Kates new Sheep

[spinandslide]

I know some folks have sheep on here..wanted to share some of my new ones..
The ewe is a Dorper/Katahdin cross, 3 years old, culled because she is not a good mother..may possibly be bred, as she snuck into see the ram. We'll see. she was gotten specificaly to work Kate on.

The lamb is 3/4 dorper, 1/4 Katahdin She is AWESOME..she is the start of my small breeding herd. I have another ewe lamb coming end of Sept, who is actually out of a full sister to the Ewe above and by the same ram as the lamb.

I am now in the market for a full blood Dorper ram..Im wanting one of the black headed variety..since all my ewes are white.

Lamb is bringing OK money still, Im hoping I can make enough to suppliment their care and justify keeping them for Kate to work, and possibly some of my friends with dogs as well.

 

[bigbull338]

those are some nice looking lambs.the ewe is nice as well.you do know you can have mutton.

 

[spinandslide]

Yes sir, I sure do.

Ive never eaten much Lamb..Im sure I will start though, having these.

 

[3waycross]

those are some nice looking lambs.the ewe is nice as well.you do know you can have mutton.

I would rather eat the rear end out of a week old roadkill skunk than ever take another bite of MUTTON

Had a Navajo cure me of that taste 40 years ago. I am still cured. ;-)

Nothing against your pets Spinandslide. I just don't want to eat the old ones.

Now Lamb is a totally different story :nod:

 

[spinandslide]

dont worry 3way, ya havent hurt my feelings..

I plan to sell LAMB..not mutton..unless someone wants mutton :???:

I am researching and am seeing that there is a niche for selling lambs to some of the ethnic groups in the area. Doing more research, but that is definantly going to influence what type of ram I get..the more I learn, the more I see how raising sheep is very similar to raising cattle...or heck, any livestock.

 

[Keren]

try hogget. nice compromise in between lamb and mutton. little more flavour (not to mention larger cuts and carcass weight) than lamb but yeah ... not mutton.

why do you want a dorper ram to put over them?

 

[spinandslide]

Dorpers are "popular" down here, do well with the heat and parasites and of course, are a hair breed..I dont want to do any shearing.

Ive been told dorper lamb is extremly tasty as well. Id like to capitalize on that.

 

[KNERSIE]

You really need a quality ram judging by your pics, they hardly look like a dorper.

 

[spinandslide]

appreciate the thoughts.

the ewe is only half and does look more like a Katahdin then a dorper..dont care though, she is for working, not for breeding...

and the lamb is 3/4 dorper.. Her mother is a stellar purebred from one of the bigger dorper operations in the area.

I guess Im not seeing a lack of quality in the lamb? :???: I dont expect her to win some livestock show, but she is a good looking animal and should produce the kind of lambs that will be ideal for selling to people...plus be good for working my dog and some of the other stockdogs on.

Comparing a percentage to a fullblood might not be entirely accurate on gauging quality..Im sure you have alot of fullbloods where you live...you can definantly tell a fullblood from a percentage...at least IMO.

the ram I am looking at is a fullblood. Abit pricier then a percentage, but will add alot more dorper traits to the lambs and "improve" upon the ewes. I am not marketing breeding animals, looking more to sell for eating, but with a fullblood, their exists the possability of retaining some of his ewes to breed(while selling him in afew years)

Lots of things to consider. Lamb is holding its value pretty well...just hoping to suppliment their cost of care.

 

[chippie]

Nice looking animals. I agree with going with a full blood Dorper ram.

My oldest daughter raises sheep - Dorpers and Dorper crosses. They have about 200 ewes. Her rams are registered Dorpers from Caboose Dorpers. I don't remember where you live. She lives about 60 miles south of Amarillo (near Running Arrow Bill).

If you are interested, send me a PM and I'll give you her contact info.

ETA: you might want to band her tail. Even though she is a hair breed, the tails can get funky.

 

[spinandslide]

Chippie, I will PM you..Amarillo is about 3 hours from me.

