I sell a lot of culled ewes as roasts, ground meat, stew meat and various sausages. Hair coat becomes thick and long as cold weather sets in and the length decreases. What sheep breeds are best for meat? Though the breed produces wool (and lanolin), it is known to have a particularly mild taste. Photo courtesy of:Dr. Stephan A. Wildeus. In this useful guide, youll discover the pros and cons of both Dorper and Katahdin sheep, alongside advice on choosing the best type for your farm or homestead. My customers are also distributors of various sizes who sell mainly at restaurants and their private customers. i love the dorper sheep breed! I belong to a herding club in Hawaii. Katahdins are medium size, hardy, low-maintenance, and have a high-quality carcass weight. Lamb meat is known to be more tender and tasty. $300. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Although the breed was created in the 1930s, it is still fairly new to the US. He can be reached at 585-554-3313 or by e-mail at ulf@whitecloversheepfarm.com. Sheep are one of the most versatile producers when it comes to livestock animals. As far as winter hardiness is concerned, I have my sheep out in zero degree weather. 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). I would love to get in touch with the author personally. Dorset sheep thrive in a wide variety of climates, and being wool-producers, they will need to be sheared annually. American Blackbelly We currently have about 100 ewes. And some shed one year but not totally the next for no apparent reason at all. To appeal to ethnic buyers, it often requires a change in flock management. Very interesting and informational! When I look out in the paddock it looks like hell on earth but at the same time beautiful. Produce large amount of milk. However, they have been cross-bred with other breeds over the years to develop the modern breed we see today. Ta Paul.5. Whether youre looking to be more self-sufficient or to make some income selling meat to local restaurants, raising sheep for meat can enable you to do both. Typically, the 75 percent Dorper crosses will exhibit the Dorper coloration and conformation. Of the ewe lambs exposed, 95 percent gave birth at the age of 11-13 months. Thank you. In addition to being a smaller breed, the lambs tend to mature slowly, not reaching ideal market weight until around 2 years of age. St. Croix Sheep have been used to develop other breeds such as the Royal White. Dorpers DO NOT shed their coats as well and consistently as katahdins. They also have a fat rump, short legs, and a compact body. Myth #2: Hair sheep don't bring as much on the slaughter market. They also are not limited to a breeding season, conceiving year round. If breeding your own sheep for sustainable meat production, you will also want to know the breeding habits of each breed, and whether the sheep produces wool or grows hair this is helpful to know when it comes to maintenance. 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. I no longer sell at livestock auctions mainly because I dont have to. We are currently running 130 registered ewes with 10 commercial ewes that will be dispersed this year. The Dorper is a good example of this interbreeding. A ewes wool will pay her winter feed bill. 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. Keeping Boer Goats: 5 Biggest Disadvantages, 4 Best Places with Sheep for Sale in Missouri, They are easy to breed and commonly give birth to multiple lambs, They arent great for milk or wool production, They dont require shearing, tail docking, or crutching, Lambs take a little longer than some breeds to reach market weight. Sheep will eat woody vegetation but prefer grass and weeds on the ground. I had heard all the negatives about them such as The lambs get too fat, The lambs sell for less money at auctions, The pasture will be littered with wool as these sheep shed, and They get too cold in the winter. This is inconvenient since you must pasture ram lambs separately from ewes to prevent unplanned pregnancies. (A friend with Polypay and Katahdin sheep has had the same experience. They are attentive, protective, and make excellent mothers. By John Kirchhoff For many people, mentioning hair sheep evokes either I wouldnt have anything else or a No way would I have them response. Cheviots produce alert, strong lambs who are efficient foragers. Hampshire sheep have a muscular and stocky build, and are comparative to the Suffolk in size. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The breed was created by crossing Dorset and Blackheaded Persian sheep. 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. The breeder from whom I purchased the lambs said she is breeding in dorper with the katahdins to "beef" them up a little. You can check my blog at Merino sheep for sale. Lambing %: Average lambing rate is between 150 and 250%. They are well adapted to a variety of climatic and grazing conditions. Many ethnic groups want a much different lamb or goat than has been marketed in the past. Ulf, In 1975 Utah State University imported a small flock of Virgin Island White which is the basis for the present St. Croix breed in North America. Lambing %: Lambing rates vary from 150% to 250% with 3 lambing every 2 years not uncommon. Ewes will weigh an average of 190 pounds, with rams reaching up to 300 pounds. Consider the pros and cons featured above before making your decision. 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. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare productive performance of F 1 Dp vs . marina@mgdorpers.com. Id recommend getting in touch with the author of this article- he might have some good insight for you. As well as a hand full of peanuts every day. 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. Hair sheep primer . Breeding stock is selected under rigorous criteria, including parasite resistance, hair coat, growth characteristics on grass alone and general thriftiness. I direct sell a great number of lambs. 