dorper vs katahdin

They are the generally more fertile in hot humid regions and show greater tolerance to parasites than woolen breeds. At that weight the fat cover did indeed get too much. 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 . This behavior causes problems with maintaining desirable trees unless protection is provided. Origin: This breed was developed or evolved on the Eastern Caribbean Island of Barbados. 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. 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. Breeding Season: They breed throughout the year. The Dorper have a black head extending in the neck, with a white body. Currently have a friend running dorper but was looking at katahdins since they are a little bigger. They also tend to be highly mobile, which means they will climb on top of anything. for info and videos along with books and much more! Myth #2: Hair sheep don't bring as much on the slaughter market. Mature Weight (Lb): Ewe = 100 130, Ram = 120 150. They naturally shed their wool throughout the seasons. The Katahdin hair sheep is the fastest growing breed in the United States. Materials and methods They do produce wool, and need to be shorn on a regular basis. The hair sheep breeds lamb easily in the pasture and the lambs gain weight rapidly and develop to maturity quickly. (Allardt) "Spike" is a 3 year old ram. Best guess is he is 175-200 lbs. The first generation grows quite well due to the heterosis effect, but nearly always has a wool coat. Staking livestock to a rope and expecting them to clear vegetation is ineffective and can result in . Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To appeal to ethnic buyers, it often requires a change in flock management. We may be partial to the breed, but were not raising a hobby flock. While I cant speak for other hair breeds, Katahdin sheep are tough, hardy animals with eating habits more like that of a goat. The bodybuilder of the sheep world, the Texel sheep is known for its heavily-muscled and sturdy frame. After 13 years of medical education and military service they landed in Maine to put down roots. The Dorper grows more wool but self-sheds annually. Jacksonville, FL 32254. I would love to get in touch with the author personally. Thank you for stopping by, and best of luck with your farm! The mild and yet rich flavor of these culled ewes is remarkable and does not at all remind anyone of mutton. We are fortunate that buyers for the large ethnic market in St. Louis often attend sales. We are currently running 130 registered ewes with 10 commercial ewes that will be dispersed this year. Fencing. Grading up to Dorper. I dont want him to get unhealthily fat. Do you want to earn multiple income streams from your flock. I would never go back to merinos & do not intend having cattle again, My dorper sheep have been lambing only male lambs..i do not know why there are no females being born9males so far..no females. This matters up here as our point of having hair sheep is to eliminate useless shearing. The breed was created by crossing Dorset and Blackheaded Persian sheep. Fourteen years ago my wife got into the sheep business when she purchased three registered Katahdin ewes, a ram, and later, three Romanov ewes. Its also possible that some pieces of wool or hair remain along the back or on the hind quarters or arm pits. They were significantly more reasonably priced and for practical matters were the same. Katahdin sheep and Dorper are bred as meat sheep breeds. 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. marina@mgdorpers.com. I saw that the author is from Central Missouri, which is where we live. Icelandic Sheep are excellent and reliable breeders, breeding seasonally in the Fall to Winter. There are a lot of advantages to keeping Dorper sheep in the US. We also sell breeding stock locally. I shear myself and since I wanted to increase the size of my flock I was not looking forward to shearing even more 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. i want buy texel sheep unit so please tell how can buy it this breed. The breed was created by crossing Dorset and Blackheaded Persian sheep. I really like all three breeds. Reaching maturity earlier than many breeds, the Suffolk lamb will reach an average of 116 pounds by 100 days of age. Ewes with young lambs show protective behavior and may raise front feet to strike dogs and cats when confronted. Selling Price: $325.00 / Head. For us, the Katahdin sheep breed fits our operation and our philosophy quite well. Just weaned 530 lambs .If we can get some weight on them worth $200+ in current market. Suffolk ewes reach between 180-250 pounds, while rams can top out at 350 pounds. No wool to deal with makes perfect economic sense. 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. The Dorper has a high rate of lambing and is tolerant of the arid conditions it was developed for in South Africa. Sales at the 2022 mid America Dorper Show nearly broke $1 MILLION with the top Dorper ewe bringing $20,000 and ram $12,800. Another goodproductfromhair sheep is leather. A maternal breed, Katahdin ewes breed well with the Dorper rams to produce a meaty but feminine lamb. The St. Croix breed is descended from the original West African hair sheep although some believe they are a cross breed of Criollo and Wiltshire White sheep. (Weve heard them all.). Stoneheart Farm was established in 1994 by John and Doreen Simmons. All Rights Reserved | Website by Maple Creative, God Save the Beef: Trials of Sustainable Farming in the UK . He can be reached at 585-554-3313 or by e-mail at ulf@whitecloversheepfarm.com. Hairsheep breeds such as the Barbados Blackbelly and St.Croix are largely found in these tropical areas of the world. "We liked their look," Ruby puts in. 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. Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogoh:n (the Cayuga Nation). Ron remembers raising wool sheep as a teenager. As mentioned earlier, hair sheep breeds are considerably more heat-tolerant than wool breeds. Some breeders have been working on crosses between traditional wool meat breeds and hair sheep breeds. All Rights Reserved | Website by Maple Creative, buildwithmaple.com. 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. Dorper Sheep vs. Katahdin Sheep. Its important to have an animal thats pure or unaltered for sacrifice in observance of many holidays. Future importations to university breeding flocks led to the development of the American Blackbelly sheep breed. Despite its origins in a cold northern climate, the Katahdin is remarkably well-suited to warm weather living. It is now farmed in other areas as well, and is the second most common sheep breed in South Africa. Crossing these breeds with woolen breeds for efficient meat production does hold some potential. This article first appeared in the May/June 2010 Hobby Farms. Purebred Dorper rams can reach a live-weight of 90-120 kg and ewes 50-80kg. Dorsets commonly produce twins and even triplets. Its also common to see animals of up to a year old climbing to the top of a big bale of hay. There is a growing market demand for high-quality, naturally-fed lamb. They are well adapted to a variety of climatic and grazing conditions. But the dorpers always have say ten % that need shearing still. The best genetics wont keep an animal from starving to death. There is the wool type and the hairtype with the hairtype being slightly less meaty but far better shedding. Originating in South Africa, these lovable and attractive sheep tend to come with a lot more pros than cons. You can check my blog at Merino sheep for sale. The Royal White sheep shed their wool naturally, it saves the cost of shearing. When the price of raw wool fleece is below the cost of shearing the animal, this is not cost effective. Sheep are one of the most versatile producers when it comes to livestock animals. They also are not limited to a breeding season, conceiving year round. You have to pay to have it sheared once a year. Lambing %: Approximately 125%, exceeding 200% with subsequent lambing. Disposition & Mothering Ability: Ewes are docile with good mothering ability. Baby Sheep: What a Baby Sheep is Called & Other Fun Facts. He can be reached by e-mail at ulf@whitecloversheepfarm.com or by phoneduring calling hour specified on his answering machineat 585-554-3313. As far as winter hardiness is concerned, I have my sheep out in zero degree weather. Dorper sheep do well in warm, arid climates, but can tolerate cold as well. In addition, there is almost no incidence of flystrike with hair sheep breeds. Arguments exist concerning the exact origin of the Barbados Blackbelly evidence is shown for both Africa or Barbados. People in the Midwest or southern states see this and make a trip to Alberta to purchase a super ram. He experimented with breeding them to meat breeds, finally reaching a point, in the 1970s, where he named the breed, Katahdins after a nearby mountain in his home state of Maine. To avoid the coloring and spots that come along with first and second generation cross breeding with Dorper sheep, I decided to go with White Dorper sheep (WD). 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 acknowledge the painful history of Gayogoh:n dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogoh:n people, past and present, to these lands and waters. This ancient breed has thrived in warm climates, continued to produce twins and good carcass weights. Twice a year my friend with Polypays shows up at work doubled over as he shuffles around in pain. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Hair sheep primer . They require less worming medications as a general rule. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 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). For the Katahdin vs Dorper analysis (Table 1), 8 SNPs under selection were observed in SOCS2, NOS2, TGFB2 and IL2RA genes within OAR3, 11, 12 and 13, respectively. The Dorper has a high rate of lambing and is tolerant of the arid conditions it was developed for in South Africa. 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. Ewes weight approximately 200 pounds, and rams average out to around 260 pounds. While Hampshire sheep are seasonal breeders, they tend to have a longer breeding season than others. They reach sexual maturity very early, with ewes able to breed between 7 to 9 months of age. Dorset ewes weigh approximately 150-200 pounds, with the rams weighing on average 275 pounds. It is a very hardy breed and is disease resistant. This is true for Barbados Blackbelly and St. Croix in particular, because they have not been subjected to selection for size and growth rate of the woolen breeds. We figured the combination would be a meatier sheep." They bought the ram in 1996 and some ewes the following spring. Updated: Monday, February 06, 2023 02:46 PM. Required fields are marked *. Research has shown Dorper have good parasite tolerance or resilience rather than resistance. Making Natural Clothing Dye From Vegetables. Also, much of the flavor ( good or bad) comes from the fat. The second reason I chose Dorper over St. Croix is desirability. For more on the differences, plus potential pros and cons between the breeds, read on. Like most of the sheep listed here, Texel lambs reach market size quickly, by 5-6 months. I no longer sell at livestock auctions mainly because I dont have to. Mostly Katahdin hair ewes exposed to Dorper and Katahdin bucks. 