There is a gentleman in my town who breed them, he has Riverwood breeding on his fullblood rams..am hoping to set up a time to go out and see them in person.

I was told by the lady I bought her from that banding tails is really only practical with woolies..for sanitation..

I see alot of hair breeds with cut tails, but thought it was just for looks, based on what Id been told..thoughts??

 

[Keren]

You really need a quality ram judging by your pics, they hardly look like a dorper.

:nod: :nod:

 

[spinandslide]

the ram I purchased..fullblood, approx 9 months old this month.

Thoughts are welcome on him..but he is bought, so nothing is going to change.
May be finding the older ewe a new home soon..hard keeping her away from the ram. the younger ewe is coming along nicely..I have dibs on her mother's lambs this year. I feel they will make nice percentage lambs to sell to the ethnic population around here. hoping to add some purebred dorper ewes to the herd this year as well.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Just like cattle-- stick to crossbreds for production
No need to dock the tails- they might get messy(just like cattle at times) but there is no threat of fly strikes without the wool.

You could even use a larger wool breed and just sell all the lambs (to get rid of the wool before shearing is needed).

On sheep watch the space between the front legs- narrow spaced ewes won't hold their body score thru nursing twins as well.
And when they are nursing pay close attention to worm issues. Sheep will give you a good education on worms compared to cattle.
A three pasture rotation(one time use /year) , followed by cross specie grazing or haying-- is the only way to control the worm issue long term.
Sheep are alot more sensitive to molds and they will mess up reproduction. I got caught out by using a feed with peanuts in it.

Good time to get into lambs- they are going for over $2/lb starting at 40lbs. The faster you move the lambs the better off you will be. Around here the hispanics WERE the best market. But their limit seems to be $75 and they want a big one for that. now the processors/sale barns will pay much more.

 

[spinandslide]

Thanks HJ

Everything Id read and been told, it is a good time to get into sheep. the gentleman I bought the ram from said the exact same thing on the worms as you did..I am prepared.

Ive already gotten requests from the hispanics and also some brazilians east of here to let them know when I have lambs avail to sell. Goat is big around here, but Ive been told alot of the guys want premium dollar for their goats..I need to do abit of research on that though.

Main reason I got these guys is to work my dogs on (not the ram obviously). Ive allowed some friends of mine to work them as well with their dogs.

 

[bigbull338]

he is a nice looking ram.watch him close as he could get meaner than snott.

 

[Howdyjabo]

When the dogs know what they are doing work the ram too

 

[spinandslide]

Bigbull, yep, Ive been forewarned on how nasty they can get. We already had an issue when he got out of his enclosure right after I got him (loose wire)..and he wouldnt let me catch him. I brought the braver BC out with me to hold him in a corner so I could rope the sucker. the ram rolled the BC..poor Fletcher had been working ewes, not used to a ram. didnt shake the dog up though, he just upped the ante abit and held him long enough for me to rope him.

Howdy, I was speaking with a lady who trains stockdogs last night...I told her I didnt think my other BC would make a cattledog and she says you cant pass judgement on them if they show abit of timidness...once they get confident, She likes to "challenge" the dog abit..so I imagine that is what you are getting at, in regards to working the ram? our one BC Fletcher will work the ram I imagine no problem..the other dog, Kate, is the timid-er one. Will get her confidence up before I use her on the ram.

 

[andybob]

The Wiltshire Horn is another well conformed hair breed which is good for crossing with. The Rhodesian version of the South African Dorper was the Wiltiper (Wiltshire Horn/Persian), which carries no residual wool as we have a problem with widespread awn grass.
http://www.fairmeadowsheepfarm.com/Wiltshirehorn.asp

 

[Howdyjabo]

Mostly if you work him regularly with the ewes he will be easier to handle.
That being said- Never turn your back on a ram, no matter how nice it acts
And keep your knees bent around All of them

I agree about Challenging a young dog- as long as you back it up to make sure it wins every time.
I have had some real weenies turn into power houses with experience, sadly most don't. