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Katahdin sheep: The
low maintenance meat sheep
 Some of our Katahdin ewes
Katahdins are
a medium sized, lean, breed of meat sheep. They were first developed
in Maine, USA and named after Mount Katahdin.
They were originally
designed by combining the genetics of the St. Croix hair sheep, the Wiltshire
horned sheep, the Suffolk - to add size- and various other breeds
Our Katahdin sheep are Canadian
registered, and before registration, have to meet exacting breed standards
regarding conformation, lack of horns, and coat quality.
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They are fertile, lamb easily,
and make excellent mothers. They usually have twins or triplets. We
usually manage to average close to a 200 percent lamb crop per ewe.
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Katahdins shed their wool in the spring, and
so require no shearing or tail-docking. They do however, produce
enough wool for the winter to keep them warm in our cold, snowy, Canadian
climate. As they do not have to put so much of their energy
into wool
production, they are more efficient at converting food into the excellent,
lean, meat that they are famous
for.
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They are alleged to be more
parasite tolerant than other sheep breeds. This is due to the fact that
external parasites, such as keds, do not thrive well in the short hair of
the Katahdin sheep.
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Katahdins may have as much
milk as some milk sheep breeds such as Friesians - as much as 5 litres a
day, so why not try milking them?
KATAHDIN PHYSICAL FACTS
Life Span:
7 - 12 years
Reproduction rate: 120% to 220%
Gestation period: 145 - 148 days
Birth weight:
6 - 10 pounds
Weaning weight: 40 - 60 lbs
Mature weight: 150 -280 pounds
Breeding season: May have out of season lambs
Colour:
Any colour from black, brown, beige, white, paint to spotted
Coat types:
A- sheds winter coat completely
B- doesn't shed coat completely
C- retains more than 25% of winter coat.
Cholesterol Content per serving
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Katahdin meat |
44.4 mg |
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New Zealand lamb |
77.2 mg |
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Pork |
69.00 mg |
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Turkey |
72.00 mg |
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Beef |
74.00 mg |
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Chicken |
75.00 mg |
For Region 8, Ontario, sheep events and outings CONTACT
us for
details. We have everything from business meetings to trips such as farm visits
in Quebec, to an annual summer barbecue and Xmas party.
31/07/2010
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