Looking for Katahdins - Southeast

[Mini Horses]

We all have a few of those "forever" types. . My Nubian buck will take his last breath right here! Many of my old minis have and will. It's love. Heck I have a few 6&7 yr old roosters just hanging out!

 

[Ridgetop]

BEFORE YOU BUY! This goes for all breeds and species. If you have been breeding registered animals for a while you may already know some of this.

Instead of getting breeding stock from several different breeders and combining them you should investigate the different types of Katahdins out there. I personally have White Dorpers, but have talked to a few Katahdin breeders in preparation for moving to Texas where the notorious BARBER POLE WORM is a deadly parasite.

Mike and Teresa are super knowledgeable on this parasite and have been breeding for years for a more resistant flock. They can give you a lot of information on Katahdins and breeders of parasite resistant animals.

Instead of buying animals from several different bloodlines and flocks, you should decide on body type to start with. Line breeding is the safest way for a novice to start out and be able to improve their flock. By line breeding you are getting the breeders' years of breeding experience and your lambs will be more consistent in size, shape, and quality. Line breeding is breeding animals with some of the same ancestors - grandparents, great grandparents, cousins, etc. Once you have been breeding for several years you can experiment with other bloodlines to see if they will mesh with yours. Outcrossing can be a gamble. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Genetics is an interesting study. With just a few animals, and possibly limited funds (all of us LOL) linebreeding is the safest way to enjoy breeding your first flock.

There are several different body types of Katahdins. Some Katahdins are tall and elegant looking. Some katahdins are heavier muscled, thicker sheep. Some bloodlines have lots of color, better shedding, higher parasite resistance, are easier keepers, etc . Before deciding on a specific breeder you should do some investigation into the different types out there. Why do you want to breed Katahdins? For show? For meat? For sale? Once you decide on your goals you will be better able to select the qualities that are most important for you. Those qualities will help you select the breeder, and type of Katahdin you want to buy..

Here are some upcoming shows and events where you will see a large number of different breeders of Katahdins. And Katahdin types. I think they might be fairly close to you.

July 9 -10, 2021 – Eastern Alliance for Production Katahdins Symposium and Sale – Washington County Fairgrounds – Abingdon, VA

August 5-7, 2021 – 16th Annual KHSI Katahdin Expo and Annual Meeting – Audrain County Fairgrounds – Mexico, MO

September 24, 2021 – 2021 Virginia Tech Southwest AREC Ram Test Sale and Field Day – Virginia Tech Southwest Agricultural Research & Extension Center, Glade Spring, VA

Sheep shows and sales are a lot of fun. You will meet many breeders and they will all be happy to talk to you about their sheep, their breeding goals, what they consider the best aspects of Katahdins and, in particular, THEIR Katahdins. Go the night before when exhibitors are setting up and they will have more time to talk to you about their sheep. They will be too busy during the show to discuss their stock. If you watch the judging and listen carefully to the judges comments on each animal as he places them, you can learn a huge amount about the breed as well as sheep in general.

REMEMBER THAT THE WINNERS AND THEIR BREEDERS ON THAT DAY MAY NOT BE THE WINNERS AT THE NEXT SHOW. Each judge judges on the Katahdin Standard of Perfection but each judge sees something different in each animal. A lot depends on the condition of the sheep on that day too. Mark the winners in your catalogue with the judges comments. These comment will help you understand what you are seeing in the animal, and help you to chose the best animals for your home flock.

If you can attend the auction write down the prices of each animal and later you will see large differences between what they bring. These differences are not always based on their placings in the classes but often based on the popularity of the breeders. You don't need to buy yet since you are trying to learn what you want in your flock.

Once you determine the "type" of Katahdin you like, you can talk to more breeders and buy privately.

 

[wolf]

Hello! We are going to be expanding our flock of sheep this year and would like to get some Katahdins from a couple different bloodlines. We are in upstate SC, but could travel as far as VA, NC, GA, or eastern TN to pick up lambs. Does anyone have any breeders to recommend in the southeast region?

Live in Virginia between Jame River and Monticello. Had 6 lambs this year: 1 each red, white, & black - and 3 paints/pintos 2 reds and 1 black. The paints and black are rams, the white and red are ewes. Wanna buy one, or two, or three?