Some general information on hair sheep is found on the next page. At Kettle Haven Ranch we specialize in Katahdin x Dorper crosses for exceptional market lambs and for replacement breeding stock. Mexicans prefer a larger lamb, and let nothing go to waste. 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.. Dorper lambs have amazing growth rates when young. 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. Ultimate Guide. Tunis are solid breeders and excellent mothers. We are currently using rams with high shedding scores, while culling heavily on production traits. The breed has a thick, well muscled carcass and extended period of fertility. Featured Listing. They reach sexual maturity very early, with ewes able to breed between 7 to 9 months of age. However, they all shed around the belly, legs, head, and all the other places that would otherwise prolong shearing. Blackbellys often breed easily and well, usually birthing multiple lambs in one breeding. Hair sheep breeds (Katahdin, St. Croix, Barbados) generally have much greater parasite resistance than wooled breeds, especially after one year of age. 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. Katahdins have hair and not wool, which means they are a low-maintenance breed that will shed their hair naturally. In addition, there is almost no incidence of flystrike with hair sheep breeds. Suffolk ewes are excellent mothers and prolific breeders. Some breeders have been working on crosses between traditional wool meat breeds and hair sheep breeds. Because of their hair and their low fat content, this breed is known to produce both flavorful and mild meat. Dorset sheep have lean and muscular carcasses, making them excellent at producing meat. They can harbor significant worm populations, yet not suffer the same effects a wool animal would. Very tolerant of the humid hot conditions in the Carribean andSomolia, Blackhead Persians have a white body and black head. Katahdin sheep and Dorper are bred as meat sheep breeds. Dorper and Katahdin are medium size breeds. Crossbred individuals tend to be more vigorous, more fertile . Disposition & Mothering Ability: Ewes are docile with good mothering ability. What happens if you leave the ram out all year round? 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 . They were called Africans at the time. The Royal White produces more mea t than Katahdin sheep and Dorper sheep. May 23, 2011 #3 Beekissed Herd Master Joined Aug 3, 2008 Messages 3,634 Reaction score 5,536 Points 453 Location mountains of WV As wild sheep were domesticated, breeding for increased wool came into practice. Several myths still surround hair sheep. Lamb chops from Barbados Blackbelly x St. Croix lambs were similar to those from Dorset-sired, Dorper-sired, or Katahdin. 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 shear myself and since I wanted to increase the size of my flock I was not looking forward to shearing even more sheep. Feel free to contact the author, Ulf Kintzel, at ulf@whitecloversheepfarm.com for further information. Since hair sheep dont have a heavy wool coat, they cant take the cold. Sheep are one of the most versatile producers when it comes to livestock animals. These slaughter lambs sell comparable to pure Katahdin sheep per pound unless theyre full of cockleburs and briars. If you combine all traits I have not found a better breed for a farming system based on pasture and direct marketing. 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. He seems pretty big to me, but since he is my first sheep, I dont know what he should weigh. Ewes typically reach sexual maturity by 7 months. While hair breeds comprise a small percentage of the number of sheep in North America, this is changing as sustainability becomes a bigger issue for landowners. Thank so much for this information. They naturally shed their wool throughout the seasons. ), more intense selection for increased body length and a ewe flock of around 160-175 ewes. . 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. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare productive performance of F 1 Dp vs . This article first appeared in the May/June 2010 Hobby Farms. We began our Katahdin Sheep herd with non-registered sheep but have added registered Katahdin ewes to our farm. (A friend with Polypay and Katahdin sheep has had the same experience. It was bred from West African hair sheep and is extremely well-adapted to hot, humid conditions. Originally publishedin sheep! In general they have low maintenance requirements. 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. Disposition & Mothering Ability: Extremely reactive to dogs and cats usually as though they wish to flee. Required fields are marked *. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. 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. Dorpers grow a combination of hair and wool, and shed naturally meaning no shearing is required. Question is this common? Two varieties of Dorper Sheep were created: the black headed Dorper and an all white variety, the White Dorper sheep. We currently have about 100 ewes. Thanks, I am considering starting a small Dorper and or Katahdin herd to raise meat for the Western New York market. As well as a hand full of peanuts every day. American Blackbelly Your email address will not be published. What is the point of getting hairsheep when you end up shearing them? These White Dorper female replacement lambs already look very much like purebred White Dorpers Photographer: Ulf Kintzel. The first generation grows quite well due to the heterosis effect, but nearly always has a wool coat. a From the review: Notter, g. 1978. If I took the chance and had her bred would she be able to carry her lamb/s? Check out my article Best Sheep for Wool: Top 8 Sheep Breeds for Wool. Royal Whites are more recent in the hair sheep scene and development is still ongoing. If this same time is spent building homestead fencing, watersystems, improving lambing or handling facilities, its improving an operation. 