Fact: In central Missouri, raising sheep for wool has been a losing proposition for a number of years. We find its seldom necessary to trim hooves. For several years weve had Romanov/Katahdin crosses. By Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius In addition to the $75- to $250-each purchase price, feeding them, housing them, and caring for them can get expensive. Myth #1: They're too small to be of commercial value. Any of the sheep breeds thats considered to be one of the true hair sheep breeds has an advantage in that cockleburs, briars, stick-tights and so forth dont become entangled. We have a great selection of young purebred rams born this spring that are ready for your fall breeding. I would love to get in touch with the author personally. The low maintenance qualities of Katahdins allow us the time to do so. What were the two breeds of sheep that she crossed? Akbash. It is bred as non-fat tailed sheep for top meat production. The Katahdin Sheep is a domestic breed developed in Maine in the United States and named after the highest peak in Maine, Mount Katahdin. The St. Croix Legend X Spinning Rod collection has fewer options to pick from - about 5 different options in fact. They usually carry their heads very upright and are an active alert breed. Since hair sheep dont have a heavy wool coat, they cant take the cold. If you're a former "wooly" producer, you As we disperse all our crossbreeds, weve found the crossbred cull ewes with a wool coat have sold for 50-75percentof what comparable weight hair ewes bring. The St. Croix sheep breed has a good taste that does not have the flavor from the lanolin that is produced by wool sheep. If you are looking for manageable, high-yield livestock to raise on limited acreage, you should seriously consider St. Croix hair sheep. If you decide to start living in St. Thomas, then you are going to be living in a U.S. territory. unavailability of shearers and then having to practically give away the In years past, 18-30 pound lambs sold well in Chicago for Jewish Passover. In this useful guide, youll discover the pros and cons of both Dorper and Katahdin sheep, alongside advice on choosing the best type for your farm or homestead. Several Polypay owners in the area worm all animals 6-8 times during the summer and still lose animals to stomach worms. United States of America. If you have a lot of visitors around your homestead, then this breed might be one that you'd want to consider. The last straw was the increasing This spring we had an overall lambing average of 1.9 lambs/ewe born with 1.7 lambs weaned. of Grants Pass. One of the first major successes was the N'Dama from West Africa, imported to St. Croix in the mid- to late 1800s. . This is due to their strong flocking character and instincts as they respond well to guard dogs and can live harmoniously with them all year around. They naturally shed their wool throughout the seasons. finally got fed up with the labor-intensiveness of my wool breeds. 509-688-5168 Ralph Jost Wild Rose St. Croix 21720 N Spotted Rd, Deer Park, Washington 99006. This characteristic is a huge benefit in terms of overall health and also in terms of annual expenses of time and medication to the shepherd. They are mainly white in color, and they have wool all over their bodies except for their bare. 228 views. Little mowing. Sure enough, hes been trimming hooves. My email is Farming Hunting Fishing Homesteading Podcast and Video Series for the Modern Homesteader. Answer (1 of 2): I was a resident of St. Thomas for four (4) years beginning in 2004. In our operation, that sheep breed is the Katahdin sheep. Fact: Katahdin sheep, at least, will thrive from hot, humid Florida to the western provinces of Canada. Hair sheep are preferred to wool sheep for meat purposes for a number of reasons: More mild-flavored meat. This year, we have purchased a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) farmshare with two goals in mind: increase the variety of vegetables in our freezer, and meet local farmers to begin the make the relationships that could possibly gain us a few mentors for our homestead journey. . Notes: Now you have a good idea of the pros and cons of both Dorper and Katahdin sheep, which one is right for your homestead? Flock owners with less than 50 animals have a difficult time getting someone to shear unless they pool their animals with neighbors. 3,600 posts. A biography of my early adulthood could be called The Consequences of the Poorly Thought Out Choices.. $ 350. St. Croix sheep are known for high fertility, and ewe lambs become fertile at about six months of age. The Dorper was developed in the 1930s by crossing a Dorset ram with a Persian ewe. The St. Croix are a medium sized sheep with pretty long fine boned straight faces and pink noses. I live in a small condo and armed by nothing but dreams and curiosity. Learn More, Questions or comments? The St. Croix are used to train working dogs and are used in sheep dog trials. wonderful pets, lawn mowers and weed eaters. RE/MAX can help! naturally longer list, and remember, this is from. A special thanks to our partner: RJS Bee Farm. We prefer using forage to produce lambs rather than wool. This combination of characteristics makes the breed an excellent choice for low input meat production. Read more and see the photo gallery here. Aside from the obvious (they taste good), they make This, alongside their easy-going dietary needs, really cut down the cost of keeping them. Their feet is black and have a black muzzle. Pro. (Lynne Vanderlinden) live in Cave Junction (extreme SW), Oregon, outside Do these ventures create a profit that make sheep a good business decision? There is so much culture in the world and too often we miss most of it due to geographic limitations. I was also told that St Croix are more. However, they have the same sweet faces and disposition of Saanen goats. When the weathers hot and the pastures are dry, their wool animals will be under a tree while the hair animals are out grazing. Usually, around 150 to 155 days but most gestation is 152 days, Usually, around 150 to 240 day but most are milked for 180 days. That is something a good monitoring plan will help with. Noise - Loud bleating, cud chewing, and even just digesting may well be audible from inside your home if your sheep are right outside. Pros: Sheep tend to be calm and affectionate (as long as you stick with female or neutered male sheep). The Meatmaster is a composite sheep breed in South Africa. Cost - Sheep aren't cheap. All things being equal 300 cows will bring in $150,000 a year. This