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. Hope this helps! This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Relative resistance of Dorper crossbred ewes to gastrointestinal nematode infection compared with St. Croix and Katahdin ewes in the southeastern United States. -. Work with your states department of agriculture if youre interested in export sales. In many cases, farmers are adding hair sheep to pastures with cattle to maximize efficiency and for parasite control. If you combine all traits I have not found a better breed for a farming system based on pasture and direct marketing. We have eight foot Scotch Pines that look like a girdled palm tree and have seen them strip an old dried Christmas tree of its needles. Quite a few meat producers are finding better success with the hair breeds of meat sheep than with meat goats. Your email address will not be published. Mostly Katahdin hair ewes exposed to Dorper and Katahdin bucks. It is actually a hybrid which is bred for producing more meat, less fat and less wool with the goal of producing lean tender meat. Special Notes The Dorper sheep are very hardy animals. Beginning in the mid-1950s, Piel imported three St.Croix sheep. Katahdin sheep and Dorper are bred as meat sheep breeds. Katahdins have generated a great deal of interest from all parts of North America. Coat & Color: Coat can be any color or color pattern. However, if you are not intending to feed grain and if you dont intend to grow your lambs beyond 100 lbs. Several Polypay owners in the area worm all animals 6-8 times during the summer and still lose animals to stomach worms. Im sorry I cannot help you. Reaching maturity earlier than many breeds, the Suffolk lamb will reach an average of 116 pounds by 100 days of age. The Katahdan tend to be a little more "active", in general not quite as docile, though many would disagree but they are still quiet. Katahdin meat tends to be leaner than many other breeds. A Katahdin ewe will average between 140-180 pounds, while Dorper ewes will average 160-200 pounds. (Allardt) "Spike" is a 3 year old ram. The flavor of the market lambs is in my opinion mostly influenced by the fact that these lambs are grass-fed. Cheviots are easy to breed, meeting a 90% lambing average without assistance. What You Need To Know. I can only put this down to past genetics. ), In fall 2000, we grazed our flock on cocklebur and waterhemp that followed an oat crop. A Katahdin ewe will average between 140-180 pounds, while Dorper ewes will average 160-200 pounds. Because of their hair, they do not produce the lanolin that can lend gaminess to the meat, giving it a milder flavor. we really enjoy that black baby lamb and she is 9 months old now. Two weeks later, the ewes hadnt lost any body condition. Unfortunately, as the percentage of Dorper increases, more wool is found in their coat and some animals lose some of their shedding ability. In 2001, my friend with Polypay paid $2 to shear $.50 worth of wool per animal. There is the wool type and the hairtype with the hairtype being slightly less meaty but far better shedding. ByBasil Bactawar, UF/IFAS Duval County Extension Service. Disposition & Mothering Ability: Ewes are docile with good mothering ability. Dorper and Katahdin are medium size breeds. Many of the Dorper you see have been crossed with Katahdin sheep for several reasons. 2023, Countryside - All Rights Reserved, Extract Natural Dye for Wool from Goldenrod Plants, Why Teach Classes on How to Knit, Spin, Weave or Felt, Use This Sweater Mitten Pattern to Bring New Life to Old Clothes. Fencing. Cole, N.A. Bred sheep/ewes (Dorper and Katahdin), bred to a show ram. 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. What is worse, however, is the fact that there are breeders who do not select for shedding ability and for the show ring instead. Animals dont grow as fastbut dont need to with milder winters and longer growing season. Choosing breeding stock with this in mind can avoid this problem. Very tolerant of the humid hot conditions in the Carribean andSomolia, Blackhead Persians have a white body and black head. keep checking it out! 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. Grading up to Dorper. I'll be using my Barbados Blackbelly ram on my BB ewes and also a few Kathadin ewes. 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. take it from me, you dont have to worry about anyone getting too fat. Our spring lambs require 4-5 pounds of dry matter forage to produce each pound of gain. When the pastures are poor, hair animals hold their body condition much better. $300. It was bred from West African hair sheep and is extremely well-adapted to hot, humid conditions. ( From Buckler Farms near Granville TN) His mom is at least 50% dorper and Katahdin. My friend used to manage a flock of purebreds of both breeds and crosses. Because of their hair, like the Dorper they do not produce lanolin which will give their meat a milder taste. May 23, 2011 #3 Beekissed Herd Master Joined Aug 3, 2008 Messages 3,634 Reaction score 5,536 Points 453 Location mountains of WV They shed their winter coats during spring and early summer. 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. When comparing weights, keep in mind we live in north central Missouri. Dorset sheep have lean and muscular carcasses, making them excellent at producing meat. The Dorper Sheep is a hardy resilient South African breed of sheep that can withstand various harsh climates, environments and intensive operations. How do you decide which breed is right for your needs? It is also exceptionally low-maintenance. We feel that our time must be used where it will improve our operation, rather than maintaining status quo. In general they have low maintenance requirements. Mature Weight (Lb): Ewe = 70 -120, Ram = 110 140. They can provide you with information pertaining to regulations, health requirements and local export brokers. In a second study, Dorper or Dorset sired lambs were compared to Barbados Blackbelly x St. Croix or Katahdin lambs. i do not want to cull her from the flock! The Dorper has a high rate of lambing and is tolerant of the arid conditions it was developed for in South Africa. However, they are suitable for markets requiring smaller carcass size. However, they all shed around the belly, legs, head, and all the other places that would otherwise prolong shearing. The Dorper X Katahdin are very popular and providing you use a good quality ram, I would suggest fullblood or purebred, they do tend to really stamp the babies with their type. I had on occasion lambs butchered that exceeded 110 pounds. Dorper sheep originated in South Africa and were the result of crossing Dorset Horn with Blackheaded Persian sheep. I cant speak to colder temperatures, taking zero degrees without a problem is good enough for me. Our paddocks are grazed for 5-7 days followed by 25-34 days of . The Royal White sheep shed their wool naturally, it saves the cost of shearing. People converting to hair sheep breeds all notice certain things. This may or may not be the case in other states. If you are interested in bringing a herd of small livestock to your homestead, you will want to look into both sheep and goats.