Second only to dogs, sheep were among the earliest animals to be domesticated by man. Wild sheep had long guard hairs covering a very scanty fleece. The primary importance of sheep was for meat and for their fat which served as cooking oil and, in some desert regions, fuel. In cold regions, some shepherds began to gather the wool that molted in the summer to be woven into mats or clothing. Eventually the sheep's fleece was cut off earlier in the spring before it became dirty and matted with burrs. After years of breeding for this trait, some sheep stopped molting. As the wool began proving itself useful, shepherds held back ewes with the thickest coats for reproduction and slaughtered the rest. As desirable characteristics evolved and were perpetuated through selective breeding, the beginnings of modern wool breeds became identifiable.
Although wool garments are still considered to be fashionable and of high quality, some advantages of synthetic fibers have permanently altered the world's demand for wool. Also, the extra nutrition required for wool production along with higher costs for mechanical shearing has eroded wool's profitability. At the same time, the end of government wool incentives has made a major change in the economic aspects of wool production.
If all you really want is marketable meat and an efficient forager, why grow the wool? That is precisely where Katahdins fit in.
Averages 145 to 148 days (5 months).
Rams reach sexual maturity between five and seven months and ewes between six and seven months of age. Most ewes will lamb at twelve months of age, though some breeders prefer lambing ewes the first time at one and half or two years of age.
Yearlings will have a lambing rate of about 125% and second and subsequent lambers should have a rate around 175-200%.
Ewes will remain productive for from seven to eight years with individuals known to remain productive for years longer.
A young (i.e. seven month old) ram can service about fifteen to twenty ewes. A mature ram can service between twenty and fifty ewes. Each age can service more in a confined pen and fewer in a larger pasture. A ram can service more ewes if you are not concerned with each ewe lambing within the first three weeks of the season and especially if breeding in mid to late fall .
The usual breeding season for sheep is from August to December with lambing occurring from December to May.
Many Katahdin ewes will breed throughout the year. If this quality is important to you, look for breeders who lamb out of season themselves, and they will attempt to select animals to meet that goal.
Katahdin ewes are excellent mothers, and so do not need constant management during lambing season. If lambing indoors in the winter, ewes will need minimal housing and management so lambs are not lost in the group (individual penning at lambing might be necessary). Katahdins are well-suited to outdoor pasture lambing in the spring as they easily lamb and care for their lambs, and the lambs are very vigorous at birth.
Katahdin Hair Sheep are very hardy, however, they do need some sort of shelter during cold, wet, windy or very hot weather such as a south-facing bluff, trees, etc. If these are not naturally available, then a barn or shed will be necessary.
Due to not having wool to insulate the shock, Katahdins respond quite well to high tensile, low impedance, electric fencing. Three strands, all hot, are usually sufficient for interior fences, although more strands with some "ground wires" will help with predator control. Woven wire, field fence, etc. will also hold them well.
Forage in a pasture or baled hay should be tested for protein, total digestible nutrients, and relative feed value. This forage analysis can be taken to your extension sheep specialist for advice on adequacy of nutrients. As a rule of thumb, ten percent protein is adequate for dry ewes, twelve percent for pregnant ewes, and fourteen percent for lactating ewes. Supplementing ewes with grain during late pregnancy and lactation provides them with increased energy and can prevent several deficiency diseases. Lambs have high nutritional requirements; rapidly gaining lambs need protein levels from fourteen to eighteen percent. Adult rams can maintain their weight and health with just ten percent protein and should have good energy intake before breeding season.
Because pasture type varies considerably in quality, quantity, and species mix from area to area, a flat rate of Katahdins per acre of pasture is impossible to give. However, they are similar to other sheep in that you can usually run five to seven sheep per one cow unit. Katahdins will utilize stock-piled pasture in the winter and are excellent foragers all year around. When pasture is not available, they will eat from four to five pounds of medium to good quality hay (lambs need high quality hay if no other supplement is available) per head per day. Whether you feed grain, hay, pasture or a combination of all three depends on your personal management style, farm situation and local conditions. Contact local sheep breeders for more specific information.
All sheep will need a mineral and/or salt supplement of some type. Contact your local veterinarian or feed store for information about local mineral needs. Remember, sheep (as compared to cows or goats) need lower levels of copper in their mineral as too high levels will be toxic. Therefore, a cow or goat mineral might not be appropriate for any sheep.
The need for vaccination varies according to management types and existing diseases. Sheep that spend all their time on pasture or range need fewer vaccinations; sheep in close quarters and on grain need more.
All sheep are subject to cuts and other skin breaks; it is a good idea to vaccinate all sheep annually with Tetanus toxoid. If lambs are to be raised on grain, pregnant ewes should be vaccinated with Clostridium C & D toxoid in early pregnancy and again at four to six weeks prior to lambing; vaccinate annually four to six weeks prior to lambing thereafter (the vaccine can be combined Clostridium C, D, and Tetanus). If Vibriosis and Chlamydia are present in your flock, preventative vaccines should be given. If soremouth is a problem in your area or with your other sheep, vaccination might be considered, though Katahdins usually aren't adversely affected.
