If ewes are fed well, lambing rate approaches the higher end. Market Weight/Live/Age: 80 110 lbs / 5.5 6 months. The Dorper is highly adaptable and does well in harsh conditions. While I had no worries about my 1/2 market lambs since the Texel influence was still strong, my anticipation when the first 3/4 market lambs were harvested was great. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. One of the oldest breeds of sheep, the Tunis is still a favorite breed for meat production. Hi currently running flock of 600. There are lots of Dorper breeders in NC also, as well as "commercial" crossbreeds: You can search this site by States to find Scrapie-free certified breeders of sheep and goats: My friend used to manage a flock of purebreds of both breeds and crosses. 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. The Katahdan tend to be a little more "active", in general not quite as docile, though many would disagree but they are still quiet. Because of their hair and their low fat content, this breed is known to produce both flavorful and mild meat. Mature Weight (Lb): Ewe = 130 140 (Average is 136), Ram = 170 - 200. Our experienced ewes averaged 2.1 lambs/ewe born with 1.9 weaned. Relative resistance of Dorper crossbred ewes to gastrointestinal nematode infection compared with St. Croix and Katahdin ewes in the southeastern United States. Hello! Tunis sheep are able to thrive in a variety of climates, and tolerate both heat and cold well. Two weeks later, the ewes hadnt lost any body condition. 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. We prefer using forage to produce lambs rather than wool. This breed is also exceptionally hardy, able to thrive in both the cold, and the hot, humid climates in which many farmers struggle to. 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. Today I have 1/2, 3/4, 7/8th, and 15/16th White Dorper sheep. One needs to do a detail review of the information related to the hair breed one wishes to raise. We are in the process of installing another 10,000 feet of electric fence on 25 acres that will result in another nine paddocks. How do you decide which breed is right for your needs? Breeders often use less-expensive Katahdin ewes to initiate an upgrading program with registered Dorper as the final goal. We have all three breeds. At that weight there are no problems with too much fat cover whatsoever. For a number of years, there has been a good export market for ewe lambs going to Mexico. Icelandic Sheep are excellent and reliable breeders, breeding seasonally in the Fall to Winter. This makes them one of the more profitable breeds to specialize in. When the weathers hot and the pastures are dry, their wool animals will be under a tree while the hair animals are out grazing. We are currently running 130 registered ewes with 10 commercial ewes that will be dispersed this year. Anymore (at least in Missouri) its the carcass quality that sets the price. Katatdin x Dorper . The Dorpers get so quiet and even a little lazy that the dogs really have to work hard to make them move much. Looking forward to reply. Some are calling these shedding sheep. They are best raised on pasture and finishing these breeds on feedlots can lead to less desirable meat products as the ethnic market prefers a leaner lamb. Though the breed produces wool (and lanolin), it is known to have a particularly mild taste. Typically, the 75 percent Dorper crosses will exhibit the Dorper coloration and conformation. However, they are suitable for markets requiring smaller carcass size. They like large groups of lambs on each farm, prefer solid colors, registered and must be enrolled in the scrapie program. Nitrogen retention by lambs fed oscillating dietary protein concentrations. They are also highly resistant to many parasites that can become bothersome to other breeds of sheep. The trend is now reversed. All Rights Reserved | Website by Maple Creative, God Save the Beef: Trials of Sustainable Farming in the UK . For us, the Katahdin sheep breed fits our operation and our philosophy quite well. American Blackbelly Westexas. I raise all my sheep and lambs strictly on pasture and feed no grain whatsoever. ), more intense selection for increased body length and a ewe flock of around 160-175 ewes. The Cornell Small Farms Program is housed at Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) in Ithaca, NY, and works in partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension across New York State. Katahdin Dorper The Dorper is a mutton breed of hair sheep developed in the 1930s. The Cheviot sheep is best suited for northern, colder climates, and does not tolerate heat as well. We are fortunate that buyers for the large ethnic market in St. Louis often attend sales. November/December 2003 and regularly vetted for accuracy. Photo courtesy of:Dr. Stephan A. Wildeus. What is the point of getting hairsheep when you end up shearing them? This is not a true hair sheep. A list of the breeds of sheep that are thought of as being good ewe breeds would start with (1) Rambouillet sheep such as there are in Texas (2) several kinds of Whitefaced Western sheep, (3) the Dorset breed, which is a white-faced meat breed . But what about the market lambs getting too fat? This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. 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. In this area, hair sheep often sell higher than wool sheep. To learn more about how you can make money off of sheep, read my article What Do Sheep Produce? Do you have to go around picking it up out of the pasture? Dorset sheep thrive in a wide variety of climates, and being wool-producers, they will need to be sheared annually. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Check out my article Best Sheep for Wool: Top 8 Sheep Breeds for Wool. Ive spent my entire life around farm animals, and I created Savvy Farm Life to share the helpful information Ive learned over the years. At 90 days, weve had November-December lambs on pasture, hay and whole grain (corn or milo) average 75 pounds. $300. Im sorry I cannot help you. For registered breeding stock, permanent wooly fibers are a no-no. These White Dorper female replacement lambs already look very much like purebred White Dorpers Photographer: Ulf Kintzel. To learn more about baby sheep, check out my article Baby Sheep: What a Baby Sheep is Called & Other Fun Facts. Romanov The Romanov breed may not be as popular as the Katahdin and Dorper, but it holds a very important value in this . History tells us our present-day sheep are derived from the wild Mouflon sheep, among others, that grew coarse hair with a downy undercoat. Sheep and cattle have different grazing needs and preferences, and the sheep will clean up the growth that doesnt appeal to the cows. They will definitely get too fat. If you have a disability and are having trouble accessing information on this website or need materials in an alternate format, please contact Cornell University via email at, Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogoh:n. He is a native of Germany and lives in the US since 1995. I think this is where the good reputation of hair sheep comes in. keep checking it out! Mexicans prefer a larger lamb, and let nothing go to waste. Why they are Crossed - YouTube 0:00 / 4:43 Dorper Sheep vs. Katahdin Sheep. I direct sell a great number of lambs. They started with an idle, tired farm and through years of blood, sweat and tears have transformed it into a vibrant . if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'savvyfarmlife_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_11',105,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-savvyfarmlife_com-large-leaderboard-2-0');Considered to be the 2nd most popular breed of sheep in the US, the Dorset sheep is another solid meat-producer. 