What breed of hair sheep should we do?

[TAH]

Heel low from the GREAT WHITE NORTH:

June 11, 2016
​

This was a few days ago...may as well be winter for the white eh!


I just went from registered Jacobs (started with them in 2003 and still got me four geriatric ones...12+ years young) to registered Dorpers and two Dorper/Katahdin ewe lambs (fur spots of colour, I loved the dotty dotted piebalds...still do!).

May 3, 2016​

Stats here, the flock has been in this area here for round abouts five years already (bin here over 20 years and our maximum temperature is like 39C/102F to as low as -50C/-63F) and these Dorpers have prospered and multiplied well.

2014​

​

Note that is a minus "-" sign in front of the 37.8 C....gets colder than that by far but that be one I clicked a pic of.

So in the Dorpers, you got GREAT weight gains...

This is Duro, she's exactly six months old in this click, born January 2, 2016...she is one honkin' BIG girl...that being a good, wanted thing in meat sheep.

She has since FULLY shedded out...and lookit that bone on her...now that be a GIRL Dorper, eh!

Decent milk supply (some of the Dorper ewes fed triplets on their own this spring) and great mothers!

Melissa the Momma and D'arcy the Baby...March babe, Melissa still lets her nurse​

Dorpers have hard hooves (jest like my Jacobs), obviously they thrive in cold climates like ours (snow EVERY month of the year...yup, two inches August 2001) and have excellent parasite resistance...

In fact I need to mention a bit more about the parasite resistance of the Dorper...their leather is a premium preferred skin...because the black headed Persian was used to make the dorPER sheep (Dorset Horned - DOR)...their hides are really thick and hard for biting insects to penetrate...hides are sought after for making specialty glove leather, but hey now, don't take my word on that...here's a site that explains it way better than moi!

http://capehidetraders.yolasite.com/products.php#!



Because I have like 800 pounds of Jacob wool stored in my hay and straw barn...plus I am not the spring chook I once use to be...I wanted HAIR SHEEP that shedded out...I got to choose going for Katahdins or Dorpers and chose Dorpers. I guess I like the overall look of the Dorper structure wise. I know the Katahdins can come in all sorts of colours but the black head and white body has kinda charmed me.

I have wanted Dorpers ever since they were first imported to NA but the thousands of dollars they once were...made that just a mere fleeting thought. Now, they are much more reasonably priced and you can choose for ones that shed out thoroughly. From my research, I am starting to get the feeling that the more meaty commercial type Dorpers are the ones that don't completely shed out...but that could be a wrong theory I am forming. I have genetics from Australia and the US ... so not really an inbred flock and will be getting a ram not at all related to my current ewes. The flock is from the one you see on the TV program Heartland. I like to begin with unrelated and then close the flock up. Biosecure protocols in place here because we are a Conservation Farm that also raises lots of birdles.

I call this my view from my shoe...Aug 13 2015 - See that one pair of Black Aus Swans on the right? ​

Lookit the Mah and Pah and other siblings and make judgement on how well they shed off. You can always take your shears to what is the left of the attached wool/hair on their backs and clean them up. That one gal, Melissa, is on the huge shed and you can pluck out clumps of hair like a deers off her. I have a brush I gotta put out where they can access it (got vintage trucks fenced off where I put it in the ram pasture) that is meant for hair sheep to rub up on. Looks like a floor broom head but way more sturdy.

Good luck in your choices and I for one, would hunt hard and well for the cleanest animals you can possibly find. No OPP, Johnnes, CL or other such nasties like keds, lice, or foot rot. Try for clean beasties to begin with and that way you never get to have a really bad time with your sheeps.

Just let the fun times roll and never know the horrors you missed out on...

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

Edit - to remove "/" on quote...still learning how tah post here...sorry...

Thank you for giving such a full report on them.

There definitely know issue with the the cold. It get know where near as cold where were moving then where you are.

 

[Bossroo]

One of our neighbors owns about 35 wool type ewes and runs a Suffolk, a Black belly, and a Columbian ram with them . Last year he purchased a 7 month old Dorper ram lamb and turned him as well as the 3 other rams out with the ewes to breed. Well come lambing time 85% of the lambs were sired by the Dorper. I visited a Kahtadin breeder that has about 150 ewes . 4 years ago they purchased a Dorper ram to breed 30 of their ewes. Those lambs outgained the straight Kahtadins at market time and brought much more money as a profit. They then switched to Dorper rams and started to replace their flock with Dorper ewes.. Money as a Profit talks !!!

 

[purplequeenvt]

If I were to get into sheep, I'd get Dorper and maybe Katahdin/Dorper x.

I don't think any breed is truly hoof rot resistant.

Resistant maybe, but not proof. There are some breeds that have better feet which are then less likely to have issues leading to foot rot.

 

[micah wotring]

So, first let me say that I have never had ANY type of sheep. However, because of the ton's of research I have done one mainly these three breeds I have decided to go with the Katahdins. This is mainly because I wanted a more parasite resistant flock. Another good reason is so that you can easily tell one another apart. Also, Katahdins where developed in Main and therefore would probably be more accustomed to the climate up in Alaska. Especially compared to the others which both originated in hot places. However it would probably also depend on where you buy them from.

Somebody said on here earlier that their Dorpers survived and thrived in their super cold climate however so there is that to think about.

