dorper vs katahdin

Ive spent my entire life around farm animals, and I created Savvy Farm Life to share the helpful information Ive learned over the years. 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. As far as winter hardiness is concerned, I have my sheep out in zero degree weather. Coat & Color: Most of the individuals are white, but tan and spotted ones exist. To showcase the commercial qualities of our animals, all breeding stock we sell comes directly from pasture, having received no special treatment. i do not want to cull her from the flock! Royal Whites are more recent in the hair sheep scene and development is still ongoing. Owning Goats vs. Sheep View Details. Most lambs are considered market-ready by 9-12 weeks. Dorper lambs have amazing growth rates when young. We are currently using rams with high shedding scores, while culling heavily on production traits. i love the dorper sheep breed! (A friend with Polypay and Katahdin sheep has had the same experience. You will always need to make compromises if you choose to have a purebred flock. It is a very hardy breed and is disease resistant. You must log in or register to reply here. Keep reading to learn more about the best sheep breeds for meat. While Hampshire sheep are seasonal breeders, they tend to have a longer breeding season than others. Two varieties of Dorper Sheep were created: the black headed Dorper and an all white variety, the White Dorper sheep. Katahdin Pedigrees Public Area Members List. And some shed one year but not totally the next for no apparent reason at all. This article first appeared in the May/June 2010 Hobby Farms. "We liked their look," Ruby puts in. Dorset sheep thrive in a wide variety of climates, and being wool-producers, they will need to be sheared annually. 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. I would also be interested in bred young ewes. How the breed carries fat is, I think, important when dealing with older sheep. or you can contact me at- Bred Ewes Commercial - Market Sheep. This behavior causes problems with maintaining desirable trees unless protection is provided. Arguments exist concerning the exact origin of the Barbados Blackbelly evidence is shown for both Africa or Barbados. Well, at least Katahdins, St Croix and barbs. Why they are Crossed Waco Childbirth Education 74 subscribers Subscribe 127 Share. It is also exceptionally low-maintenance. Hampshire sheep have a muscular and stocky build, and are comparative to the Suffolk in size. The Dorper has been very effective in increasing the growth rate, carcass size and quality of all the typical hair-type breeds such a the Barbados, Katahdin, St. Croix, the Mexican Pelibuey and other breeds that are considered exotic types. . Breeding stock is selected under rigorous criteria, including parasite resistance, hair coat, growth characteristics on grass alone and general thriftiness. After slaughter, all thats left is hide, manure and stomach contents. Several Polypay owners in the area worm all animals 6-8 times during the summer and still lose animals to stomach worms. It is common to have ewes lambing twice per year. Dorper and Katahdin are medium size breeds. The leather from hair sheep grain is finer than the leather from wool breeds and brings in a larger amount of money. 3 year old Dorper Katahdin Ram. They were significantly more reasonably priced and for practical matters were the same. Some Ewes shed coats after second lambing. Do you want to earn multiple income streams from your flock. i want buy texel sheep unit so please tell how can buy it this breed. Breed utilization for meat production in sheep. Hi Joanne. The cross breeding results in the best of both breeds but also in the benefits of heterosis, commonly known as hybrid vigor. They do produce wool, and will need regular shearing. Parasitol. They are well adapted to a variety of climatic and grazing conditions. The Katahdin breed is an easy to care for, meat type sheep, naturally tolerant of climatic extremes and capable of high performance in a wide variety of environments. We currently manage between 45-60 ewes per year with about 70% of our flock being registered. Relative resistance of Dorper crossbred ewes to gastrointestinal nematode infection compared with St. Croix and Katahdin ewes in the southeastern United States. In general they have low maintenance requirements. 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. He can be reached by e-mail at ulf@whitecloversheepfarm.com or by phoneduring calling hour specified on his answering machineat 585-554-3313. We have a dispute between the members about feeding sheep after working them. Ten percent of sheep breeds are hair breeds but ninety percent of these are found in tropical areas. Your email address will not be published. Suffolk ewes have an excellent lambing rate of 180%, making them a solid choice for breeding. Some breeders have been working on crosses between traditional wool meat breeds and hair sheep breeds. 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. Dorper ram purchased from Juan Navarro of J.N. Lamb comes from a sheep under the age of 1 year old. It is raised mainly for meat production. Though not year-round breeders, Tunis often breed out of season, with the occasional lamb (or two) born in late Summer / Fall. Originating in South Africa, these lovable and attractive sheep tend to come with a lot more pros than cons. When the weathers hot and the pastures are dry, their wool animals will be under a tree while the hair animals are out grazing. I'll be using my Barbados Blackbelly ram on my BB ewes and also a few Kathadin ewes. Dorsets commonly produce twins and even triplets. That applies to purebred WD market lambs as well. The Dorper Sheep is a hardy resilient South African breed of sheep that can withstand various harsh climates, environments and intensive operations. Ulf Kintzel owns and manages White Clover Sheep Farm (www.whitecloversheepfarm.com) in Rushville, NY where he breeds grass-fed White Dorper sheep. 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. 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. If my product would be poorly finished or wouldnt taste good, I surely would lose customers. How do you decide which breed is right for your needs? Since hair sheep dont have a heavy wool coat, they cant take the cold. 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. We feel that our time must be used where it will improve our operation, rather than maintaining status quo. As a bit of trivia, the majority of cull ewes the U.S. exports go to the Mexico City area. Can someone tell me a few of the pros and cons for both dorper sand katahdin. They do produce wool, and will need to be shorn annually. They are also well suited to survive in the arid extensive regions of South Africa. We let them be sheep and just help them along. The Katahdin breed has hair instead of wool, and that means less work, according to the couple, who raise the sheep near Perham, Minnesota. The breed has a thick, well muscled carcass and extended period of fertility. Hi just wondering it may be a silly question anyways can you milk Dorper sheep. Are you interested in raising sheep for meat? However, they are suitable for markets requiring smaller carcass size. I would say try the dorpers.. we only raise a few for there is only us out here. We just started raising Katahdins this year. At Kettle Haven Ranch we specialize in Katahdin x Dorper crosses for exceptional market lambs and for replacement breeding stock. Some of the ancestors of these breeds originated in Africa and were brought to the Caribbean Islands, Central America and northern South America during the 18th and 19th century. 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. 2 are Katahdin and 2 are katahdin/dorper crosses. Sold all our cattle. 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. 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). Dorper sheep are exceptionally popular amongst both hobbyists and commercial homesteads. The Katahdin Sheep is a domestic breed developed in Maine in the United States and named after the highest peak in Maine, Mount Katahdin. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. They grow quickly and reach market weight early. $300. He is a native of Germany and lives in the US since 1995. Lambing %: Given an average lambing percent of 150 and 3 lambing in 2 years, Dorper will produce 2.25 lambs on an annual basis. Origin: Developed in the Virgin Islands for crosses of West African hair sheep and Wiltshire Horn. Crossing these breeds with woolen breeds for efficient meat production does hold some potential. Tunis sheep are known to have an excellent flavor of meat. In addition to being a smaller breed, the lambs tend to mature slowly, not reaching ideal market weight until around 2 years of age. Hairbreeds have many positive traits that make them an ideal animal for small farms, homesteads, and of course, larger commercial farms. The American Sheep Industry recognizes 47 different sheep breeds in the US, with hundreds more recognized internationally. Thirdly how long after separation to market. 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. When comparing weights, keep in mind we live in north central Missouri. I would love to get in touch with the author personally.