Our Katahdins
Here at Ruff Row Ranch the primary purpose for our sheep is training our dogs. Qualities we look for our good temperaments, thriftiness and hardiness along with good reproduction history. We also enjoy having a flock of many colors.
We keep only about a dozen sheep and will have a few lambs and occasional mature individuals for sale. All of our sheep will be dog broke.
We keep only about a dozen sheep and will have a few lambs and occasional mature individuals for sale. All of our sheep will be dog broke.
Why Katahdins?
Katahdin sheep are a US Breed started in the 1950's with the importation of a flock of hair sheep by the Piel Farm from the Caribbean and then crossed with their existing flock of thousands of wool sheep located in Maine. The Piel's selectively bred for hair coat, prolificacy and hardiness (traits from the Caribbean sheep) while retaining the meat conformation and fast growth rate of the wool breeds. After 20 years of this selective breeding, the Katahdin sheep emerged.
This is from the Katahdin breed standard:
"The Katahdin breed is a wooless, easy care, meat type sheep, naturally tolerant of climatic extremes and capable of high performance in a wide variety of environments. The purpose of the breed is to efficiently produce meat.
The covering of the Katahdin does not require shearing and is preferably completely free of permanent wooly fibers. The coat can be any color or pattern. Polled animals are preferred; horned and scurred individuals are recorded as such.
Katahdins are a heavy-muscled, medium-sized breed. They demonstrate adaptability by performing well in areas varying in geography, temperature, and humidity, feed and forage resources, and management systems. Ewes are easy lambers, and exhibit strong maternal instincts and good milking ability. They possess high potential for early puberty, fertility, and lamb survivability.
Lambs grow and mature rapidly to an acceptable market weight range and produce relatively lean and well muscled carcasses with a very mild flavor."
I think instead of asking Why Katahdins, we should be asking Why Not Katahdins?
For a complete list of what we have for sale along with photos please visit our Sheep for Sale page
This is from the Katahdin breed standard:
"The Katahdin breed is a wooless, easy care, meat type sheep, naturally tolerant of climatic extremes and capable of high performance in a wide variety of environments. The purpose of the breed is to efficiently produce meat.
The covering of the Katahdin does not require shearing and is preferably completely free of permanent wooly fibers. The coat can be any color or pattern. Polled animals are preferred; horned and scurred individuals are recorded as such.
Katahdins are a heavy-muscled, medium-sized breed. They demonstrate adaptability by performing well in areas varying in geography, temperature, and humidity, feed and forage resources, and management systems. Ewes are easy lambers, and exhibit strong maternal instincts and good milking ability. They possess high potential for early puberty, fertility, and lamb survivability.
Lambs grow and mature rapidly to an acceptable market weight range and produce relatively lean and well muscled carcasses with a very mild flavor."
I think instead of asking Why Katahdins, we should be asking Why Not Katahdins?
For a complete list of what we have for sale along with photos please visit our Sheep for Sale page
