. 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. These slaughter lambs sell comparable to pure Katahdin sheep per pound unless theyre full of cockleburs and briars. I have no way of weighing him. Good luck! If you consider hairsheep like White Dorpers in the future dont forget to ask the breeder about the shedding ability of their flock! The shedding ability of this breed varies greatly. Some European sheep genetics were incorporated into the African sheep to arrive at the existing hair breeds mentioned above. Disposition & Mothering Ability: Ewes have good mothering ability and lamb easily unassisted. They are best raised on pasture and finishing these breeds on feedlots can lead to less desirable meat products as the ethnic market prefers a leaner lamb. They can provide you with information pertaining to regulations, health requirements and local export brokers. Mostly Katahdin hair ewes exposed to Dorper and Katahdin bucks. We have just over 1200 breeding ewes & aim for around 2000 when things get better. Ewes will weigh an average of 190 pounds, with rams reaching up to 300 pounds. and, as such, the data are estimates. I could always pick out the dorper/katahdin crosses. A year and many dollars later, they cant understand why the rams offspring doesnt grow any faster than the rest of their animals. This is a very old article and I do not have the contact info for John. What is the point of getting hairsheep when you end up shearing them? In this area, hair sheep often sell higher than wool sheep. November/December 2003 and regularly vetted for accuracy. Dorpersare known for their fast weight gains as lambs. Weight Gain/Daily: 0.4 lbs daily with good nutrition. Some Ewes shed coats after second lambing. We began our Katahdin Sheep herd with non-registered sheep but have added registered Katahdin ewes to our farm. I've seen some really nice Dorper/Katahdin crosses. We figured the combination would be a meatier sheep." They bought the ram in 1996 and some ewes the following spring. There are without a doubt breeds that surpass White Dorper sheep in one or the other trait. Although they are one of the newest sheep breeds introduced in America, Katahdin sheep have quickly become a popular choice. For specific questions, please contact the author. Sheep for sale: young grass-fed butcher ram lambs (Dorper & Katahdin) As hair sheep breeds become more popular, it will be important for breeders to ensure the future integrity of the breeds. It was bred from West African hair sheep and is extremely well-adapted to hot, humid conditions. There is no such thing as an ideal breed. Suffolk ewes reach between 180-250 pounds, while rams can top out at 350 pounds. Secondly at what age are you removing lambs from mothers . You are using an out of date browser. They do produce wool, and need to be shorn on a regular basis. Ultimate Guide. The St Croix are also quiet, but seem to be next on the ladder. And some shed one year but not totally the next for no apparent reason at all. Ewes with young lambs show protective behavior and may raise front feet to strike dogs and cats when confronted. One in particular is more like a paint horse. They are prolific breeders as well, often producing twins. If this same time is spent building homestead fencing, watersystems, improving lambing or handling facilities, its improving an operation. Sheep and cattle have different grazing needs and preferences, and the sheep will clean up the growth that doesnt appeal to the cows. We are currently running 130 registered ewes with 10 commercial ewes that will be dispersed this year. They can harbor significant worm populations, yet not suffer the same effects a wool animal would. You will want to take into account the mature size of the animal (you can expect to yield 40% of an animals live weight in meat), the quality of meat, and whether it will tolerate your climate. My customers are also distributors of various sizes who sell mainly at restaurants and their private customers. The only things to consider include: The fact Katahdin sheep dont produce wool isnt necessarily a disadvantage. . Libyans prefer old worn out buck goats for their stronger flavor. Ulf, Making Natural Clothing Dye From Vegetables. Vigorous growers, the Icelandic produce lambs that are market-ready at 70-100 pounds in as little as 4-5 months. 7/8th exhibit all the traits of purebreds like out-of-season breeding and even many 3/4 look like purebred and shed as well. Lambing %: Lambing rates vary from 150% to 250% with 3 lambing every 2 years not uncommon. Their hair falls off naturally during the year, making them an easy breed to care for. In winter puts on coat that is shed as temperatures increase. ByBasil Bactawar, UF/IFAS Duval County Extension Service. When I look out in the paddock it looks like hell on earth but at the same time beautiful. Dorset ewes weigh approximately 150-200 pounds, with the rams weighing on average 275 pounds. 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. 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 . It is also well established that heavy grain feeding does not suit these medium sized sheep since they thrive on so little. Plainview, Tx. 7 year old Katahdin ewe . Apparently, Momma Kathadin doesnt wait around to see what happens when Mr. Coyote shows up for dinner.