If you plan on going into the meat production business, its important to know the difference between types of sheep meat. As a result, about 50 percent of the first generation of White Dorper cross bred sheep shed partially or mostly. We normally worm our lambs 3-4 times a summer and the ewes not at all. The phrases youll hear most often is either mutton or lamb. Just weaned 530 lambs .If we can get some weight on them worth $200+ in current market. The ancestry is believed to be of both African hair sheep and European breeds. The lambing rate is not as high as other hair 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. If I took the chance and had her bred would she be able to carry her lamb/s? He is a native of Germany and lives in the US since 1995. Hair coat becomes thick and long as cold weather sets in and the length decreases. Some general information on hair sheep is found on the next page. Dorper and Katahdin are medium size breeds. Its also possible that some pieces of wool or hair remain along the back or on the hind quarters or arm pits. Flock owners with less than 50 animals have a difficult time getting someone to shear unless they pool their animals with neighbors. The Dorpers get so quiet and even a little lazy that the dogs really have to work hard to make them move much. At that weight the fat cover did indeed get too much. Dorset sheep thrive in a wide variety of climates, and being wool-producers, they will need to be sheared annually. Ulf owns and operates White Clover Sheep Farm and breeds and raises grass-fed White Dorper sheep and Kiko goats without any grain feeding and offers breeding stock suitable for grazing. The Dorper is the fastest growing, heaviest-muscled hair sheep breed in the U.S. Dorpers do not shed as well as other hair sheep, but their carcasses are superior to any other breed of hair sheep. When comparing weights, keep in mind we live in north central Missouri. He is 8 months old. For specific questions, please contact the author. The main differences between these two breeds are the colors available, and what they can be used for. Purebred Dorper rams can reach a live-weight of 90-120 kg and ewes 50-80kg. There are without a doubt breeds that surpass White Dorper sheep in one or the other trait. Another goodproductfromhair sheep is leather. Dorper Sheep vs. Katahdin Sheep. Please indicate pricing as well. That is normal. The Dorper carcass has a good conformation and fat distribution. Dorper lambs tolerated the infection more so than Suffolk (wool) lambs when fecal egg counts were low. One in particular is more like a paint horse. This breed produces rapid-growing lambs, with most lambs being considered ready for market at 12 weeks of age. Environmental Adaptability: Well adapted to hot, dry, humid and wet conditions. They grow quickly and reach market weight early. This is a very good article to read and understand the secrets of Raising Katahdin Sheep. Katahdins are awesome and productive mothers plus they are a very hardy breed and the Dorper will put more size on the meat sheep. The Katahdin Sheep is a domestic breed developed in Maine in the United States and named after the highest peak in Maine, Mount Katahdin. Dorset lambs, like the Suffolk and Dorper, mature quickly and are market-ready earlier than many other breeds. He can be reached at 585-554-3313 or by e-mail at [email protected]. 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. An older, fat sheep is likely where the reputation of nasty mutton comes from. Weight Gain/Daily: 0.57 lbs under intensive production. Environmental Adaptability:They are adaptable to all climates. Are you interested in raising sheep for meat? We also sell breeding stock locally. You must log in or register to reply here. To appeal to ethnic buyers, it often requires a change in flock management. "Shearing the wool was tough," he recalls, but the price paid for wool nearly covered feed costs. Suffolk meat is hailed as lean and somewhat sweet, with a good muscle to fat ratio. He is a native of Germany and lives in the US since 1995. Though large in size, Hampshire sheep tend to be a docile and easy-going breed. Sheep are one of the most versatile producers when it comes to livestock animals. link to Are Llamas Dangerous? This breed averages in maturity at around 175 220 pounds. I saw that the author is from Central Missouri, which is where we live. The cross breeding results in the best of both breeds but also in the benefits of heterosis, commonly known as hybrid vigor. Our spring lambs require 4-5 pounds of dry matter forage to produce each pound of gain. It was bred from West African hair sheep and is extremely well-adapted to hot, humid conditions. What You Need To Know, link to Goats vs Sheep: Profit, Care & Behavioral Differences, Best Sheep for Wool: Top 8 Sheep Breeds for Wool. Any sheep can technically produce meat, but if youre looking to raise sheep for commercial meat production, youll want to make sure you get a good return on investment. Produce large amount of milk. The Dorper sheep has gained popularity in the last decade for meat production, with ewes reaching a weight of 170-250 pounds, and rams up to 250 pounds. Thanks for the belly shaking laugh! Katahdin Dorper The Dorper is a mutton breed of hair sheep developed in the 1930s. As mentioned earlier, the Katahdin breed has served us well. The breed was developed in the mid-1950s by crossing imported St. Croix Sheep and several other breeds, including the Suffolk Sheep. They are hardy and do well in range. The St. Croix breed is descended from the original West African hair sheep although some believe they are a cross breed of Criollo and Wiltshire White sheep. Dorper lambs have amazing growth rates when young. Dorsets commonly produce twins and even triplets. Because of their hair, they do not produce the lanolin that can lend gaminess to the meat, giving it a milder flavor. The hair sheep breeds lamb easily in the pasture and the lambs gain weight rapidly and develop to maturity quickly. My Dorper ram is not really large but he is bigger than her. And some shed one year but not totally the next for no apparent reason at all. What is the point of getting hairsheep when you end up shearing them? University of South Dakota research found it requires 250-300 pounds of dry matter forage to produce each pound of wool. Good luck! Breed is mainly free of wool and do not normally require shearing. The Katahdin breed has hair instead of wool, and that means less work, according to the couple, who raise the sheep near Perham, Minnesota. Like most of the sheep listed here, Texel lambs reach market size quickly, by 5-6 months.