Katahdin/Romanov/Southdown Sheep Breeds 

History of Katahdin Hair Sheep

In the 1950"s, a man by the name of Michael Piel from the state of Maine set out to develop a breed of top-quality meat sheep.  They would reproduce prolifically, and yet require a very minimal amount of maintenance and parasite treatments; sheep that would thrive from grazing and foraging.  He was aware of several varieties of "hair sheep" that had their roots in Africa.  These sheep didn't grow wool that needed to be sheared; rather, they grew coats of thick wooly hair during the winter that naturally fell off in the spring.  Piel recognized the value of this feature, and he decided to invest in a few lambs.  He contacted a breeder living in the U.S. Virgin Islands who had been doing agricultural research with hair sheep, and it wasn't long before 3 yearling lambs were be3ing shipped all the way from St. Croix!  

After the lambs matured (2 ewes and a ram), he bred the ram with several British meat-type ewes, as well as with his 2 hair ewes, striving fo and selecting the best attributes a sheep can have; herd instinct, high fertility, motherly ability, pest resistance, and lean meat.

Piel worked for nearly 20 years to achieve his ideal hair sheep.  By the early 1970"s he established a flock of 120 ewes that he named "Katahdin Sheep", after Mt. Katahdin (the highest peak in Maine).

How many lambs do Katahdins usually have?  These sheep can have 1 to 4 lambs.  The average is 2.  Though litter size is affected by many factors including age of ewe, season of breeding, and nutrition, mature Katahdin ewes can average more than 2 lambs per lambing.

BUT are they good mothers????

Katahdin's are hardy and low maintenance.  They are a sturdy breed that thrives even on poor to mid-quality pasture.  They are Quite docile and easy to handle, they adapt well to rating pasture systems.  The can make very good mothers.

Romanov Sheep Characteristics, Uses and Orign

The Romanov sheep is a breed of domestic sheep from Russia.  It was actually originated from the Upper Volga region (northwest of Moscow) in Russia.  The name of this breed derived from the Romanov town.  These animals were first noticed outside of Russia in the 18th century.  Soon after, they were imported to Germany and then to France.  The Canandian government bouth 4 rams and 14 ewes in 1980, and they were quarantined for 5 years.  And some of the animals were brought into the United States after testing.  Currently the Romanov sheep are distributed throughout the world.  And today the breed is raised mainly for meat production.   The Romanov sheep is a medium to large sized breed of domestic sheep.  It is one of the Northern European short-tailed sheep breeds.  

These animals are usually pure black in color when they are born.  But their body color quickly changes to gray, as they grow older.  They are usually polled.   Polled means that they do not have horns.  Average live body wieght of the mature ewes vary from 40 to 50 kg.  The Romanov breed is a meat sheep breed.  It is mainly raised for meat production.  

The Romanov sheep are very hardy and strong animals.  They are well adapted to the cold inland climate and local feeding.  They mature pretty fast and reach maturity by 3-4 months of age. 

Southdown Sheep

Please contact Zach about this breed !   423-715-9647  also in Ocoee, TN 

The Southdown sheep breed is one of the most popular and oldest breeds of sheep.  The breed was originally developed in England and were brought to the United States in 1803.  Southdowns are small to average in size and feature wooly legs with faces with light points that are white to light brown in color.  Southdown are a submissive breed and are ideal for young children because they are docile, smaller in stature and easy to manage.  

Why Raise Southdowns?

A popular choice for first-time shepherds, the Southdown is one of the most common breeds for 4-H sheep projects.  They are shown slick-shorn, and this requires minimal work and preparation for young children prior to the show.  Southdown lambs mature at a quick rate and can thrive in a variety of climates.  The Southdown breed produces a valuable carcass which is light in weight and muscular. 

Southdowns are often raised for meat production and are often excellent mothers and good at caring for their young.  This breed produces medium wool fleece, but the primary focus of those raising Southdown sheep is on their meat production.  Also, very important are the bloodlines of these prize winning animals.

 NOTE:  Obviously, whomever originally put some of this information together never owned, maintained, or groomed a sheep for a show.  Nothing is easy on a farm folks!!  Please contact Zach, an expert, for more information.