Monday, March 28, 2016

For Quality Katahdin Sheep For Sale Kentucky Is The Way To Go

By Carol Anderson


Katahdin sheep were developed in the United States on Piel Farm in the state of Maine. Michael Piel, an amateur breeder was responsible for the development in the early 1950s. Piel focused on sheep even though he enjoyed raising livestock in general. Since the time of development, this breed of animals has gained popularity in the whole world and it can be found almost everywhere. As such, when one needs Katahdin sheep for sale Kentucky is the location to consider visiting because there are many specialists in the area.

Katahdin is a superior breed that anyone would like to acquire. This article presents some basic information about the breed that makes it worthwhile to acquire. The first advantage of this breed is that they are hardy animals that are low maintenance. They also adapt fast and easily to new environment and can survive in a wide range of environment with little difficulty.

Katahdin were developed partly to be a breed that does not need shearing. Piel envisioned a breed that would produce good, high quality meat while not making it mandatory for farmers to raise animals for wool at the same time. Thus, the breed produces lean, meaty carcasses that many people find good for consumption. Besides production, the animals are also raised for utility purposes.

The size of the breed is usually medium. Healthy ewes will weight as much as 160 pounds although typical ones range in weigh between 120 and 155 pounds. On the contrary, the weight of the rams ranges between 180-250 pounds. Finally, at the time of birth, most lambs will weigh approximately ten pounds on average.

Females have exceptional mothering ability. They give birth in a vigorous and alert manner and they lamb with a lot of ease. In general, ewes reach the age of puberty rather earlier and remain productive for a very long time. They are protective mothers and have plenty of milk to feed their young ones. Most ewes will give birth to twins and they may occasionally give birth to triplets or quadruplets.

Fertility of rams remain throughout the year and they are aggressive breeders. An entire flock can be serviced satisfactorily by a single ram. Most ewes conceive upon the first exposure with a ram. As such, the intervention of a farmer during mating is minimal. The management system can be pasture lambing or foragebase.

These animals have a high level of adaptability. Partly, the high adaptability is due to the places where the parents used in breeding originated. The coat grows thick and heavy during cold winter months to keep the body warm and starts to shed as winter nears an end. The coat will shed entirely before winter ends completely in preparation for warm summer months. Tolerance to humidity and heat is high because of the characteristics of the coat.

Another important benefit is tolerance to internal and external parasites. Comparison studies with other breeds show that Katahdins have higher tolerance levels to parasites, both internal and external. Thus, they need only minimal parasite treatment to survive.




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