Dorper sheep have a distinctive appearance: black heads and white bodies. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Disposition & Mothering Ability: This breed is a bit flighty. His father Barley ( in picture behind him) is a full blooded Dorper. Two weeks later, the ewes hadnt lost any body condition. At Kettle Haven Ranch we specialize in Katahdin x Dorper crosses for exceptional market lambs and for replacement breeding stock. Parasite resistance and reproductive efficiency is very high, making the Katahdin a valued breed in the hair sheep industry. Parasitol. Lambing %: Average lambing rate is between 150 and 250%. As mentioned earlier, theres no price discount for Katahdin sheep or Dorper sheep in central Missouri. 3 year old Dorper Katahdin Ram. They also have a fat rump, short legs, and a compact body. If you consider hairsheep like White Dorpers in the future dont forget to ask the breeder about the shedding ability of their flock! ), more intense selection for increased body length and a ewe flock of around 160-175 ewes. The Dorper have a black head extending in the neck, with a white body. These breeds are called hair sheep because the coat consists of hair more like that of cattle and many goats rather than wool. It is a very hardy breed and is disease resistant. At lower latitudes (down south), summer daylight periods are shorter, the temperature higher, grass growth is slower and is lower in protein and higher fiber. Sheep will eat woody vegetation but prefer grass and weeds on the ground. For us, the Katahdin sheep breed fits our operation and our philosophy quite well. Despite its origins in a cold northern climate, the Katahdin is remarkably well-suited to warm weather living. American Blackbelly Breed is mainly free of wool and do not normally require shearing. The flavor of the market lambs is in my opinion mostly influenced by the fact that these lambs are grass-fed. The Kasteel White Dorper Stud farm lies in an arid area of the Republic of South Africa, called the Great Karoo. (Allardt) "Spike" is a 3 year old ram. Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogoh:n (the Cayuga Nation). Produce large amount of milk. Disposition & Mothering Ability: Breed is docile and calm with good flocking instinct. HARDINESS In years past, 18-30 pound lambs sold well in Chicago for Jewish Passover. link to Are Llamas Dangerous? Fencing. To avoid the coloring and spots that come along with first and second generation cross breeding with Dorper sheep, I decided to go with White Dorper sheep (WD). Its also possible that some pieces of wool or hair remain along the back or on the hind quarters or arm pits. This has nothing to do with genetics and everything to do with the latitude in which the animal lives: Things being equal, our weights will be lower than the weights of similar Katahdins raised in Canada, but higher than ones raised in Florida. 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: I forgot to ask for notification via e-mail, so I am reposting my questions. In another study conducted by Gamble and Zajac for the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA and Virginia Tech, the scientists found that St. Croix "demonstrated high levels of acquired resistance to Haemonchus contortus under conditions of experimental or natural infection." They are also well suited to survive in the arid extensive regions of South Africa. Black color covers belly, inside legs and thighs and extends up to the neck. With an annual rainfall of approximately 175mm (7 inches), the grazing is mainly scrubland with a stocking rate of 1 LSU per 32 hectare. To properly flush a ewe, she should be on an upward nutritional plane and gaining weight. What You Need To Know, link to Goats vs Sheep: Profit, Care & Behavioral Differences, Best Sheep for Wool: Top 8 Sheep Breeds for Wool. The Royal White produces more mea t than Katahdin sheep and Dorper sheep. Thanks, Noela. Thank you for stopping by, and best of luck with your farm! The Dorper is a South African breed of domestic sheep developed by crossing Dorset Horn and the Blackhead Persian sheep.The breed was created through the efforts of the South African Department of Agriculture to breed a meat sheep suitable to the more arid regions of the country. Forty-six Dorper, 46 Katahdin, and 43 St. Croix female sheep from four regions of the USA were used to evaluate responses to high heat load index (HLI) conditions. Typically, the 75 percent Dorper crosses will exhibit the Dorper coloration and conformation. They are attentive, protective, and make excellent mothers. Lambing %: Lambing rates vary from 150% to 250% with 3 lambing every 2 years not uncommon. Later on I found out that this was the faster route to accomplish shedding in the offspring. i love the dorper sheep breed! What Needle Felting Supplies Do You Use for Sculpting? Grazing animals put on weight quickly in preparation for the long winters. 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. Dorset sheep have lean and muscular carcasses, making them excellent at producing meat. The Dorper and the Katahdin were derived from very different types of hair sheep. (Icelandic sheep grow a double coat.) -. Some are calling these shedding sheep. I have no way of weighing him. May-June lambs on pasture alone (10-13percentprotein and 60-65percent DOM) will average 45 pounds. However, they all shed around the belly, legs, head, and all the other places that would otherwise prolong shearing. With a high rate of multiple births and a gentle temperament, this is a good choice for people looking to start a hair sheep business, particularly in warm climates. There was only the body fleece that needed shearing. If you have space to corral a few sheep, you can fill the freezer with a healthy alternative to beef and chicken. Kt ewes under low-input semiarid conditions of northern Mxico. Just remember that Dorpers do have multiple births.. we raise some dorpers and they start off with the first time lambing with twins then after that triplets. For registered breeding stock, permanent wooly fibers are a no-no. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'savvyfarmlife_com-leader-1','ezslot_7',106,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-savvyfarmlife_com-leader-1-0');Katahdins are a popular meat breed for sheep farmers. I have a question. Dorper lambs have amazing growth rates when young. Feeding these breeds too much grain can result in an overabundance of internal fat. