# breed cross combos



## Hexe (Mar 8, 2007)

Soo, I was given five kathadin ewes and I am thinking about finding a date for them for the 2013 breeding season to produce market lambs. Now, if there is no Katahdin ramb to be found, what other breed could I use on them? Suffolks seem to be very popular and easy to find, but it seems to me that they're so much larger than Katahdins, would that invite lambing trouble? 

Any input and suggestion is appreciated.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Suffolk (or even Hampshire) is a very popular cross on Katahdin ewes. Dorpers also make a nice cross. Pretty much any meat breed would be a good cross...perhaps Southdowns, Texel, etc.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

How old are the ewes?


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## bknthesdle (Mar 27, 2011)

Dorper would add some meat to the Kat lambs.


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## Hexe (Mar 8, 2007)

There are two 5-year old ewes and three ewes born in spring of 2012. 
The older ewes evidently persistently produce twins/triplets, the ewe lambs have not lambed yet. They may or may not be bred to a Katahdin ram for spring 2013 lambs. 

Dorper or Texels are very hard to find. I do see Hampshires and Suffolks all the time but assumed that the Suffolk would produce a lamb that's too big for the Katahdin, kind of like using a Hereford Bull on a Dexter Cow.


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## thequeensblessing (Mar 30, 2003)

Hexe said:


> There are two 5-year old ewes and three ewes born in spring of 2012.
> The older ewes evidently persistently produce twins/triplets, the ewe lambs have not lambed yet. They may or may not be bred to a Katahdin ram for spring 2013 lambs.
> 
> Dorper or Texels are very hard to find. I do see Hampshires and Suffolks all the time but assumed that the Suffolk would produce a lamb that's too big for the Katahdin, kind of like using a Hereford Bull on a Dexter Cow.


If you're breeding for terminal quality (meat), then breeding to a wooly sheep wouldn't matter so much, but if you're considering keeping any ewes, you probably want to take the wool into consideration. Katahdin rams are actually fairly easy to find in my area on CL, however, dorper rams are less so, although they are out there now and then. When you find a good ram, move quickly.


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