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Management Goals for our Katahdin Flock - Simply, our goals are to select for Katahdins that are superior at producing and raising twins with good growth and meat conformation using a forage-based pasture lambing system. We plan to keep Katahdins as the breed that works for you. We use the National Sheep Improvement Program, the most accurate method available, to identify superior and balanced performance. Round Mountain Farm genetic selection is focused on ewe production traits.
The key economic trait for livestock production is reproductive efficiency. This trait can be simplified to ewes that breed every breeding season and never lose lambs. We track this trait with an indexed EPD (expected progeny difference) for lbs lamb weaned/ewe lambing (EPT or Ewe Productivity Trait). By keeping prolificacy average (2.1 lambs/ewe in Katahdins) and maximizing pounds lamb weaned, genetics are identified that have excellent survival, excellent maternal behavior, good milk and growth. Profit is in live lambs with good growth. It does not matter how heavily muscled or how big the lamb is, if the lamb is not born or does not live. Reproductive efficiency is profit.
The second trait that Round Mountain Katahdins is at the first stage of adding to selection is parasite resistance. The Katahdin breed is first sheep breed in the USA to implement an EPD for fecal egg count (FEC-EPD, parasite resistance). This trait will decrease costs, labor and lamb loss after weaning. In 2008, rams selected for the FEC-EPD and EPT (parasite resistance and lbs lamb weaned) will be available for sale.
2007 Lamb Crop: In the Fall of 2006, three sires ranked in the top 5% of the breed for lbs lamb weaned were used. These sires were bred to ewes selected for lbs lamb weaned. Many of the 2007 lambs have a stacked pedigree for lbs lamb weaned with most parents and grandparents with superior lbs lamb weaned.
Sires include
a) BUL 940. A ram bred by Steve Bull whose sire CK 022028 and maternal grandsire TJF 45, both rank in the top 5% of the breed. Good muscling and leg development. lbs lamb weaned EPD (EPT) = + 4.2 lbs.
b) RMK 402R. A ram bred on our farm. His sire, CK 9721 has daughters with excellent lamb survival. RMK 402R and his dam RMK 177M have significant parasite resistance as determined by a FEC-EPD. Moderate frame and excellent muscling. Lbs lamb weaned EPD (EPT) = +4.5 lbs. FEC-EPD = -379 eggs/gram
c) RMK 435S. A ram bred on Round Mountain Farm out of FAH 010016 who is the sire of many of our ewes. FAH 010016 is the ram with the greatest EPD accuracy in the breed for all production traits and superior at milk production, lamb survival (% weaned EPD) and EPT. The dam of RMK 435S is one of our most productive ewes. Lbs lamb weaned EPD (EPT) = + 4.3 lbs. FEC-EPD should be available in early spring 2007.
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Sale Animals -
March 2007 - 10 bred commercial Katahdin ewes. These ewes are bred by the three rams we are using for our flock that are in the top 5% of the breed for lbs lamb weaned EPD. Asking $150. These ewes and ewe lambs will lamb April 25 to May 15.
Summer 2007 - Round Mountain Katahdins will be marketing 4 registered yearling rams after shedding and grading for hair coat. These three rams are ranked in the top 5% of the breed for lbs lamb weaned EPD (EPT). They will also have FEC-EPDs available as well. Contact us for more information.
October 2007 - Marketing
The National Sheep Improvement Program results will be available at the end of September 2007. During early October, we will be selling 2007 ram and ewe lambs. Several registered ram lambs and a few ewe lambs will be available for sale. A few commercial females will be available as well.
Captions for Pictures - These pictures demonstrate our flock grazing at early ages, lambing on pasture and ewes and young lambs foraging. These are hallmarks of the Katahdin Breed and the background environment for our genetic selection.
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More In-Depth Goals:
1) Raise sheep in a forage-based, low-maintenance grazing system. Our ewes lamb on pasture and only a few pastures have access to sheds. Normally, the barn doors are locked. Most years, our animals graze 11 months of the year.
2) Market a limited percentage of our lambs as superior Katahdin Registered Breeding Stock; 50% of the our ewe lambs & 15% of the ram lambs. We market a few more lambs, yearlings and ewes as commercial stock.
3) Market meat animals and cull ewes in local direct markets. In the last six years, we have marketed 50-100 lambs per year to the local health food store, local white-linen cloth restaurants, direct to customers and at the Fayetteville Farmer’s Market. Several of our ewes have been sold as sausage, mutton chops and smoked and cured mutton legs. A high percentage of our customers tell us it is the best lamb, mutton or even the best meat they have ever had! We have marketed limited numbers of older ewes, but the rib and loin chops of 5 year old ewes are an excellent product. These meat marketing efforts have greatly increased our knowledge of producing superior meat.
4) Specific Breeding Goals; Our main breeding goals are performance concentrating on a low-maintenance productive ewe. Our five year plan is to select for ewes and rams that are balanced for all traits, average for prolificacy (2.1 lambs/litter), with good milk and growth and superior for lbs lamb weaned and parasite resistance. So, the two selection foci are lbs lamb weaned and parasite resistance. Animals are removed from the flock that are not balanced for performance, are structurally incorrect and do not have adequate muscling. We are using the National Sheep Improvement Program to assist us in selecting for superior balanced performance based on Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs). These data are processed by Dr Dave Notter at Virginia Tech in Blackstone Virginia.
5) FEC-EPD (parasite resistance) - A work in progress. Katahdin breeders received their first EPD in 2006 and should receive the 2nd years EPD in April of 2007. Our group goal to have several superior rams and ewes avaialbe by 2008 or 2009.
6) Continue in the Scrapie Flock Certification Program. We enrolled in 2/01. Our flock was certified Scrapie free in 2006. We will continue to monitor R at codon 171 of the prion gene into our flock. Selection for R will be done without compromising growth and maternal performance, and conformation. The presence of R at codon 171 confers resistance to the dominant form of Scrapie present in the USA.
7) A important part of our farm efforts include promotion of the National Sheep Improvement Program. If you are interested in performance evaluation for your flock and/or selecting for parasite resistant sires, contact Jim Morgan, 18235 Wildlife Rd, Fayetteville, AR 72701, 479-444-6075, jlmm@earthlink.net
Thank you for checking out our flock!
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Katahdin