1999. For a number of years, there has been a good export market for ewe lambs going to Mexico. Parasitol. Bred sheep/ewes (Dorper and Katahdin), bred to a show ram. Suffolk meat is hailed as lean and somewhat sweet, with a good muscle to fat ratio. Did you know that Dorper sheep dont need to be sheared? Quite a few meat producers are finding better success with the hair breeds of meat sheep than with meat goats. They do produce wool, and will need to be shorn annually. I have noticed that some lambs are showing caramel patches. History tells us our present-day sheep are derived from the wild Mouflon sheep, among others, that grew coarse hair with a downy undercoat. More on that subject later. His website address is www.whitecloversheepfarm.com. The Dorpers get so quiet and even a little lazy that the dogs really have to work hard to make them move much. However, if you are not intending to feed grain and if you dont intend to grow your lambs beyond 100 lbs. His father Barley ( in picture behind him) is a full blooded Dorper. Market Weight/Live/Age: 60 80 lbs / 9 month. The breed has a thick, well muscled carcass and extended period of fertility. Average Birth Weight (Lbs): 7.5 lbs for single, 6.5 7 for twins, and less for triplets. Breeders often use less-expensive Katahdin ewes to initiate an upgrading program with registered Dorper as the final goal. We have members from Mexico to Northern Canada and have exported to Ecuador, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, United Kingdom, Chile, and Central America. Three ewes needed assistance lambing (one got it, the other two didnt and lost their lambs), one of which was 8 years old. Katahdin ewes weigh around 125-185 pounds, and rams average around 200 pounds. They are excellent foragers. I like the Dorper temperament, generally they are a pretty docile breed. Hampshire sheep can live in almost any climate, making them a hardy breed. Lamb comes from a sheep under the age of 1 year old. And some shed one year but not totally the next for no apparent reason at all. As with any young growing animal, the weight gains of a Katahdin lamb increase as the protein and digestibility of the forage increases. As a result, about 50 percent of the first generation of White Dorper cross bred sheep shed partially or mostly. The carcass of the Cheviot tends to be plump and meaty, with just enough fat to produce a succulent meat. As we train border collies for sheep and cattle trials and we need a few different types of sheep. Feel free to contact the author, Ulf Kintzel, at ulf@whitecloversheepfarm.com for further information. Hi Qazi, Although the breed was created in the 1930s, it is still fairly new to the US. 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. Lamb meat is known to be more tender and tasty. They are prolific breeders as well, often producing twins. Ewes will weigh an average of 190 pounds, with rams reaching up to 300 pounds. As well as a hand full of peanuts every day. Lamb chops from Barbados Blackbelly x St. Croix lambs were similar to those from Dorset-sired, Dorper-sired, or Katahdin. Are you interested in raising sheep for meat? I'd go with Dorper ram on Katahdin ewes. or you can contact me at- Some are calling these shedding sheep. Later on I found out that this was the faster route to accomplish shedding in the offspring. 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. The breed is actually very good for meat production, and it produce more meat than Dorper and Katahdin sheep. $300. Dorper lambs tolerated the infection more so than Suffolk (wool) lambs when fecal egg counts were low. its ok to wean the lamb as soon as possible. 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. This means that, theoretically, a Dorper ewe can produce a lamb (or 2 or 3) every 8 months. Katahdins are medium size, hardy, low-maintenance, and have a high-quality carcass weight. Sheep and cattle have different grazing needs and preferences, and the sheep will clean up the growth that doesnt appeal to the cows. 80 pounds at 90 days can be expected. If ewes are fed well, lambing rate approaches the higher end. 2023, Countryside - All Rights Reserved, Raising Sheep For Profit: Milking Sheep Offer a Small Farm Alternative, Raising Sheep: Buying and Caring for Your First Flock, Raising Sheep For Profit: How to Sell Raw Fleece, Raising Sheep For Profit: A Cattle Man's View. Originally, the established buyers at auctions resisted hairsheep in general and they fetched lower prices in places like New Holland. If I took the chance and had her bred would she be able to carry her lamb/s? . Half of the group thinks it is okay to feed hot sheep, the other half disagrees. Cheviots produce alert, strong lambs who are efficient foragers. 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. Market Weight/Live/Age: 80 110 lbs / 5.5 6 months. In fact, when we have pot roast from a culled ewe I can still fool my wife into thinking we had lamb for dinner. Though not year-round breeders, Tunis often breed out of season, with the occasional lamb (or two) born in late Summer / Fall. 