The process of developing Katahdin sheep was started in the late 1950s by someone named Michael Piel from Maine. Piel owned a big farm called the Piel farm, which had thousands of sheep at the time. All the breeding experiments that led to the final production of the new breed of sheep were conducted on the Piel Farm with the assistance of a few other farms. Since the development, this breed has spread throughout the country. Today, when in need of Katahdin sheep for sale Kentucky is one of the best places to visit.
Piel was motivated by one single factor to develop katahdins. Piel was of the opinion that sheep selection did not need to depend on wool only as the main determining factor. He proposed the use of other criteria in the selection of animals meant for meat, breeding, and other uses. The intention was to combine good qualities in Virgin Island sheep with those in wool breeds.
Virgin Island sheep possessed hardiness, prolificacy, and hair coat that Piel wanted. So, Piel set out to combine the characteristics in Virgin Island animals with the rate of growth and meat conformation of wool breeds. The experimentation began with crossing hair breeds and other British breeds, particularly Suffolk.
The experimentation would go on for almost the next twenty years, involving breeding and selection of animals with the desired combination of traits. After these years, Piel was able to come up with a flock of ewes he named katahdins. The naming was done after Mount Katahdin in the state of Maine. To improve carcass quality and size of the animal, the Wiltshire Horn was introduced into the flock in the 1970s.
The population of katahdins countrywide and worldwide has been increased a lot from the original flock developed at the Piel Farm. The expansion is performed with careful selection for carcass quality, hair coat, and reproductive efficiency. The formation of KHSI was done in 1986. The purpose of KNSI was to register individual Katahdins, assist with marketing and promotion, encourage research and development towards betterment of the breed, and to record performance.
Registration of animals is only done after an inspection has been conducted to prove conformance with breed standards. Also, the animal must be one year of age and the breeder must also be a KNSI member. Only members of KNSI can request for inspection to have their animals registered. Animals lambed by 100 percent purebred parents usually do not need to be inspected if the parents were not born before 1/1/1998.
Katahdins have displayed certain qualities that make them superior over other breeds. For instance, according to research findings on the breed, these animals have displayed a greater level of resistance to parasites compared to other breeds. They also proved to be more heat tolerant than wool breeds.
Other qualities used in comparison include prolificacy, meat flavor, fertility factors, out-of-season breeding, carcass quality, and growth performance. The breed is celebrated worldwide for its superior meat quality and flavor.
Piel was motivated by one single factor to develop katahdins. Piel was of the opinion that sheep selection did not need to depend on wool only as the main determining factor. He proposed the use of other criteria in the selection of animals meant for meat, breeding, and other uses. The intention was to combine good qualities in Virgin Island sheep with those in wool breeds.
Virgin Island sheep possessed hardiness, prolificacy, and hair coat that Piel wanted. So, Piel set out to combine the characteristics in Virgin Island animals with the rate of growth and meat conformation of wool breeds. The experimentation began with crossing hair breeds and other British breeds, particularly Suffolk.
The experimentation would go on for almost the next twenty years, involving breeding and selection of animals with the desired combination of traits. After these years, Piel was able to come up with a flock of ewes he named katahdins. The naming was done after Mount Katahdin in the state of Maine. To improve carcass quality and size of the animal, the Wiltshire Horn was introduced into the flock in the 1970s.
The population of katahdins countrywide and worldwide has been increased a lot from the original flock developed at the Piel Farm. The expansion is performed with careful selection for carcass quality, hair coat, and reproductive efficiency. The formation of KHSI was done in 1986. The purpose of KNSI was to register individual Katahdins, assist with marketing and promotion, encourage research and development towards betterment of the breed, and to record performance.
Registration of animals is only done after an inspection has been conducted to prove conformance with breed standards. Also, the animal must be one year of age and the breeder must also be a KNSI member. Only members of KNSI can request for inspection to have their animals registered. Animals lambed by 100 percent purebred parents usually do not need to be inspected if the parents were not born before 1/1/1998.
Katahdins have displayed certain qualities that make them superior over other breeds. For instance, according to research findings on the breed, these animals have displayed a greater level of resistance to parasites compared to other breeds. They also proved to be more heat tolerant than wool breeds.
Other qualities used in comparison include prolificacy, meat flavor, fertility factors, out-of-season breeding, carcass quality, and growth performance. The breed is celebrated worldwide for its superior meat quality and flavor.
About the Author:
Get a summary of the things to keep in mind when selecting a sheep breeder and more information about Katahdin sheep for sale Kentucky area at http://www.stablerockkatahdins.com now.
No comments:
Post a Comment