For the independent homesteader , Katahdinshave everything ! The breed was prepare in Maine during the fifties by sheep James Leonard Farmer and amateur geneticist Michael Piel , who name his new breed after the tall batch in his state : Mount Katahdin . The audacious Katahdin combinesexcellent meat productionand a rapid growth rate with vigorous reproduction , a ego - sheddinghair coatand the overall hardiness gestate of an American product . Katahdins are also a course parasite - resistant sheep breed and produce abundant meat and milk on pasture .
In the 10 years since I set out raising Katahdins , I have fallen in love with these fluffy , stubborn , sweet-flavored - tempered sheep . Their hardiness and ley - soundness are justthe qualities to urge them to beginners as well asexperienced shepherds . Smart , tough sheep that thrive on whatever happens to be growing — what ’s not to like ?
An Extraordinary Ovine
Katahdins have some great things to pop the question . They flourish on pasture alone and make outstanding use of even very rough pasturage and unimproved skimming country . They ’re the best putz we have sex for reclaim overgrown hillsides and waste fields or cleaning the understory of a forest .
They also love weeds . Goldenrod , Queen Anne ’s lace and blackberry horse-brier are all favorite forages of the Katahdin — the more stringy , the better . Even shrub and bush are food for thought for this problematic breed . So if you have pastures you want to meliorate naturally , fetch on Katahdins .
This predilection for gaga foods is a majuscule quality . In springand gloam , I graze my Katahdins in the wood , where the sheepfind and eat a broad variety of plants , nuts and fruits . I findthe more places I let my sheep scrounge , the good . Maybe itjust follow that Katahdins are also ideal for subjugate invading plant species .
Japanese knotweed , for model , an aggressive invasive in the northeasterly United States , is a favorite repast for my pot .
When it ’s youthful and tender , they run through it right down to the ground , let in sunlight to boost new and more desirable ground covers . If they graze it later on in the yr , when it can be as much as 8 groundwork in height , my set Katahdins will still bare all the leaf , stunting or killing the undesirable plants . This stock helps with farm work!Masha Dougherty
Natural Management
As hair sheep , Katahdins certainly fit shepherds who practice holistic shaving . Their short tomentum means they ground an electrical tutelage more easily than their thickly - gazump full cousin do . This is a great advantage for sheep farmers . Why ? Most folks who manage sheep with electric fencing material — a necessary for holistic rotational grazing — must use bulky netting control panel to contain their animals .
I prefer to avoid galvanizing netting for sheep . First , lamb can get entangled , and an animal subjected to repeated shock can die . second , electric gauze is a pain to move . It tangles well . A whorl of fence is bulky , grueling and cumbersome to carry and set up . And panels make the logistics of paddock move difficult and complicated .
I ’m glad my sheep can be kept in with polytwine : two strands for adult animals , three when the flock includes Elia . There is n’t a need to buy a high - powered charger , either . I often habituate a small solar energizer of only0.75 joules . The advantages of childlike equipment go beyond making the task easier . With the flexibility of light - system of weights reels and string and a solar battery charger , I can take my sheep to more berth on the farm , utilizing out - of - the - way forages and prepare hard - to - ambit area .
Masha Dougherty
The increase efficiency saves me time and money .
Holistic graze saves money in more ways than one , especially for stock such as the Katahdin . Because they ’re naturally parasite - resistant and gentle to keep in line , it ’s easy to keep these sheep healthy . Frequent moves mean they leave grazed areas before these become infested with worms , something that can be difficult to accomplish with strain not as well adapted to temporary fence systems .
No plan for holistic graze is complete without water and minerals . Fortunately , Katahdins are easy sheep to provide for .
Masha Dougherty
On pasture , sheep typically imbibe very little water . A 5 - gallon pail replenish day by day may be sufficient for 10 or more sheep . I also keep a copper - free salt occlusion always available . ( It ’s significant to avoid mineral blocks that let in copper , which can get toxic buildup in a sheep ’s liver . )
Katahdins ’ mixed forage diet provides the bulk of their mineral needs . Some dried kelp offered as an periodic treat takes care of the rest .
Katahdins are hardy beast , and except at time when the weather is extreme or the lambs are very small , the sheep do n’t require protection . Their hair coats are rainproof and provide respectable insulation .
britaseifert/Adobe Stock
Here in northerly Appalachia where I live , temperatures may drop below zero on many winter nights . But the cold is n’t a problem for my adult animals .
During the hottest summertime months , I do check that they have admittance to shade . Other than that , the infrastructure necessary for Katahdin sheep is minimum .
Breeding & Culling
As with any livestock , it makes a big deviation to protrude with strong nurture stock . I learned this the hard way ! My first Katahdins were cull animal from a neighboring farm . That was a big mistake . Although they were strong and healthy , they had mothering problems .
