Donna R. Raybon
Loving the herd life
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2016
- Messages
- 379
- Reaction score
- 329
- Points
- 153
- Location
- Dandridge in eastern Tennessee
Do you have a LGD? Coyotes and neighbors dogs love killing sheep. If you plan on keeping a ram understand he is more dangerous than a bull. When I raised sheep and trialed BC all the old timers constantly drilled in that your dog be at heel if ram in the field.
Katahdin are good sheep for making it on pasture. They are calmer than most and hardy. My ewes lambed in January out of doors with it in 20s F at night. They had a good shed but rarely used it preferring out of doors. Horns are a pain, so avoid and use polled ram. Catching a horn in the eye or chin is no fun. Cull for hair coat that sheds out, too. They can have wool as long as they shed out in spring. Katahdin seem to tolerate copper better than woolies, but I still used a loose mineral mix for sheep.
Parasites are also a problem because we don't have enough sub zero weather to kill them. Flukes are about due to people bringing them in with new purchases. Start out with clean, healthy feet, quarantine new additions and do not let people track it in. Katahdin do seem to have healthier feet, but keeping it off property saves time and your back.
Read up on OPP, scrapie, Johnes, CL, soremouth, TB, brucillosis. ... The entire state of TN is clear of TB and brucillosis. But other diseases are here.
Do not buy any sheep with tails docked too short. They need enough tail to cover their butt....think of a goat's tail. I dispise how short 4H dock market lambs. Too short and they are prone to prolapse when they cough or if a ewe, go into labor.
Katahdin are good sheep for making it on pasture. They are calmer than most and hardy. My ewes lambed in January out of doors with it in 20s F at night. They had a good shed but rarely used it preferring out of doors. Horns are a pain, so avoid and use polled ram. Catching a horn in the eye or chin is no fun. Cull for hair coat that sheds out, too. They can have wool as long as they shed out in spring. Katahdin seem to tolerate copper better than woolies, but I still used a loose mineral mix for sheep.
Parasites are also a problem because we don't have enough sub zero weather to kill them. Flukes are about due to people bringing them in with new purchases. Start out with clean, healthy feet, quarantine new additions and do not let people track it in. Katahdin do seem to have healthier feet, but keeping it off property saves time and your back.
Read up on OPP, scrapie, Johnes, CL, soremouth, TB, brucillosis. ... The entire state of TN is clear of TB and brucillosis. But other diseases are here.
Do not buy any sheep with tails docked too short. They need enough tail to cover their butt....think of a goat's tail. I dispise how short 4H dock market lambs. Too short and they are prone to prolapse when they cough or if a ewe, go into labor.
