Sheep are a complimentary animal for pastures because theyll eat forage that cattle wont. Gray so youve moved to the country and have been thinking about raising sheep on your five or 10 acres. A registered katahdin is listed in the khsi flock book as 100% katahdin. However, their need for hoof trimming is probably not different than other breeds of sheep, being primarily dependent upon climate and environmental factors. They are great grazers, i dont have to sheer them, and they are even tempered. The katahdin sheep is a newly developed, woolless, easy care, breed used for meat production. In our operation, that sheep breed is the katahdin sheep. Katahdin hair sheep raising a profitable breed of sheep ebook written by darla noble, john davidson. Milking katahdins one of my katahdin ewes, fergie, lambed on saturday march 4, 2011. Our number one goal is to produce top genetics in our sheep that work for whatever needs you might have. Caitrins sheep katahdin sheep and lambs for sale in.
The katahdin is valued for its lack of need for shearing and tail docking, as well as its parasite resistance and reproductive efficiency. Most of the characteristics of katahdins can be found at katahdin hair sheep internatl we are pointing out here what characteristics we found valuable to us. Reaping the benefits of the katahdin breed closing remarks author bio introduction more than a few people would. The katahdin is an improved hair sheep breed, meaning it does not have a true continuous hair coat. Raising farm animals raising goats sheep farm sheep and lamb katahdin sheep tiny farm livestock farming baa baa black sheep sheep breeds the future of katahdins and meat sheep the last speaker i listened to at the khsi expo was dr. Katahdin hair sheep raising a profitable breed of sheep. Katahdin hair sheep raising a profitable breed of sheep table of contents introduction chapter 1. Nebraska producers find profits in katahdin hair sheep. The breed is named for mount katahdin, the highest mountain in maine. Ewe production traits and ability to breed out of season were compared for the dorper do, katahdin ka, and st. A registered katahdin is listed in the khsi flock book as 100%. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Sheep were managed on grass pasture and were supplemented with cornsoybean meal and freechoice, tracemineral mix.
Mamas and babies are kept in the barn during lambing season and the first few weeks of lambing, to ensure they stay warm, dry, wellfed and protected from the elements and predators. Lambs due mid to late march reservations for breeding stock freezer. Croix are small animals ewes 80110 pounds, few commercial breeders raise them. The katahdin breed originated at the piel farm in north central maine where michael piel was an innovator and amateur geneticist who enjoyed raising livestock. But even more important is that our sheep are healthy. Unlike wool sheep, this breed requires no shearing and are very hardy, needing little maintenance. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Katahdin s are more resistant to internal parasites than most other breeds of sheep. The guide is a special issue of the katahdin hairald magazine. Sep 10, 2003 poor sheep training maybe, but the high maitenance keeps me building the good old page wire jobs. It was here that three african hair sheep were imported from st. Breeds of livestock katahdin sheep breeds of livestock. Katahdin ewes cross well with other breeds to produce superior market lambs. Preparing for sheep on the farm the elliott homestead.
Buying and caring for your first flock countryside add to favorites by marvin r. Nov 03, 2011 the katahdin is an improved hair sheep breed, meaning it does not have a true continuous hair coat. But if you raise sheep, the government already has you in its sights by virtue of the. I have a farm podcast where i chat with other farmers. Nov 26, 2014 i couldnt say enough good things about my katahdin sheep. Katahdins are a mediumsized sheep, making them easy to work with. He is now retired at a nice farm to live out the rest of his years with one of his sons, only breeding a few ewes a year. It has 40 plus pages of information on raising sheep, common health concerns, registering katahdins and frequently asked questions. Enjoy a tour through the site to learn more about this wonderful breed and how you can get your own katahdins from us.
Katahdin sheep do not require shearing, crutching, tail docking, or frequent deworming. The katahdin is the most popular breed of sheep in the united states, in terms of purebred registrations and transfers. Raising farm animalsraising goatskatahdin sheepsheep farmbaby sheepsheep breedsgoat farminghobby farmssheep wool. In central missouri, raising sheep for wool has been a losing proposition for a number of years. My wife and i feel theres no best breed, but rather which breed best fits your operation. The degree of profitability, however, depends upon the quality of your sheep. Since their development as a composite breed, they have increased substantially in popularity, especially in. Our breeding ewes must be parasite resistant, no hoof problems, shed off nicely in the springsummer, and be able to produce twins or triplets and produce enough milk to raise. A katahdin ewe will average between 140180 pounds, while dorper ewes will average 160200 pounds. Reaping the benefits of the katahdin breed closing remarks author bio introduction more than a few people would use words like dumb and stupid to describe sheep. Secrets of raising katahdin sheep katahdin sheep, sheep.
The katahdin sheds its winter coat, and so does not have to be sheared. We sell butcher lambs and commercial breeding stock. Piel had a flock of several thousand and spent over twenty years cross breeding sheep to develop the katahdin breed. As hair sheep, katahdins shed without being sheared. And when it comes to quality, youll be hardpressed to find a better breed of sheep than the katahdin. All lambs sold from cor will have individual health records that will provide the buyer with performance information, their birth, 60 day, weaning and 120 day weights. Countryside machinery on the homestead eedition flip book. Katahdins are a hair sheep and are valued for the quality of their meat. The skinny on keeping sheep as pets storey publishing. Katahdin s are an early maturing, medium framed, wellmuscled sheep with fast growing lambs that adapt well to a range of climactic extremes and management styles. Roger and jan cox raise katahdin hair sheep on their farm in morrow county, ohio. Our katahdin lambs are on spring rye grassclover pastures and supplemented with creep feed.
