# Breed of Hair Sheep?



## mysunwolf (Jul 22, 2014)

I recently purchased a hair sheep ram for fall breeding. The farm he came from has hair and wool sheep--I was told that he was a Katahdin ram. Getting him home and getting a closer look, I'm not so sure. He looks more like a Dorper to me. He's about 7 months old. What do you think?


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## JW (Jul 22, 2014)

Looks to be a white dorper / katahdin x.  Here's a couple pic's of my katahdin ram for reference.  For a quick visual comparison.


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## goatgurl (Jul 22, 2014)

this is a photo of my yearling katahdin ram.  hope this helps.  i agree that your guy looks more like a cross.  nice guy tho


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## Parsnip (Jul 22, 2014)

The Dorper ram that has been leased out to me the past two years, I was told he didn't shed out completely until his second year, until then he had shaggy hair.
Even this year I think they trimmed the remaining chunks of wool from his shoulders.

Your ram looks like my little wooly wether I had last year, he was 3/4 Dorper 1/4 Romney


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## mysunwolf (Jul 22, 2014)

Thank you all for the photos!! goatgurl, can't see yours for some reason.

JW, I think you're absolutely right, white Dorper and Katahdin cross. That makes sense to me. How old is your ram? Parsnip, that wether looks exactly like my ram! Which then makes me wonder if he's got some wool sheep in him somewhere along the lines as well. 

This is why I love BYH, thank you for being so helpful  I feel much better knowing I'm not the only one thinking he looks like a cross.


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## JW (Jul 23, 2014)

my guy is 1.5 yrs.


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## doxiemoxie (Jul 24, 2014)

_Katadhins are not supposed to have horn plates; so should not have horns of any degree._ (real Barbadoes do not have horns either)   Dorpers DO have horn plates and may produce scurs.  With the amount of horn growth you have I suspect there is something else in the mix too.

*revision: 8/13/2014;  I checked the Katahdin standards and they do have horn plates and sometimes scurs.  Boy, the things you read on the internet! (Irony noted)*


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## goatgurl (Jul 24, 2014)

sorry the pix didn't show,  don't know why it didn't load.  i hate computers anyway!  they never do what i want.  my katadhins didn't shed completely shed out until their second summer, in fact my ram still has a little fuzz on his shoulders.  guy i got them from said that his have always done that and my ewes didn't shed out until after they lambed.  frankly i had started to worry, they are purebred but were still wooly. but they have finally shed and look so much better


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