The desire to climb mandates the use of a bale ring to prevent excessive waste. keep checking it out! Originally publishedin sheep! 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 . Feel free to contact the author, Ulf Kintzel, at ulf@whitecloversheepfarm.com for further information. The Dorper sheep is a meat sheep breed. Dorper Sheep. Hair sheep primer . History tells us our present-day sheep are derived from the wild Mouflon sheep, among others, that grew coarse hair with a downy undercoat. 4 1. 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. Typically, the 75 percent Dorper crosses will exhibit the Dorper coloration and conformation. They also are not limited to a breeding season, conceiving year round. 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. This means that, theoretically, a Dorper ewe can produce a lamb (or 2 or 3) every 8 months. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Sheep will eat woody vegetation but prefer grass and weeds on the ground. 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. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Sheds coat as temperature and day length increase. The Dorper is a breed of sheep that originated in the south of Africa in the 1940's. It is the product of cross-breeding between the Dorset Horn and Blackhead Persian breeds. Fact: Eight or ten years ago you could expect a 5-10 cents/pound discount for hair animals. 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. One in particular is more like a paint horse. They are also highly resistant to many parasites that can become bothersome to other breeds of sheep. When youre raising sheep for meat, the wool is a by-product. Often, when a new breed or type is rising in popularity, careful breeding can fall to the wayside in the haste to have stock to sell. Katahdin would adapt best under humid, warm conditions, while Dorper would be best suited for dry arid and semiarid rangeland conditions. Crossing these breeds with woolen breeds for efficient meat production does hold some potential. Coat & Color: The coat can be reddish brown, tan or yellow. "Dorper sheep are barrel-shaped with a well-muscled back end. There are a few characteristics you will want to look for when choosing a meat-producing sheep. Hope this helps! Wondering What to Feed Sheep? Bred Ewes Commercial - Market Sheep. Hi Joanne. I think this is where the good reputation of hair sheep comes in. I think that we are asking for bloat. They were called Africans at the time. Libyans prefer old worn out buck goats for their stronger flavor. University of South Dakota research found it requires 250-300 pounds of dry matter forage to produce each pound of wool. Dorper sheep originated in South Africa and were the result of crossing Dorset Horn with Blackheaded Persian sheep. The Dorper is a good example of this interbreeding. The leather from hair sheep grain is finer than the leather from wool breeds and brings in a larger amount of money. The Barbados Blackbelly got its name because of the characteristic black belly on an otherwise red brown coat. while letting some lambs reach weights up to 100+ lbs. Now meat sheep producers are lucky if wool prices cover . http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b365/Accursed/Smileys/waiting-bored-waiting-boy-smiley-em.gif, Birthing, Weaning, and Raising Young Sheep. . We have an 18-cell planned grazing system with 10,000 feet of electric fence and 5,000 feet of underground waterline on 35 acres. The Katahdin sheep is listed as a Recovering heritage breed on the ALBC Conservation Priority List. -. 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. Why Katahdin x Dorper Crosses At Stoneheart Farms we specialize in Katahdin x Dorper crosses for exceptional market lambs and for replacement breeding stock. They started with an idle, tired farm and through years of blood, sweat and tears have transformed it into a vibrant . This article first appeared in the May/June 2010 Hobby Farms. Good milkers, and is suggested not to wean lambs before three months. If you have space to corral a few sheep, you can fill the freezer with a healthy alternative to beef and chicken. Thank so much for this information. Coat & Color: Solid white or white with black head. Flock owners with less than 50 animals have a difficult time getting someone to shear unless they pool their animals with neighbors. An older, fat sheep is likely where the reputation of nasty mutton comes from. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Contact | About Us | Sitemap, As one of the most populous sheep breeds in America, the. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Consider the pros and cons featured above before making your decision. I dont want him to get unhealthily fat. Plans for the future include a larger lambing/working shed-currently under construction, later lambing to reduce cold weather losses (10percentdeath loss for everything combined, stillborn, drowning in water tank, mashed, runts, etc. Lambing %: Approximately 125%, exceeding 200% with subsequent lambing. The cross breeding results in the best of both breeds but also in the benefits of heterosis, commonly known as hybrid vigor. Rather than stay in a group, they will scatter in all directions like a covey of quail. Weight Gain/Daily: 0.4 lbs daily with good nutrition. This spring we had an overall lambing average of 1.9 lambs/ewe born with 1.7 lambs weaned. i do not want to cull her from the flock! The customers, including the many ethnic customers, caught up and appreciate the milder flavor of hairsheep. 1999. Tunis sheep are known to have an excellent flavor of meat. We also sell breeding stock locally. $300. Photo courtesy of:Dr. Stephan A. Wildeus. Hi Qazi, 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. Did you know that Dorper sheep dont need to be sheared? Katahdin x Lacaune. The Dorper is a South African breed of domestic sheep developed by crossing Dorset Horn and the Blackhead Persian sheep.The breed was created through the efforts of the South African Department of Agriculture to breed a meat sheep suitable to the more arid regions of the country. 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. Twinning is common and triplets and quadruplets are not rare. We normally worm our lambs 3-4 times a summer and the ewes not at all. If this same time is spent building homestead fencing, watersystems, improving lambing or handling facilities, its improving an operation. Hair sheep dont bring as much on the slaughter market. 