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'savvyfarmlife_com-leader-2','ezslot_10',109,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-savvyfarmlife_com-leader-2-0'); With an extended breeding season of nearly 5 months, Texel sheep are prolific breeders. The breed has a thick, well muscled carcass and extended period of fertility. They are seasonal breeders, conceiving in the Fall and Winter. Bosnians want 60-pound animals while Muslims often prefer 60-80 pound animals. Some general information on hair sheep is found on the next page. Of the ewe lambs exposed, 95 percent gave birth at the age of 11-13 months. Originating in South Africa, these lovable and attractive sheep tend to come with a lot more pros than cons. It is common to have ewes lambing twice per year. These breeds are called hair sheep because the coat consists of hair more like that of cattle and many goats rather than wool. "Dorper sheep are barrel-shaped with a well-muscled back end. Dries Wiese, the owner and Studbreeder, was 9 years old when his father bought him his first . Vet. The breed was created by crossing Dorset and Blackheaded Persian sheep. The Katahdin sheep breed was developed in Maine to help clear brush in powerline corridors. These lambs that I have seen are usually by percentage Dorper rams or rams of lesser quality and out of smaller ewes or lesser quality ewes. This breed was developed after 20 years of breeding and selection. 7/8th exhibit all the traits of purebreds like out-of-season breeding and even many 3/4 look like purebred and shed as well. They are attentive, protective, and make excellent mothers. Updated: Monday, February 06, 2023 02:46 PM. We both work off thefarm; therefore time is a commodity in short supply. I would say try the dorpers.. we only raise a few for there is only us out here. 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. Dorper Sheep - Sheep Breed Series 22,946 views Mar 15, 2020 417 Dislike Share The Grass-fed Homestead 75.8K subscribers Shepherdess Tess talks about her Dorper sheep breeding program and how. Docking tails is unnecessary, although you still see some old timers that dock just because they always have. Suffolk ewes reach between 180-250 pounds, while rams can top out at 350 pounds. They are excellent mothers. The Royal White produces more mea t than Katahdin sheep and Dorper sheep. Demand for Dorper breed, and specifically the black head Dorper, is experiencing an unprecedented surge here in the USA. However, they are suitable for markets requiring smaller carcass size. This market presented difficulties such as lambing in the dead of winter, having lambs large enough (especially when Passover comes early) and pooling with your neighbors to find enough lambs for a truckload. Question is this common? Lambing %: Approximately 125%, exceeding 200% with subsequent lambing. I would also be interested in bred young ewes. Originally bred for their meat, the Katahdin tends to have a wider variation of milk production - some ewes producing significantly more (or significantly less) than the average. I used to want a Dorper cross over Katahdin but finally got to see the results of this cross and was not very impressed with the results. Are Llamas Dangerous? The second reason I chose Dorper over St. Croix is desirability. If you are interested in bringing a herd of small livestock to your homestead, you will want to look into both sheep and goats. Crossing with the Dorper led tothis larger hair breed. Sheep for sale: young grass-fed butcher ram lambs (Dorper & Katahdin) If ewes are fed well, lambing rate approaches the higher end. In fact, when we have pot roast from a culled ewe I can still fool my wife into thinking we had lamb for dinner. My wife and I feel theres no best breed, but rather which breed best fits your operation. We have a dispute between the members about feeding sheep after working them. Feel free to contact the author, Ulf Kintzel, at [email protected] for further information. In our operation, that sheep breed is the Katahdin sheep. We began our Katahdin Sheep herd with non-registered sheep but have added registered Katahdin ewes to our farm. has anyone had CL in Dorper sheep one of my fav ewes has CL and we are trying to find a way to maybe stop it! The breeds of hair sheep that are of importance in Florida include Katahdin, St. Croix, American Blackbelly, and Barbados Blackbelly. If you have space to corral a few sheep, you can fill the freezer with a healthy alternative to beef and chicken. HARDINESS I am trying to locate a couple of nice ewe lambs now. Blackbellys often breed easily and well, usually birthing multiple lambs in one breeding. The Blackbelly is a smaller breed of sheep, with ewes maturing at around 100 pounds, and rams weighing on average 120 pounds. Members List; Customize Search Results Format: Quick Search: Flock ID: Member Name: Farm Name: State: Records 1 - 100 of 1770 records found matching your criteria: All Records : Page 1 of 18 Go To Page . 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. They shed their winter coats during spring and early summer. A Katahdin ewe will average between 140-180 pounds, while Dorper ewes will average 160-200 pounds. Savvyfarmlife.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. After slaughter, all thats left is hide, manure and stomach contents. 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. Most Muslims prefer intact ram lambs without tails being docked. I have a very small Dorper ewe, she is 7 months old but very small. The lighter weights are the result of hot weather reducing forage intake (occurs with all grazing animals) and lowered nutritional quality of cool-season forages. 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: For registered breeding stock, permanent wooly fibers are a no-no. Crossing these breeds with woolen breeds for efficient meat production does hold some potential. Carefully breeding only the best stock will ensure that the extreme hardiness and good mothering ability remain. (Icelandic sheep grow a double coat.) Originally publishedin sheep! Dorper sheep originated in South Africa and were the result of crossing Dorset Horn with Blackheaded Persian sheep. Origin: This breed is sometimes referred to as Barbados Blackbelly, but it is different from the polled Barbados as a result of crosses with European breeds. The Dorper is not a true hair sheep, but is included in this fact sheet because it is used in cross breeding programs involving hair sheep. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. If breeding your own sheep for sustainable meat production, you will also want to know the breeding habits of each breed, and whether the sheep produces wool or grows hair this is helpful to know when it comes to maintenance.