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. Most lambs are considered market-ready by 9-12 weeks. Lambing %: Given an average lambing percent of 150 and 3 lambing in 2 years, Dorper will produce 2.25 lambs on an annual basis. The Barbados Blackbelly got its name because of the characteristic black belly on an otherwise red brown coat. Since these breeds are so adaptable, when found in colder climates, the hair sheep adapt by growing a thicker undercoat. 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. Thirty percent of the ewes were first-time lambers, having an average of 1.2 lambs/ewe. 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. The first rams I purchased were of outstanding shedding ability. Theyre too small to be of commercial value. University of South Dakota research found it requires 250-300 pounds of dry matter forage to produce each pound of wool. Will they settle into a seasonal pattern or will they breed continually? The majority of ewe lambs are sold as registered breeding stock; the majority of ram lambs are sold for slaughter. This breed averages in maturity at around 175 220 pounds. For specific questions, please contact the author. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The Katahdins in the study had a consistently less barber pole worm infestation rate compared to the Dorper and Dorset crosses. Katahdins have hair and not wool, which means they are a low-maintenance breed that will shed their hair naturally. It should be kept in mind that performance varies greatly with genetic . Kt ewes under low-input semiarid conditions of northern Mxico. Hope this helps! 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. November/December 2003 and regularly vetted for accuracy. The bodybuilder of the sheep world, the Texel sheep is known for its heavily-muscled and sturdy frame. The flocking instinct of hair animals generally isnt as good as wool breeds. Market Weight/Live/Age: 110 lbs / 7 8 months, Professional Horticulture and Pest Services, Breed Directory- American Sheep Industry Association, Hair Sheep Production and Marketing Including Some Breeds, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 1010 N. McDuff Avenue Photo courtesy of: Dr. Stephan A. Wildeus. Non selective grazers that perform well under both extensive and intensive production systems. This information may be used to compare breeds of hair sheep. Dorpersare known for their fast weight gains as lambs. Despite being a hairsheep, White Dorpers do not lack winter hardiness Photographer: Ulf Kintzel. Mating season for Suffolk sheep usually happens in the Autumn or Winter of each year, as it is for most sheep breeds. After being in the business of raising wool sheep of various kinds for two decades, I decided in 2005 to start with hair sheep. Texel sheep do best in colder climates, as they are exceptionally cold-hardy and have been known to be sensitive to the heat. In many cases, farmers are adding hair sheep to pastures with cattle to maximize efficiency and for parasite control. link to Are Llamas Dangerous? The Cheviot sheep is best suited for northern, colder climates, and does not tolerate heat as well. Some European sheep genetics were incorporated into the African sheep to arrive at the existing hair breeds mentioned above. I think that we are asking for bloat. When youre raising sheep for meat, the wool is a by-product. Dorper Vs Katadhin Sheep: Which is better for your homestead? Last but not least on our list is the Cheviot breed. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. The ancestry is believed to be of both African hair sheep and European breeds. This spring we had an overall lambing average of 1.9 lambs/ewe born with 1.7 lambs weaned. The Dorper is highly adaptable and does well in harsh conditions. Some of the main pros of keeping Katahdin sheep include: Katahdin sheep are one of the easiest breeds of sheep to care for. In winter puts on coat that is shed as temperatures increase. Weight Gain/Daily: 0.4 lbs daily with good nutrition. Katahdin sheep and Dorper are bred as meat sheep breeds. The breeder from whom I purchased the lambs said she is breeding in dorper with the katahdins to "beef" them up a little. They will stand on their hind feet like goats to strip any low hanging limbs of their leaves. 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." Sold all our cattle. Docking tails is unnecessary, although you still see some old timers that dock just because they always have. Blackbellys have hair and not wool, making them a low-maintenance breed. Breed utilization for meat production in sheep. In 2001, my friend with Polypay paid $2 to shear $.50 worth of wool per animal. Originally publishedin sheep! A caution when breeding is to choose the right size ram for the ewe. You can even crossbreed them to develop unique varieties for your farm or homestead. Most hair sheep breeds will lamb out of season without resorting to hormone therapy. The breed is famous in the United States for its high performance and low maintenance. This breed produces rapid-growing lambs, with most lambs being considered ready for market at 12 weeks of age. Hi Joanne. The Dorper sheep is a meat sheep breed. A unique characteristic about the Dorper is that they do not breed seasonally, instead they are able to breed year-around.

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