 

[TAH]

My dad said no Dorpers or Crosse's with them. So that being said there out of the picture. I had a 50% Katahdin cross and 75% Katahdin cross lamb and didn't like them that much. I want to do a registered stock so I have to pick a purebred. I have my heart set on the St Croix but after what people have said about them I am reconsidering. I have done a lot of research on the St Croix and they milk more than the Katahdin so then I wanted a sheep that milk a decent amount for a sheep. So I am considering having a herd of Katahdins and a herd or St Croix sheep. And plus I love the huge Maine on the St Croix rams.

 

[Mike CHS]

We have a lot of friends who have both Dorper and Katahdin and found at least on the grasses in our area, the Katahdin had the milder taste if that is a consideration for you. Both were good and the Dorper had larger cuts but either would fit for us.

 

[TAH]

We have a lot of friends who have both Dorper and Katahdin and found at least on the grasses in our area, the Katahdin had the milder taste if that is a consideration for you. Both were good and the Dorper had larger cuts but either would fit for us.

They would be used mainly for meat so that is a consideration.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

It sounds like you may have mostly made up you mind. I'm not familiar with the St. Croix breed. I've had some friends and colleagues with Dorpers. My experience lays with Katahdins.

What are your thoughts about buying the sheep? To produce and sell offspring...or to produce lambs to sell breeding stock? Or both? A lot of breeders have selected for growth. If you're producing breeding stock, I'd urge you to select high quality animals from breeders with stringent culling. Selecting growth is important, but it's not the only thing. Sometimes important attributes get lost in the selection for growth. You want strong hardy animals that withstand the rigors of harsh winters. You don't want to bring in recessive faults like vaginal prolapsing. You'll want excellent conformation because otherwise you're out there trimming the feet of an entire flock of sheep. That's no fun, that's a make work project. And of course, there's selecting for milk production, vigor of lambs, longevity of animals etc. Ask a lot of questions. Ask if their ewes are feeding twins, triplets and quads with no issues.

I have a very old registered flock of Katahdins that haven't been touched for several years. They're the culmination of our breeding program. I think the youngest is 7-8. I didn't select for just growth, I selected for everything; excellent conformation, excellent feet, multiple birthing, milk, docility, mothering ability, lamb vigor, lambing ease longevity and an overall lack of issues. Our sheep are easy keepers, friendly with great mothering ability, decent milk but not to the point of being problematic and nothing required assistance with lambing in the last years I lambed the girls. I haven't trimmed hooves since the early 2000s. I would say find a really good breeder of whatever breed you're going with. If you pick sheep from a poor breeder, you won't be in sheep very long. I don't wish that on anyone. I've seen many breeders come and go over the years.

I found weight gain to be completely acceptable with the Katahdins. We shipped lambs at approx. 95-100 pounds. We brought lambs in to be slaughtered for our own personal use at about 130-150. We purchased a purebred Suffolk ram to cross with some of the females that were not good enough to produce breeding stock (genetic faults) but really good at producing good growing lambs. The Suffolk cross lambs made it to weight exactly a month sooner than the pure Katahdin lambs...but the Suffolk cross ate like you can not believe! It worked from a management perspective (and the Suffolk cross were much easier to load) but when the cull stock was gone, I was more than happy to go back to pure Katahdin. Some of the Katahdin lambs we had butchered dressed over 50%. Katahdin carcasses that have been tracked through the slaughterhouse have graded as high/higher on the hook as regular wool/meat breeds. Katahdins tend to carry more visceral fat and still look like they need more fattening when they don't. You still feel the ribs slightly when they are perfect for slaughter.

My ewes had no issues feeding 4 lambs. I've had a ewe have triplets and she fed four. I had to select for nipples with smaller ducts...the bigger ducts (and much easier to milk ewes) were prone to mastitis.

The Katahdin females are excellent mothers. Lambs are almost too vigorous. Sometimes the lambs get up too quick and get away from mom and sometimes she wouldn't take them. The 1/2 Suffolk influence slowed the vigor down but were still tough lambs. They'd lay there and never want to get up...lol.

Katahdins are also a close flocking breed. The lambs ten to stay tighter with their mothers and the flock which mean getting into less trouble. The Suffolk cross rams spread out and got into more things. That can make a difference on lamb survivability if they have a large field where predators can sneak up.

I found that sometimes half grown lambs benefitted from a deworming. I didn't have problems with the adults and parasites...but we've also got a good amount of room for them for grazing as well.

Cold hardy...I'd say a very strong yes. I saw one ewe with a funny type, fine coat that wasn't as hardy...but she shouldn't have been kept for breeding stock anyway. Another breeder kept her. I had a first timer ewe, lamb on one of the coldest nights in January, (lamb was early) outside and the wee guy only froze a bit of his ears. Tough little guy. He was dry and jumping around in the morning. I never had a barn for the sheep, just a 3 sided calf shelter.

Regarding foot rot, I've not had foot rot at all. Even with the extremely wet conditions and flooding we've had the past 7 years or so. But when you're selecting breeding stock, ask about the sheep you're looking at and find out if they've had any cases of it. We used to have cases of foot rot in the cattle, but we've selected only non problematic replacement females and we make certain the breeder we buy our bull from doesn't experience it either. We haven't had any cases of foot rot for several years.

Before I write a book (sorry about that) I'd also suggest finding and calling the buyer or place that you'd be marketing cull stock and lambs through and ask questions about price and what sells well. The one buyer here was resistant to buying Katahdin lambs. If I would have had to market to him...I wouldn't have wasted my time.