Katahdin hair sheep raising a profitable breed of sheep book. Lambs are usually born in march and april and ready to go in july and august, after weaning and a several week adjustment period. We retired to our new farm in 2008 after living in residential communities near boston, ma, for nearly 40 years. This book will help you understand why you are growing superior meat in a. As beginning small farmers with young children, we needed a breed of sheep that would be hardy, disease resistant, low maintenance, docile, and good mothers, requiring little to no assistance during lambing.
The sheep vary somewhat in the type and amount of fiber in their coats, though it is preferred that sheep be completely free of woolly fibers after shedding. Selection for dark hoof color may reduce the need for hoof trimming. Simplify your sheep herd records with the sheep record book. They exhibit a natural tolerance of climatic extremes and are capable of high performance in areas that vary in geography, temperature, and humidity, as well as feed and forage systems. Bongo has been a great benefit to our flock over the past years. Katahdin hair sheep raising a profitable breed of sheep kindle edition by noble, darla, davidson, john, mendon cottage books. Katahdin sheep are an american heritage breed that was developed by michael piel of abbot, maine. Katahdin sheep originated in 1957 at the piel farm in north central maine, usa. Katahdin hair sheep raising a profitable breed of sheep by darla. At the time of sale, they will have been vaccinated twice for cdt, treated for coccidia, and tapeworms.
Katahdin hair sheep raising a profitable breed of sheep by john davidson, 97815056869, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. It has 40 plus pages of information on raising sheep, common health concerns, registering katahdins. Sheep cannot be registered or recorded without a flock prefix. The katahdin sheep breed was the first in the united states to reach sheep industry standards of carcass quality. Katahdin hair sheep history katahdin hair sheep genetics are making a huge impact on the sheep industry. This is perfect for our climate, since they have a thick hair coat in the winter and shed out during the spring just in time for our hot and humid summer to arrive. Genetic improvement of hair sheep in the tropics bulletin no 98 fao animal. It is a special issue of the katahdin hairald magazine.
This book tells about how great the sheep are, but no information on how to keep your sheep healthy. Nestled in the beautiful susquehanna valley of central pennsylvania, we raise happy, healthy grass fed katahdin sheep. Our katahdin sheep barn is located in farragut, in west knoxville, tn. The imported sheep were crossbred with various other breeds, and lambs were. Katahdin sheep are known for their succulent and delicious meat production. This sheep book list includes reference books about sheep farming and husbandry, novels and nonfiction about living on a working sheep farm, fun childrens. So yes, if your intentions for raising sheep are for spinning, you will need to choose a wool breed known for the quality of their wool. Katahdin sheep are medium in size, with ewes weighing 120160 pounds and rams weighing 180250 pounds. Instead, it grows hair which sheds out naturally each year. They were derived from breeds that originated in the caribbean and british islands.
Here on our farm located in the rolling hills of south central kentucky, we strive and believe in continuous improvements in our katahdin flock. But if its meat production you are after, look no further than the katahdin. This guide was compiled by katahdin hair sheep internationals publications and promotions committees. Jan 24, 2018 secrets of raising katahdin sheep 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. Katahdin hair sheep raising a profitable breed of sheep, darla. Whether youre about to acquire your first sheep or.
In addition to having coarse, outer hair fibers in their coats, the sheep are docile and easily handled. Raising sheep for meat production came with a few great benefits to us on this particular farm. Dorperkatahdin sheep welcome to the homesteading today. Katahdin sheep available registered katahdin hair sheep all breeding sheep are codon tested. No one book is perfect, paula simmons book raising sheep the modern way is a good beginners book, but short on some aspects of sheep rearing. Katahdin hair sheep raising a profitable breed of sheep by. Katahdin hair sheep raising a profitable breed of sheep katahdin hair sheep raising a profitable breed of sheep table of contents introduction chapter 1. The lamb has been with mom for a week now so this past friday 3112011 i decided to start separating mom and lamb at night so that i may milk the ewe in the morning. How does pet insurance works animal health info oakland county animal shelter and pet adoption center pet care for kids families. Katahdin sheep and dorper are bred as meat sheep breeds. Katahdin hair sheep is the breed the henkels chose to raise. Katahdin katahdin sheep are a breed of hair sheep developed in the united states. The katahdin is a heavy muscled, medium sized, easycare meat type sheep. We began our small flock of katahdin sheep in 2010 after visiting churchview farm in romney, wv.
1101 564 122 1068 962 1469 512 1260 1288 1638 1526 976 1149 26 165 1322 1583 817 519 135 1005 1021 563 261 1177 440 952 1479 1607 1226 788 524 811 722 1529 200 323 613 393 1342 147 907 462 806 696 250 897 1178 1314 1467