# Why Katahdin sheep?



## LibertyWool

Not to be rude to anyone that raises them, but why do people raise Katahdin sheep instead of meat goats or other breeds of sheep. It looks like a lot of new people are looking for Katahdins. I can only assume that is because they don't want to have to shear them. I've read the breed characteristics, but I think PolyPay would be a better choice. With that said, I raise Cotswold and Romney sheep for meat. I really do like the mild flavor they produce better than some of the other breeds. Again, just trying to figure out why Katahdins seem so popular.


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## littlebitfarm

I've had goats and constantly fought to keep them in the fence, my sheep stay home with no effort on my part. I like looking at the pasture and knowing who is who, all white makes it hard to tell at a glance who is who, but with all the color and patterns I can figure it out. No shearing, because I don't want learn it or find someone for hire. Meat flavor is excellent. The ewes are good mamas and seldom need any help. I have found them to be low maintenance and easy to live with!

Kathie


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## Bearfootfarm

> but why do people raise Katahdin sheep instead of meat goats


Easier to keep and better flavor


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## thequeensblessing

I've turned to katahdin's because of their natural parasite resistance, which is very important in this day of drug resistance in sheep. I also like the fact that they don't need shearing, lamb easily and out of season, and are easy keepers. I sold my brockle face and suffolk/hampshire crosses to get into hair sheep.


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## Ross

I've had Polypay sheep and they certainly finish faster bigger and on less feed than the Katahadins my friend kept. If I was looking for a hair breed it would be a Dorper. I'm not looking.... shearing isn't that bad. Although..... I do want PB line and peoples perception of shearing could make a hair breed more marketable.... hmmmmm.


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## BobDFL

Easy keepers, parasite resistance, mild flavor, and can handle the heat and humidity here. 

None of the wool breeds do really well with our weather, and based on the local weavers around here, the local fleeces aren't really up to snuff. They tend to be brittle and hard to work with, and this problem is not just with sheep fleeces, they also find it in Alpaca and Llama fleeces as well.


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## PNP Katahdins

littlebitfarm said:


> I've had goats and constantly fought to keep them in the fence, my sheep stay home with no effort on my part. I like looking at the pasture and knowing who is who, all white makes it hard to tell at a glance who is who, but with all the color and patterns I can figure it out. No shearing, because I don't want learn it or find someone for hire. Meat flavor is excellent. The ewes are good mamas and seldom need any help. I have found them to be low maintenance and easy to live with!


Kathie, great minds think alike except we've been smart enough to stay away from goats (that's a joke, folks, but true in our case).

We also have commercial wool sheep raised for meat with a variety of ram breeds along the way for hybrid vigor. Currenty we have a Polypay and a Tamarack Prolific and have had Dorsets, Suffolk, Montadale and Hampshire in the past. Our wool flock is pretty easy care (except for that darn shearing) and fits our system well. The problems have been culled and we continue to do that every year with anyone having singles two years in a row or just being wild. We have very little in the way of parasite or foot problems with the whole flock.

The Katahdins are my project. After much research, we originally got them to provide the Border collies with a different type of sheep to train on (my excuse for something different). We really like their hardiness, lamb vigor at birth, prolificacy, parasite resistance, meat quality and eager breeding stock buyers. Oh yes, they do a lot better on grass hay and minimal grain in the winter than our woollies. So the Katahdin side of our flock has been increasing each year. The color variety is just a bonus but very attractive to many buyers. 

There are poor-quality Katahdins just like in any breed and they won't do well. I don't have any experience with other hair breeds. With the proper genetics the Katahdin can fit many production systems and conditions and do great. And they shouldn't need any shearing! Don't underestimate the attraction of "easy care" for the new shepherd, small-flock owner or homesteader.

Honestly, I don't understand why anyone would raise wool sheep when they can have hair sheep, unless they're a spinner or herding trainer, but that's just me. :rotfl:

Peg


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## Somerhill

PNP Katahdins said:


> Honestly, I don't understand why anyone would raise wool sheep when they can have hair sheep, unless they're a spinner or herding trainer, but that's just me. :rotfl:
> 
> Peg


I've got Katahdins and Bluefaced Leicesters (premium spinning quality fleece) and I could not agree with you more. Why pay someone $3.50 to shear a sheep and then sell the wool for a few pennies a pound. Plus the hassle of keeping the wool clean, getting the sheep in and keeping them dry before shearing, and the extra handling. 
Now with the BFL, I pay my shearer $2.50, and then sell the fleece for anywhere from $25-80 each - now that makes sense. 
But for the average down type fleeced breed, the wool ends up being an added expense to keeping sheep.
Lisa
http://www.somerhillfarm.com


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## LibertyWool

Thanks! Good information. I have to say I like my woolie sheep, but I do understand that the shearing does add extra work and/or expense. I wish we had someone that would shear for $2.50 a sheep around here.... Since I do it myself, I guess I do it for free, and you do get what you pay for....


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## PNP Katahdins

It isn't just about the actual shearing and low-value wool. Hair sheep should put more energy into growing meat since they don't have to grow the wool. They also tend to be more prolific and parasite-resistant than the average wool sheep, if there is such a thing. 

You have to select for the size animal you need in any flock. Some meat buyers prefer a small animal to a large one for convenience reasons, while others want the butchering costs spread out over a larger amount of meat. Efficient feed conversion really helps your bottom line.