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. They are the generally more fertile in hot humid regions and show greater tolerance to parasites than woolen breeds. 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." 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. take it from me, you dont have to worry about anyone getting too fat. Apparently, Momma Kathadin doesnt wait around to see what happens when Mr. Coyote shows up for dinner. They are easy care sheep that divert most of their energy into producing meat instead of wool. Dorpersare known for their fast weight gains as lambs. 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. His information is given at the conclusion of the article, pasted below. 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. With a high rate of multiple births and a gentle temperament, this is a good choice for people looking to start a hair sheep business, particularly in warm climates. 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. Several Polypay owners in the area worm all animals 6-8 times during the summer and still lose animals to stomach worms. This is a very old article and I do not have the contact info for John. Fact: Eight or ten years ago you could expect a 5-10 cents/pound discount for hair animals. The Dorper is not a true hair sheep, but is included in this fact sheet because it is used in cross breeding programs involving hair sheep. Yes, you can milk Dorper sheep! I direct sell a great number of lambs. Do you want to earn multiple income streams from your flock. Sure enough, hes been trimming hooves. This matters up here as our point of having hair sheep is to eliminate useless shearing. Mature Weight (Lb): Ewe = 120 - 160, Ram = 180 250. In 2001, my friend with Polypay paid $2 to shear $.50 worth of wool per animal. I belong to a herding club in Hawaii. The ewes are also heavy milkers with excellent maternal instincts. Purebred Dorper rams can reach a live-weight of 90-120 kg and ewes 50-80kg. for info and videos along with books and much more! It is more flighty than Dorper, Kathadin and St. Croix breeds. Lambing %: Given an average lambing percent of 150 and 3 lambing in 2 years, Dorper will produce 2.25 lambs on an annual basis. We feel that our time must be used where it will improve our operation, rather than maintaining status quo. The Royal White sheep shed their wool naturally, it saves the cost of shearing. There are a lot of advantages to keeping Dorper sheep in the US. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Dorper sheep originated in South Africa and were the result of crossing Dorset Horn with Blackheaded Persian sheep. I have bought a dorper lamb an intend to serve mountain horny ewes with him has it ever being tried out, hi, Fact: In central Missouri, raising sheep for wool has been a losing proposition for a number of years. The breed was created by crossing Dorset and Blackheaded Persian sheep. FLAVOR Although the breed was created in the 1930s, it is still fairly new to the US. With an annual rainfall of approximately 175mm (7 inches), the grazing is mainly scrubland with a stocking rate of 1 LSU per 32 hectare. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Katahdins tend to birth twins, with triplets and quadruplets occurring often with good flock management. Breeding stock is selected under rigorous criteria, including parasite resistance, hair coat, growth characteristics on grass alone and general thriftiness. The Dorper is highly adaptable and does well in harsh conditions. Katahdin can be used for both meat and milk, whereas Dorper sheep are only good for meat production. They do produce wool, and will need to be shorn annually. 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. Today I have 1/2, 3/4, 7/8th, and 15/16th White Dorper sheep. Four years ago we began converting all our cropland into pasture and expanded the flock. When the weathers hot and the pastures are dry, their wool animals will be under a tree while the hair animals are out grazing. Of the ewe lambs exposed, 95 percent gave birth at the age of 11-13 months. and, as such, the data are estimates. Due to the high amount of red muscle fibers, the Icelandic sheep has a uniquely tender and fine texture. Are Llamas Dangerous? HARDINESS Like most of the sheep listed here, Texel lambs reach market size quickly, by 5-6 months.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'savvyfarmlife_com-leader-2','ezslot_10',109,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-savvyfarmlife_com-leader-2-0'); With an extended breeding season of nearly 5 months, Texel sheep are prolific breeders. Another goodproductfromhair sheep is leather. The major disadvantage is that they grow slower and produce a lighter weight carcass than most breeds of European origin. Dorpers are theoretically better muscled, meatier carcass, faster growing, but we haven't seen that to be true. I am new to the sheep business so I am concerned that she will never be large enough to breed. JavaScript is disabled. Originally bred for their meat, the Katahdin tends to have a wider variation of milk production - some ewes producing significantly more (or significantly less) than the average. In fact, when we have pot roast from a culled ewe I can still fool my wife into thinking we had lamb for dinner. What You Need To Know. Dorper sheep are exceptionally popular amongst both hobbyists and commercial homesteads. Some European sheep genetics were incorporated into the African sheep to arrive at the existing hair breeds mentioned above. The Gayogoh:n are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. Hair sheep breeds simply shed their hair covering and fleecy undercoat when the weather warms. 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. Environmental Adaptability: Tolerant of both high and low temperatures. Technical Abstract: Tunis sheep are known to have an excellent flavor of meat. My friend used to manage a flock of purebreds of both breeds and crosses.

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