It took three year of uncompromising culling to establish the intelligent , reliable genetic pool I savor now . Do n’t be afraid to act out draconian selection practices . The most reliable and effective mode to avoid problems is to rule out trouble individuals .
Katahdins are friendly and tractable , making for simpleness of management and milking . This breed reward the regular handling constitutional in intensive grass management . Even rams are typicallygentle , but do n’t let them get too conversant . Anyanimal may acquit sharply if it watch you as its equal . Never waver to replace an aggressiveanimal . You want to avoid combat injury and aggressive characteristics reproduce in your tidy sum .
Katahdin lambs ripen young , ensue in early availability for gentility . Ewes can be bredat 6 months . They conceive pronto , and the rams are typically prolific throughout the yr . It come after that you could have as many as three lambings in two twelvemonth , while the Katahdin ’s tough skimming genetics make it a unspoiled mother .
Lambing problem ceased to be an take as selection amend my flock genetics . Just a hint , though : Be sure to off male lambs from the breeding mickle by 4 months of years to head off unwanted conceptions .
Although I like Ewe to lamb in the b between December and February ( a geological period of unpredictable conditions for my region ) , the relaxation of the class my peck lambs in the theatre . Katahdins seldom need assistance.britaseifert/Adobe pedigree
Natural Health
Katahdins are one the most labor - free flocks you could have . They are less prone to commondiseases , and when they are pasture on various forage , they instinctively self - medicate with native plant . This , withKatahdins ’ innate leech - ohmic resistance , eliminates the motive for toxic dewormers . On the uncommon juncture when I have seen signs of parasite infestation ( a manurey backside or distended belly ) , the issue have right themselves without intervention .
Although much of their resistance is attributable to multiply , direction is a factor , too . When animals are moved to fresh native pasture on a frequent base , as in intensive rotational grazing organization , few problems arise .
I owe my experience with sheep diseases almost exclusively to my conventional neighbors , whose always graze pastures build up soil - borne pathogens . Holistic grazing repay the employment take . I ’m reminded of the saying : “ An ounce of prevention is worth a punt of remedy . ”
Paying Their Way
Katahdins ’ emergence rate and carcass quality make them a hot commodity on the meat and breeding markets . First , losses are drastically reduce by their parasite - underground . This breed ’s fertility resultant in flock increases of an average of almost 200 percent per year . The fact that they ’re hairsheep eliminates the need to yield for shearing , andtheir ability to survive on eatage alone does awaywith the No . 1 price in most sheep operation : food grain .
For the homesteader , Katahdins ’ size of it crap these sheep cracking candidates for base processing . Two people can slaughter a average - sized ram in less than two hours . And for common people that live off - grid , the smaller carcass , consumable in a scant clip , eliminates the need for refrigeration . Plus , Katahdin meat has a full-bodied softheartedness and very mild lamb flavor , making it popular even among lamb critics .
Milk River is another reason to raise Katahdins . Ewes can develop up to 2 quarts of rich , nutrient - dense milk per day , perfect for makingrich , fragrant cheese . Milk from forage has the highest levels of phytochemicals , making itespecially healthful . And the amenable nature of this breed means they ’re naturals for dairying . Of of course , if they are used for milk , it require to be taken into story that the lambs will postulate to be call forth on artificial means .
Financially , you could start a Katahdin flockvery economically . Aside from the toll of the initial fence and breeding stock , conjure up Katahdinswon’t break the depository financial institution . In fact , they ’re die to spare you money , because they come down lawn guardianship time and costs . Grazed yr round , Katahdins utilize forage almost as well as cows , with the add welfare that they can range the same paddock multiple times in winter , since their shock is promiscuous .
I ’m thankful for that flock of reject Katahdins of 10 years ago . They teach me so much . Today , Katahdins meet such an important role on our farm that I ca n’t ideate the place without them . From low maintenance to lamb chops , pasture betterment to parasite opposition , this American stock stand out . They are truly a homestead winner .
More Information
I rarely see bottle lamb today , but when I do , I mix my own dear rule : two cups of cow ’s Milk River , an egg and a sprinkle of sugar . That ’s it !
The sugar adds energy and palatability , while the egg provide extra protein and aids digestion . Before I got my sight ’s genetic science worked out , I had a twain bottle lambs per year , and this formula always take out them through .
This clause originally seem in the July / August 2023 issue ofHobby Farmsmagazine .
Masha Dougherty live on a small farm in Toronto , Ohio . She enjoys reading philosophy and baking bread , as well as all aspects of farming , particularly caring for her pot of Katahdin sheep .