is the first time we have Aust step out from behind the curtain of his homestead in a particularly vulnerable position: as a newbie. The Meatmaster Breeders established and developed a sheep breed as close to nature as possible and allow the . Medium sized, fine textured and alert at the sides of their head. For more on the differences, plus potential pros and cons between the breeds, read on. Purebred lambs can reach a weight of 19.9 kgs at 8 weeks old. The majority of ewe lambs are sold as registered breeding stock; the majority of ram lambs are sold for slaughter. We are in the process of installing another 10,000 feet of electric fence on 25 acres that will result in another nine paddocks. They can harbor significant worm populations, yet not suffer the same effects a wool animal would. Our spring lambs require 4-5 pounds of dry matter forage to produce each pound of gain. A common lamb on good pasture will perform better than Super Lamb on poor pasture. Which brings us to the sheep in men's underwear from . Barbados Blackbelly and St. Croix sheep. The St. Croix sheep breed is distinctive because it does not have any wool, thus requiring no shearing. I mean, Im from the suburbs. Yes, Quality: Good tanned hides have been likened to a deer skin quality. Since Missouri has more Katahdin sheep than any other state, the majority of export animals come from here. We were recently invited out by a couple who are seriously considering moving here and they wanted to know the same things. raise a lamb from birth to market weight, even though you get a better van@cavenet.com and my phone About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy wool. 503-367-8912 Caleb & Hannah . They would be for pasture management and meat. Log in. Your email address will not be published. This is a very good article to read and understand the secrets of Raising Katahdin Sheep. These sheep are broke to hot wire and being moved every 2 days. The St. Croix is a North American sheep breed that's part of the Caribbean Hair sheep family. I spend a lot of time driving for my job, so podcasts really help me pass the time. Sheep help control weeds. I have the land to run . You may be surprised to learn it's easy to train sheep. We just started raising Katahdins this year. Anyone have any experience with specific breeds? Contact a breeder in your area about St. Croix hair sheep. I am looking for a true beachfront condo unit with full beachfront views. Three groups of sheep are managed separately: 1) breeding and pregnant ewes and rams; 2) lambing and lactating ewes and lambs; and 3) growing lambs (market lambs and replacements). Sheep require a minimum . Additionally, cell phone coverage can be spotty in some remote areas of the island. Of the ewe lambs exposed, 95 percent gave birth at the age of 11-13 months. . broke, don't fix it". Having raised them since 1999, here's my honest evaluation of the St. Croix breed - While both breeds are exceptionally popular in the US, there are some differences between the two. The Team at Retire in the VI and St Croix Island Life Real Estate is comprised of a bright and fun group of folks who share a love of St Croix and a desire to help others realize their dream of establishing a home here. Passion for eating whole, fresh food. It has an entirely different purposemeat. As with any young growing animal, the weight gains of a Katahdin lamb increase as the protein and digestibility of the forage increases. A major con of living in St. Croix is the unreliable electricity and cell coverage. DOWNLOAD MY FREE Sheep Farming E-book: https://bit.ly/SheepEBOOKSt. The hair coat, which eliminates the need for shearing, is part of this adaptation. We are fortunate that buyers for the large ethnic market in St. Louis often attend sales. Wondering whether to add Dorper or Katahdin sheep to your homestead? This is down to the fantastic range of benefits they deliver. While there are far fewer cons than there are pros for keeping Dorper sheep, you do need to consider the potential downsides. this breed and its suitability for you, or if you already have them and Hi! wonderful pets, lawn mowers and weed eaters. Laurel Field 8835 S Lone Elder Rd Canby, OR 97013 503-263-6376 secretary@stcroixhairsheep.org Decision-making is an art and a science. I The sheep proliferated as subsistence livestock and were also valued for the manure critical to sugar cane production. of Grants Pass. However, if thats what you are looking for then this breed might not be for you. As mentioned earlier, the Katahdin breed has served us well. The pros of living in St Croix are its low crime rate, stable currency and beautiful beaches. Although they are one of the newest sheep breeds introduced in America, Katahdin sheep have quickly become a popular choice. Katahdin can be used for both meat and milk, whereas Dorper sheep are only good for meat production. In this article we will explore all the pros and cons of living in St Thomas. Pros and cons of Katahdin sheep. The St. Croix is a North American sheep breed thats part of the Caribbean Hair sheep family. Dorper lambs have amazing growth rates when young. The main reason this hybrid was created was for its meat, not its wool. Rather than listening to this episode and thinking wow, I should look into livestock, I urge you all to take away the larger message and ask yourself: What is ONE decision I can make to further my passion? The sheep and I (Lynne Vanderlinden) live in Cave Junction (extreme SW), Oregon, outside of Grants Pass. Over time, "so so" infertile fields can become fairly rich. There are a lot of advantages to keeping Dorper sheep in the US. We are interested purchasing Katahdin sheep and found this article very helpful. These rods also cost right around $450 - and are Elite St. Croix Fishing Rods. If you'd care to discuss Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Do the numbers add up in favor of sheep?Find out on Part 1 of this FIRST serialized episode of Homesteady! Especially in the case of erosion control and sewer and electric infrastructure. Other than a few lambs for Hispanic weddings, we sell our slaughter animals through the local auction barn. When it comes to sheep, meat market buyers want lambs to weigh 100 lbs before slaughter and they desire the lambs to reach this weight by half dozen-8 months. Due to "con" number These are the toughest sheep you will find anywhere in the US. Fact: While it's true that Barbados and St. Croix are small animals (ewes 80-110 pounds), few commercial breeders raise them. 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