Peg - drinking the Katahdin Kool-Aid


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## notasnowballs

Bummer... I did a Google search on handspinning and Katahdin and found this thread. I was really hoping that there would be a wool breed out there that I didn't have to shear. One could hope, anyway. LOL My brown Romney cross has kind of rough wool, and so did my Columbia, but my little Columbia lambie will have her first shearing this spring, so it will be soft, at least. Sadly, my Romney was bred to a big Columbia, so I expect to get more rough wool, but at least plenty of it. I shear Brownie twice a year, so far. She just gets made into socks and washcloths, so far. 

Somebody offered me a flock of Katahdins, so I was out looking to see if I can have any fun with their hair.


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## bergere

notasnowballs said:


> Bummer... I did a Google search on handspinning and Katahdin and found this thread. I was really hoping that there would be a wool breed out there that I didn't have to shear. One could hope, anyway. LOL My brown Romney cross has kind of rough wool, and so did my Columbia, but my little Columbia lambie will have her first shearing this spring, so it will be soft, at least. Sadly, my Romney was bred to a big Columbia, so I expect to get more rough wool, but at least plenty of it. I shear Brownie twice a year, so far. She just gets made into socks and washcloths, so far.
> 
> Somebody offered me a flock of Katahdins, so I was out looking to see if I can have any fun with their hair.


Some lines of Soay, have short but good fleece to spin. You do not have to shear them. 
You can either roo a little early prior to shedding or pick the fleece off the trees and fencing. 

I had a couple of Blue Mountain Soay wether's back when that did that. 
They were the hardest of all sheep I have had to halter train but once they were trained.... lets just say I loved having them around. 
They were bought to be buddies to my Breaknock Hill Rams.


Other wool breeds that have wool and shed are ...
Hebridean- they are primitive sheep ( have been told, they do need kelp to stay healthy)

Boreray- have pretty nice fleece for a shedder. As per a friend in the UK..
But I do not think there are any in the US.


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## wendle

notasnowballs said:


> Bummer... I did a Google search on handspinning and Katahdin and found this thread. I was really hoping that there would be a wool breed out there that I didn't have to shear. One could hope, anyway. LOL My brown Romney cross has kind of rough wool, and so did my Columbia,
> 
> Somebody offered me a flock of Katahdins, so I was out looking to see if I can have any fun with their hair.


I've had a few who get a little wooly on the back that have to be sheared. It wouldn't be good quality for spinning, but it might make a good felting project. One of mine was already matting together when I took it off. It made a great dog toy. 
I've been tossing hair vs sheep back and forth for a few years now. Some of the smaller built hair sheep don't bring as much per lb at market. The Dorper or their crosses have been doing better. Then there is the shearing. I hear in some places it's up to 5.00 per head, so in a flock of 100, that's 500.00. If it isn't a good wool breed, then you will make very little back on it. I can see where it would be worth it if your wool is very good. It might be worth a little cut in price come sale time if you don't have to pay a shearer. For vigor and parasite resistance, I am liking the katahdin/dorper cross over some of the fine wool breeds I've tried. I don't notice a difference in flavor of meat. For dog training I like to have both wool and hair sheep. The hair sheep tend to get a little too dog trained, making it less challenging for the dog.


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## hastyreply

What do you think is the difference between Katahdin/Dorper and St Croix/Dorper? The latter is what I have. The rancher I got them from likes the St Croix because the ewes will stand up to predators out on the ranch (in the Texas hill country). The dorper thickens up the lambs. I don't really eat much meat but I've had it and it was fine to me. 
This is a ewe lamb I bred that I really like. She's really grown since this picture (she's 6 months in this pic). Her dam is the white ewe behind her. The other ewe is the white ewe's twin and the dam of the next picture a 9 month old ram I sold last month. I liked him, a lot, but he was to related to my breeding flock. I would guess the lambs are F-4s.


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## wendle

hastyreply said:


> What do you think is the difference between Katahdin/Dorper and St Croix/Dorper? The latter is what I have. The rancher I got them from likes the St Croix because the ewes will stand up to predators out on the ranch (in the Texas hill country).


 I used to have a goat who would stand up to predators. I miss her. St. Croix seem to be lighter built and flightier, but pretty good on the hair coat. Good cross with the Dorper.


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## hastyreply

I had one katahdin and he was the flightlest sheep ever. The St Croix crosses have always been honest, lighter than the woollies, but not to light. I don't find they get sour either. They keep weight on little or no grain but not obsessed with grain the way the woollies are. 

It's interesting to see what people like and don't like in the different breeds.


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## plowjockey

I tried shearing sheep, once.

Once was enough, for me. 

We have two pygmy goats, that are DW's pets. As mean as the are to the kats, if I had my way, they'd be resting on the barbecue.


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## farmerDale

Interesting thread. My plan is to eventually use a Dorper ram on my kat ewes, to theoretically get the hybrid vigour, the meaty traits of the dorper. Right now I am using a kat ram, and I really enjoy them. I would be stressed out with shearing, as shearing would line right up with field work, and I also lamb in May, and so......ugh, just too many things to think about. 

We did choose kats mainly for the shearing thing, as well as the parasite resistance. They are supposed to also be a great forager. One problem I found though, is when you are seeking out a breed, they all have their attributes! Especially when you get to the home pages of some of the breed association sites. Sheesh, I am surprised a clun forest doesn't sheer itself. That a north country cheviot does not shoot coyotes. And that a Dorper does not give you fresh eggs, asparagus, and bacon bits. Point being, the breed sites talk up their breed a lot, which is understandable, but it clouds the decision and made it harder for us, IMO.


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