Katahdins have been shown to be very resistant to foot rot. Foot trimming might be necessary if sheep are in small areas without rocks to help wear them down. Monitor their condition and trim as necessary.
The need to use antiparasite medication varies between types of management and geographical location. As a rule, the more warm and humid the climate, and the less frequently the animals are moved to new pasture, the greater the need and frequency of parasite treatment. Katahdins are highly parasite tolerant, but heavy parasite infestation will cause decreased weight gains. If you have other breeds of sheep, especially the wooled breeds, it will be more important to keep parasite populations as low as possible. The most successful way to monitor internal parasite infestation is to get fecal counts. Be sure to submit specimens that are as fresh as possible, and put thern in small plastic containers. Knowing what parasites your sheep have will enable your veterinarian to prescribe effective treatment.
Suggested medications and methods (note--some labels will not mention approval for sheep):
Past recommendations were for rotating wormers every time or every other worming, and some producers have excellent results with this method. However, some veterinarians are now recommending using one wormer until it is no longer effective then changing. Recent research has shown that greater worm kill rates are achieved by keeping sheep without food for four hours both before and after dosing with worm medication. In all cases, consult your veterinarian, and follow label directions.
Producers might consider selecting animals who do not show evidence of parasite problems and who are high-performing. Parasites will develop resistance to all chemical interventions eventually!
Katahdins are similar to other sheep in their need for protection from coyotes and other predators. Predator-proof fencing, penning the sheep at night, livestock guard dogs such as Great Pyrenees, or guard donkeys or llamas will help you protect your valuable animals. Also, recent research showed a reduction in predator loss with sheep pastured closely with cattle. In the United States, the University Extension has several fine publications to assist you in predator control as well as agents trained in trapping and educating you about ways to better protect your sheep.
Everyone involved in animal husbandry eventually has to face the task of eliminating animals from their operation. The more common reasons for culling are:
Ewes: failure to settle or lamb; poor mothering instinct; mastitis or udder problems; consistently unthrifty lambs.
Both sexes: Susceptibility to health problems, teeth too worn to eat enough; disease carrier; sterility; failure to conform to breed standards; poor (mean or flighty) disposition; poor performance as compared to peer group (lambs lag behind in rate-of-gain, despite eating comparable amounts). Some producers might utilize the National Sheep Improvement Program United States) or Record of Performance (Canada) programs (see Resources) to help with evaluation of their animals. A scales to weigh lambs as they grow is an excellent investment to help with culling.
When a new group of sheep are brought to a farm where there are existing sheep, the new sheep should be isolated for several weeks to a month to observe possible disease symptoms in the new sheep; even healthy sheep may become more susceptible to disease during the stress of relocation.
Special care must be taken when introducing a new adult ram to a farm that already has one or more adult rams. The strong territorial instinct of rams may cause them to attempt to kill the new ram. If the rams must be pastured together, they should be shut up in as small a pen as possible (where they can do little more than turn around) for three to five days until they have adjusted to the new situation. When they no longer backup and charge each other, they can be let out.
Time taken to observe and learn their behavior is rewarded with less wear and tear on both the sheep and the owner.
General sheep reference book: Sheep Industry Development Program's Sheep Production Handbook (Sheep Industry Development Program, Inc., 200 Clayton Street, Denver, Colorado 80206)
Sheep management: Contact your State University Extension Sheep Specialist, University Extension office, or state sheep producers group.
Sheep diseases: Contact your State Veterinary College Sheep Specialist or your local food animal veterinarian
Pasture development, fencing, and watering systems: Contact your State University or County Extension agent, your local regional grazing association, or the American Forage and Grassland Council, PO Box 94, Georgetown, Texas 78627.
Performance Evaluation: NSIP--address; ROP--address
Internet: Many sources of information are available including listserves. LINKS
Other Katahdin breeders: Contact individual members from the breeders list.
As you move your new flock (whether you have bought 2 or 200 head it's a flock!) onto your farm, remember that you are now part of the Katahdin Family. Two hundred breeders across North America will be glad to help you with questions, problems, marketing, and purchase of more breeding stock.
Katahdin Hair Sheep International is our umbrella organization which provides all registration services to its members. It also provides national advertising through sheep related publications as well as work with other sheep breed organizations. The annual meeting in the fall is an excellent time to network with other breeders, learn from educational seminars, and get your inspector certification.
Regional marketing groups such as ours (Midwest Katahdin Sheep Association) are being set up throughout the United States and Canada, and membership in your regional group will help develop additional markets for both your meat and breeding stock. Members pay separate dues to their regional organization in order to help promote Katahdins in their area. These dues fund exhibits at a wide variety of sheep, farm, and livestock shows and events. We have found that the best way to promote these sheep is to get people to see them, taste the meat, and hear us talk about them. Our usual exhibit includes sheep of a variety of ages, a poster including photos of sheep in a variety of conditions, handouts, business cards, brochures, and a sheet listing all the members of our regional group. Often we are able to grill lamb samples (made from meat donated by breeders) and pass them out to visitors at our booth. This perhaps shows the greatest selling point of the Katahdin, excellent quality meat!
Promotion of Katahdins helps all breeders. As more and more people want to buy breeding stock and market lambs, the market for the sheep you will raise expands also!
back to MKSA home page