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Facts About Katahdin Hair Sheep For Sale

By James Campbell


One of most important events that ever happened in human history was domestication of animals. Although, sheep were not the first animals to be domesticated by human beings, they proved to be important and that is why they were brought into the fold. There are several different breeds of sheep spread across the world. Some are exotic while others are indigenous. For instance, katahdin sheep is indigenous in Maine, United States. This is worth knowing about katahdin hair sheep for sale.

According to history, the katahdin breed of domesticated sheep has its name from the peak of Mount Katahdin. The emergence of the sheep in the US is dated in 1950. The various physical features that these animals exhibit resulted from crossbreeding several other breeds. Some of these breeds included Suffolk, Wiltshire horn, and St. Croix sheep. The selection was done based on various characteristics like high fertility, hair coat, meat type conformation and flocking instinct.

There are numerous reasons why the breed has been popular in a number of places in the world, America included. To begin with, a feature considered by commercial keepers and other individuals is the lack of need for shearing. In some locations, it costs a lot to shear yet wool costs very little. The nature of the hair coat is assumed to have been inherited from St. Croix sheep from which they descent.

According to history, the initial katahdin breeder had to bring the Wilshire Horn from England. This was aimed at improving the size and quality of their carcasses. In terms of weight, mature ewes weigh between 125 and 185 pounds. Rams, on the flip side are often bigger and weigh between 180 and 250 pounds. On average, lambs weigh 8 pounds at birth, though this is dependent on a number of factors that may result in a disparity.

Another important trait inherited from their ancestors is resistance to parasites. As such, they have higher tolerance to both external and internal parasites compared to other breeds. This means that under proper management they will need minimal parasite treatment. As a result they are not only low-cost option but also highly productive.

The rams and ewes from the breed reach puberty earlier in life than other breeds and this gives them a very long productive life. A mature ewe will normally give birth to twins, and occasionally to triplets or quadruplets. Most ewes raise lambs by themselves since they have a strong and protective motherly instinct.

Most ewes have ample milk for their lambs. Their mothering instinct is so strong that they rarely reject lambs. As for rams, they are among the most aggressive breeders. In general, they are fertile throughout the year. As such, they have the ability of settling huge numbers of ewes within the first cycle of exposure. Considering this, a flock should consistently lamb year round when the selection is done properly.

Finally, the breed is hardy. This means it may adjust to different conditions. They grow winter coats in the cold season. This offers protection against the cold. Hair coat allows them to persevere and survive in high temperature zones. They can be nurtured on pasture lambing or grass/forage management system.




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By James Campbell


One of most important events that ever happened in human history was domestication of animals. Although, sheep were not the first animals to be domesticated by human beings, they proved to be important and that is why they were brought into the fold. There are several different breeds of sheep spread across the world. Some are exotic while others are indigenous. For instance, katahdin sheep is indigenous in Maine, United States. This is worth knowing about katahdin hair sheep for sale.

According to history, the katahdin breed of domesticated sheep has its name from the peak of Mount Katahdin. The emergence of the sheep in the US is dated in 1950. The various physical features that these animals exhibit resulted from crossbreeding several other breeds. Some of these breeds included Suffolk, Wiltshire horn, and St. Croix sheep. The selection was done based on various characteristics like high fertility, hair coat, meat type conformation and flocking instinct.

There are numerous reasons why the breed has been popular in a number of places in the world, America included. To begin with, a feature considered by commercial keepers and other individuals is the lack of need for shearing. In some locations, it costs a lot to shear yet wool costs very little. The nature of the hair coat is assumed to have been inherited from St. Croix sheep from which they descent.

According to history, the initial katahdin breeder had to bring the Wilshire Horn from England. This was aimed at improving the size and quality of their carcasses. In terms of weight, mature ewes weigh between 125 and 185 pounds. Rams, on the flip side are often bigger and weigh between 180 and 250 pounds. On average, lambs weigh 8 pounds at birth, though this is dependent on a number of factors that may result in a disparity.

Another important trait inherited from their ancestors is resistance to parasites. As such, they have higher tolerance to both external and internal parasites compared to other breeds. This means that under proper management they will need minimal parasite treatment. As a result they are not only low-cost option but also highly productive.

The rams and ewes from the breed reach puberty earlier in life than other breeds and this gives them a very long productive life. A mature ewe will normally give birth to twins, and occasionally to triplets or quadruplets. Most ewes raise lambs by themselves since they have a strong and protective motherly instinct.

Most ewes have ample milk for their lambs. Their mothering instinct is so strong that they rarely reject lambs. As for rams, they are among the most aggressive breeders. In general, they are fertile throughout the year. As such, they have the ability of settling huge numbers of ewes within the first cycle of exposure. Considering this, a flock should consistently lamb year round when the selection is done properly.

Finally, the breed is hardy. This means it may adjust to different conditions. They grow winter coats in the cold season. This offers protection against the cold. Hair coat allows them to persevere and survive in high temperature zones. They can be nurtured on pasture lambing or grass/forage management system.




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