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." Research has shown Dorper have good parasite tolerance or resilience rather than resistance. Since todays hair sheep breeds are developed from hardy ancestors, they are considered easy keepers because they have a natural resistance to disease and parasites. Weight Gain/Daily: 0.57 lbs under intensive production. A type of hair breed, Katahdin sheep originate in the United States. I like the Dorper temperament, generally they are a pretty docile breed. 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. Sold all our cattle. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Katahdins are alert, protective mothers. Between their size and their courage, llamas may seem intimidating at first. 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. You can also use them for multiple income streams thanks to their excellent meat and milk production. The Kasteel White Dorper Stud farm lies in an arid area of the Republic of South Africa, called the Great Karoo. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Nitrogen retention by lambs fed oscillating dietary protein concentrations. Katahdin ewes weigh around 125-185 pounds, and rams average around 200 pounds. All Rights Reserved | Website by Maple Creative, God Save the Beef: Trials of Sustainable Farming in the UK . Our paddocks are grazed for 5-7 days followed by 25-34 days of . May-June lambs on pasture alone (10-13percentprotein and 60-65percent DOM) will average 45 pounds. marina@mgdorpers.com. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'savvyfarmlife_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_9',108,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-savvyfarmlife_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0');This breed is also exceptionally hardy, able to thrive in both the cold, and the hot, humid climates in which many farmers struggle to raise sheep, making it a good choice for almost any climate in the United States. But the dorpers always have say ten % that need shearing still. Dorpers DO NOT shed their coats as well and consistently as katahdins. 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. Forty-six Dorper, 46 Katahdin, and 43 St. Croix female sheep from four regions of the USA were used to evaluate responses to high heat load index (HLI) conditions. These are some of the best reasons to raise Katahdin sheep - though the list is by no means exhaustive! This breed averages in maturity at around 175 220 pounds. Vet. These include: The fact Dorper sheep are easy to breed is a huge advantage. The saving grace are our Dorpers. Im sure by now you have an answer. In Canada, Katahdin sheep commonly gain well over a pound per day. Although they are one of the newest sheep breeds introduced in America, Katahdin sheep have quickly become a popular choice. What You Need To Know. A common lamb on good pasture will perform better than Super Lamb on poor pasture. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Very interesting and informational! The Katahdin breed was developed in the United States by Michael Piel. Dorper sheep are exceptionally popular amongst both hobbyists and commercial homesteads. I have no way of weighing him. Bred to produce less back fat, their meat is lean and flavorful. How the breed carries fat is, I think, important when dealing with older sheep. Owning Goats vs. Sheep Ron remembers raising wool sheep as a teenager. They can provide you with information pertaining to regulations, health requirements and local export brokers. Bred sheep/ewes (Dorper and Katahdin), bred to a show ram. 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. Lamb chops from Barbados Blackbelly x St. Croix lambs were similar to those from Dorset-sired, Dorper-sired, or Katahdin. Dorset ewes weigh approximately 150-200 pounds, with the rams weighing on average 275 pounds. 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. The SNPs in NOS2, TGFB2, and IL2RA genes were also observed with high genetic differentiation in the Katahdin and St. Croix vs Dorper analysis. Feeding these breeds too much grain can result in an overabundance of internal fat. We had the idea of crossing a Dorper with their 60 Katahdin ewes. Ewes weight approximately 200 pounds, and rams average out to around 260 pounds. After 22 years they are well rooted in South Paris. The St Croix are also quiet, but seem to be next on the ladder. Cheviots are easy to breed, meeting a 90% lambing average without assistance. Environmental Adaptability:They are adaptable to all climates. Just weaned 530 lambs .If we can get some weight on them worth $200+ in current market. In terms of lambing, youll find Katahdins mostly give birth to multiple lambs. The Dorper originated in South Africa from crosses between the Dorset and the Blackhead Persian. This is not a true hair sheep. This may or may not be the case in other states. Hampshire sheep can live in almost any climate, making them a hardy breed. 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. You can check my blog at Merino sheep for sale. Although the breed was created in the 1930s, it is still fairly new to the US. Anymore (at least in Missouri) its the carcass quality that sets the price. This behavior causes problems with maintaining desirable trees unless protection is provided. Nick. About. . Katahdin sheep and Dorper are bred as meat sheep breeds. Considered to be the 2nd most popular breed of sheep in the US, the Dorset sheep is another solid meat-producer. Katahdins are awesome and productive mothers plus they are a very hardy breed and the Dorper will put more size on the meat sheep. Consider the pros and cons featured above before making your decision. The mild and yet rich flavor of these culled ewes is remarkable and does not at all remind anyone of mutton. We feel that our time must be used where it will improve our operation, rather than maintaining status quo. I shear myself and since I wanted to increase the size of my flock I was not looking forward to shearing even more sheep. Crossbred individuals tend to be more vigorous, more fertile . My question is, how much should he weigh. Suffolk meat is hailed as lean and somewhat sweet, with a good muscle to fat ratio. The main differences between these two breeds are the colors available, and what they can be used for. They grow quickly and reach market weight early. When the weathers hot and the pastures are dry, their wool animals will be under a tree while the hair animals are out grazing. 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. Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogoh:n (the Cayuga Nation). In fact, when we have pot roast from a culled ewe I can still fool my wife into thinking we had lamb for dinner.