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Though not year-round breeders, Tunis often breed out of season, with the occasional lamb (or two) born in late Summer / Fall. This is true for Barbados Blackbelly and St. Croix in particular, because they have not been subjected to selection for size and growth rate of the woolen breeds. Dries Wiese, the owner and Studbreeder, was 9 years old when his father bought him his first . This is a very good article to read and understand the secrets of Raising Katahdin Sheep. Also, much of the flavor ( good or bad) comes from the fat. Weight Gain/Daily: 0.57 lbs under intensive production. Lamb meat is known to be more tender and tasty. He is a native of Germany and lives in the US since 1995. The wool and hair comes mainly off in such small pieces that it is like a cow or a goat shedding you dont worry about their hair littering the pasture either. The Dorper is a good example of this interbreeding. Katahdins often breeding out of season. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'savvyfarmlife_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_9',108,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-savvyfarmlife_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0');This breed is also exceptionally hardy, able to thrive in both the cold, and the hot, humid climates in which many farmers struggle to raise sheep, making it a good choice for almost any climate in the United States. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Though size and time to mature are not the Blackbellys strongest points, there are many advantages to raising this hardy breed of sheep. Two varieties of Dorper Sheep were created: the black headed Dorper and an all white variety, the White Dorper sheep. However, in older hairsheep the flavor is still impressive due to the genetic factor. Mature Weight (Lb): Ewe = 70 -120, Ram = 110 140. This behavior causes problems with maintaining desirable trees unless protection is provided. Dorper sheep do well in warm, arid climates, but can tolerate cold as well. Have been buying in feed since the start of 2018. Manage Settings He seems pretty big to me, but since he is my first sheep, I dont know what he should weigh. How about Field Corn! Lambing %: Given an average lambing percent of 150 and 3 lambing in 2 years, Dorper will produce 2.25 lambs on an annual basis. Relative resistance of Dorper crossbred ewes to gastrointestinal nematode infection compared with St. Croix and Katahdin ewes in the southeastern United States. 2023, Countryside - All Rights Reserved, Extract Natural Dye for Wool from Goldenrod Plants, Why Teach Classes on How to Knit, Spin, Weave or Felt, Use This Sweater Mitten Pattern to Bring New Life to Old Clothes. This increases the risk of falls and injury, which can be expensive to fix. In conclusion, based on RT and RR, resilience to high HLI conditions ranked St. Croix > Katahdin > Dorper, with lowest . As you can see in picture Spike has some tiny horn buds; they have never grown . While both breeds are exceptionally popular in the US, there are some differences between the two. People converting to hair sheep breeds all notice certain things. We have just over 1200 breeding ewes & aim for around 2000 when things get better. If you combine all traits I have not found a better breed for a farming system based on pasture and direct marketing. and, as such, the data are estimates. After lambing season, most of our sheep time is spent managing our pastures so that we can provide our animals with the best quality forage possible. Lambing Interval:It ranges from 6 to 8 months. i want buy texel sheep unit so please tell how can buy it this breed. Can you advise on the availability of a good ram and 10-12 ewe lambs this Spring. At that weight there are no problems with too much fat cover whatsoever. daging domba sangat enak dan sangat kaya akan protein. Hampshire sheep can live in almost any climate, making them a hardy breed. One of the first breeds to be recognized for its commercial production, the rams can reach more than 250 lbs. As a result, the Katahdin is the most common hair sheep in America. These slaughter lambs sell comparable to pure Katahdin sheep per pound unless theyre full of cockleburs and briars. This is not a true hair sheep. Ron remembers raising wool sheep as a teenager. There were sequential 2-wk. Materials and methods This may be due to the fact that wool can hide a lot of rib bones and other defects, while with a hair sheep what you see is what you get. Theyre too small to be of commercial value. They are excellent foragers. We are currently using rams with high shedding scores, while culling heavily on production traits. After slaughter, all thats left is hide, manure and stomach contents. Farmersville. The first generation grows quite well due to the heterosis effect, but nearly always has a wool coat. I would love to get in touch with the author personally. However, if you are not intending to feed grain and if you dont intend to grow your lambs beyond 100 lbs. This means that, theoretically, a Dorper ewe can produce a lamb (or 2 or 3) every 8 months. If ewes are fed well, lambing rate approaches the higher end. Sheds coat as temperature and day length increase. Work with your states department of agriculture if youre interested in export sales. The Gayogoh:n are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. To learn more about baby sheep, check out my article Baby Sheep: What a Baby Sheep is Called & Other Fun Facts. The katahdin//dorper crosses are noticeably bigger than the pure katahdins. Looking forward to reply. We live in central NSW ( Australia ) our usual rainfall is 30 inchs, temp range from -7 deg to 45 deg C ( yes 115 F ) but over the past 3 years we have been experiencing a huge drought. Though the breed produces wool (and lanolin), it is known to have a particularly mild taste. Fact: While its true that Barbados and St. Croix are small animals (ewes 80-110 pounds), few commercial breeders raise them. Our flock is content to sleep outside in the coldest weather and will have unmelted snow on their backs like a wool animal. However, they are suitable for markets requiring smaller carcass size. The breeds of hair sheep that are of importance in Florida include Katahdin, St. Croix, American Blackbelly, and Barbados Blackbelly. Lamb comes from a sheep under the age of 1 year old. Like most of the sheep listed here, Texel lambs reach market size quickly, by 5-6 months. We find its seldom necessary to trim hooves. Hairsheep breeds such as the Barbados Blackbelly and St.Croix are largely found in these tropical areas of the world. To be successful, you must sell quality, and I stress quality animals; send anything else to slaughter. 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. Sure enough, hes been trimming hooves. Hair sheep dont bring as much on the slaughter market. They dont need to be sheared, they have a docile temperament making them easy to handle, and they are resistant to disease. Although the breed was created in the 1930s, it is still fairly new to the US. The carcass of the Cheviot tends to be plump and meaty, with just enough fat to produce a succulent meat. 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.