Katahdin Hair Sheep - Raising a Profitable Breed of Sheep Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1: What are Katahdin Hair Sheep Chapter 2: The Katahdin Advantage Chapter 3: Selecting Katahdin Sheep for your Flock Chapter 4: Reaping the Benefits of the Katahdin Breed Closing Remarks Author Bio Introduction More than a few people would use words like ‘dumb’ and ‘stupid’ to describe sheep. Not me. I use words like ‘trusting’, ‘habitual’ and ‘profitable’. I use these words because they are what I know sheep to be. As someone who spent over twenty years as a shepherd to several hundred head of sheep, I can say in no uncertain terms that I know the potential for sheep when it comes to making your farm a profitable business. The degree of profitability, however, depends upon the quality of your sheep. And when it comes to quality, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better breed of sheep than the Katahdin. Katahdin are hair sheep; meaning they don’t have wool. So yes, if your intentions for raising sheep are for spinning, you will need to choose a wool breed known for the quality of their wool. But if it’s meat production you are after, look no further than the Katahdin.

Excerpt from Sheep-Farming in North America N o branch of animal husbandry has passed through so many serious changes in the last century as has the sheep-raising industry. Established, and for many years continued, with wool as the main oh ject, the successive changes have seemed to make the mutton side of sheep-raising more and more important. The more comprehensive books upon sheep em phasized wool-production and were largely devoted to diseases. The present volume considers the sheep as having an important place or part in intensive stock-farming. American farmers, as a rule, are not prepared to give sheep the attention they will repay, or that is necessary if the possibilities of employing them in the utilization of high-priced lands are to be realized. The range areas devoted to sheep are diminishing, and, as the industry comes to have a more stable position on general farms, the supplies and market prices may be expected to be more uniform than in the past. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Fluffy white sheep dotting green fields have been a part of the American landscape for centuries.And these days, this picture is more and more often a part of the small farms that have always been at the heart of country life.If you’ve ever envisioned sheep in your own pasture--one or two hobby animals or a full scale herd--this book is the perfect place to begin.With information on everything from particular breeds to feed requirements, fencing and general care, showing and breeding and marketing, this handy, expert guide tells you all you need to know to raise healthy sheep.Author Philip Hasheider, himself a successful farmer, offers reliable directions for getting started and going the distance.He discusses the merits of various breeds, as well as the basics of different farming methods--organic, sustainable, and conventional--and which approach best meets your needs.

Storey’s Guide to Raising Sheep is the best-selling, most trusted reference for farmers and backyard homesteaders with any size flock. The 5th edition is now updated to include full-color illustrations and photographs throughout, including a gallery of the best breed choices for both meat and fiber. With their small size and gentle dispositions, sheep are one of the easier livestock species to raise and offer varied marketing opportunities, including meat, wool, and milk. Detailed instructions and graphics lead readers through every essential procedure, including shearing, building a lambing shed, breeding and lambing, butchering, and marketing.

The objectives of this research were to determine the effects of different management practices on Katahdin hair sheep performance. For experiment 1, over 2 yr, 5, 0.4-ha pastures were allocated randomly to 1 of 2 grazing treatments: 1) Continuous; or 2) 4-cell rotation. Fifty yearling Katahdin ewes (53 +/- 0.7 kg initial BW; 3.3 +/- 0.09 initial BCS) were stratified by BW and BCS and allocated randomly to pastures in early May. Grazing d, basal cover, forage quantity or quality did not differ across treatments; however, sampling date effects were detected for forage quantity and quality. Beginning and end of breeding and final BW and FAMACHA(c) scores, ADG, total gain, end breeding and final BCS, number of lambs/ewe exposed, and lamb birth wt did not differ across treatments. Beginning of breeding BCS tended to be greater and lambing rates and frequency of multiple births were greater from continuous compared with 4-cell rotation. In experiment 2, 93 lambs (26 +/- 0.5 kg initial BW; 96 d of age) were stratified by litter, BW, sex, and age of dam and were allocated randomly to 1 of 4 treatments 1) Fenceline AM; 2) Fenceline PM; 3) Traditional AM; and 4) Traditional PM for a 14-d weaning period. Behavior was observed at 12, 24, 48, and 72 h post-weaning. Weaning weight, 14-d post-weaning weight, ADG, and total gain did not differ. Vocalizing tended to be greater from fenceline compared with traditional; however, walking rapidly, running, or lying down did not differ . A time effect was detected for vocalizing and lying down. A treatment x time interaction tendency was observed for standing. Utilizing rotational grazing with Katahdin ewes may increase lambing rates and frequency of multiples births; however, implementing alternative weaning strategies using Katahdin lambs may not increase performance and may negatively affect behavior.

Perhaps less than 10 percent of the world's sheep have hair coats instead of wool fleeces, but as an animal resource, these sheep are important far out of proportion to their numbers. Hair coats provide an advantage in the face of the heat, humidity, and other stresses of the tropics. Small in body size, early to mature, and often highly prolific,