bobm
Garden Master
I agree with you, however, I find that the Dorper ( developed in S. Africa using the Dorset ram on Persian fat rumped ewe )has all of the Katahdin characteristics but outperforms it. Dorpers do shed it's wool, will eat shrubs just as readily as grasses of poorer pastures just like a goat . Unlike goats, the Dorper respects fences and will stay in their pastures. Will outproduce the Katahdin in pounds of lamb meat per year on less and poorer feed. They breed out of season too. There is a Sheep ranch just 5 miles from our home in Wash. that has over 200 Katahdins. 2 years ago, they bred 50 ewes to a Dorper ram. I visited their ranch last summer for their sheep dog trials and saw their just weaned younger lambs in 2 groups- one was straight Katahdins the other group were the Dorper x Katahdin crosses. The owners said that the last week's older Dorper crosses averaged at 10 pounds more on the same pastures as the older Katahdins and braught more $$s at auction the week before. They will replace their rams with Dorper rams for next breeding season.Here is the perfect livestock for the small holder...NY, you CAN milk these!
http://pioneerthinking.com/raisinglivestock/milking-katahdin-sheep
http://www.milkingsheep.com/sheepnews/milking-katahdin-sheep
http://www.vontassenfarm.com/Katahdin-sheep/
http://www.sabinsfarm.com/Kat.htm
I've had this breed and they are my favorite livestock of all time. Gentle, sweet, docile, good mothers, big udders, easy to handle, easy lambing, fattens up like crazy on just grass and hay, naturally disease and parasite resistant(and will stay that way if you use the right methods of raising them), lots of meat on the carcass. Best of all? No shearing! Wool just peels off in big sheets at the appropriate time and you can boil it down to remove the lanolin, which is creamy and mild in smell, good for many things.