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. Dorpersare known for their fast weight gains as lambs. Weight Gain/Daily: 1 pound under intensive production. As one of the most populous sheep breeds in America, the Suffolk is a popular choice for meat producers. Feeding small quantities throughout numerous feedings helps reduce the incidence of bloat and/or diarrhea. This site is owned and operated by Wild Wire Media, LLC. let me know! There was only the body fleece that needed shearing. The breed was developed in the mid-1950s by crossing imported St. Croix Sheep and several other breeds, including the Suffolk Sheep. The cross breeding results in the best of both breeds but also in the benefits of heterosis, commonly known as hybrid vigor. People converting to hair sheep breeds all notice certain things. 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 can be reached by e-mail at ulf@whitecloversheepfarm.com or by phoneduring calling hour specified on his answering machineat 585-554-3313. My Texel and Dorset lambs that I used to have in the past didnt differ that much in flavor, although the WD lambs are indeed milder tasting. ~Ann, Your email address will not be published. Updated: Monday, February 06, 2023 02:46 PM. We have just over 1200 breeding ewes & aim for around 2000 when things get better. The Dorper originated in South Africa from crosses between the Dorset and the Blackhead Persian. To appeal to ethnic buyers, it often requires a change in flock management. The main questions to ask yourself to determine the answer are: Katahdin sheep come in multiple color varieties, whereas Dorper sheep are white and black. This spring we had an overall lambing average of 1.9 lambs/ewe born with 1.7 lambs weaned. Is there any way to contact him? In lambs, grain feeding versus grass-fed has a greater influence on flavor than the differences in breeds. Katahdin meat tends to be leaner than many other breeds. Mature Weight (Lb): Ewe = 70 -120, Ram = 110 140. Hair sheep dont bring as much on the slaughter market. I'd go with Dorper ram on Katahdin ewes. Libyans prefer old worn out buck goats for their stronger flavor. They require less worming medications as a general rule. In California prices for hair sheep have surpassed prices for wool sheep and in New Holland they are catching up. Coat & Color: Coat can be any color or color pattern. We figured the combination would be a meatier sheep." They bought the ram in 1996 and some ewes the following spring. Katahdins are awesome and productive mothers plus they are a very hardy breed and the Dorper will put more size on the meat sheep. Thank you for stopping by, and best of luck with your farm! For specific questions, please contact the author. $300. As mentioned earlier, hair sheep breeds are considerably more heat-tolerant than wool breeds. If you have space to corral a few sheep, you can fill the freezer with a healthy alternative to beef and chicken. While many of the characteristics hair animals possess appeal to the hobby flock owner, we expect an animal to make us money; if it doesnt, its gone. -. To properly flush a ewe, she should be on an upward nutritional plane and gaining weight. I no longer sell at livestock auctions mainly because I dont have to. Dorset sheep have lean and muscular carcasses, making them excellent at producing meat. There are black headed Dorpers (most common) and white Dorpers (harder to find). Like most of the sheep listed here, Texel lambs reach market size quickly, by 5-6 months. Suffolk ewes have an excellent lambing rate of 180%, making them a solid choice for breeding. 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. Why Katahdin x Dorper Crosses. As mentioned earlier, theres no price discount for Katahdin sheep or Dorper sheep in central Missouri. To showcase the commercial qualities of our animals, all breeding stock we sell comes directly from pasture, having received no special treatment. Dorpers are theoretically better muscled, meatier carcass, faster growing, but we haven't seen that to be true. Sheep are one of the most versatile producers when it comes to livestock animals. The Dorper is a mutton breed of hair sheep developed in the 1930s. Instead, I get raving reports back and I never seem to have enough market lambs to make everyone happy. He farms in the Finger Lakes area in upstate New York. Generally, hair breeds are more heat tolerant than wool breeds. This composite "easy-care" breed was developed from crosses of African hair sheep and a variety of wool breeds with selection for a hair coat, prolificacy, and conformation. An interesting study was done that showed the parasite resistance was higher in the purebred hair sheep over the crossbred shedding sheep. In a second study, Dorper or Dorset sired lambs were compared to Barbados Blackbelly x St. Croix or Katahdin lambs. "Dorper sheep are barrel-shaped with a well-muscled back end. The other half needed shearing. Stoneheart Farm was established in 1994 by John and Doreen Simmons. When I look out in the paddock it looks like hell on earth but at the same time beautiful. Originally publishedin sheep! For several years weve had Romanov/Katahdin crosses. Dorpers DO NOT shed their coats as well and consistently as katahdins. Between their size and their courage, llamas may seem intimidating at first. I have a pet ram lamb, texel dorset cross I was told. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. If youre grazing crop-field aftermath, their coat will pick up trash where a Katahdin wont. 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. Animal Breeding Abstracts. Hampshire sheep have a muscular and stocky build, and are comparative to the Suffolk in size. best beef in the word is lamb,i like lamb beef spesialis sate.. Amazing sheep, been breeding the Dorper for sometime now and i must say their adaptability is really outstanding.
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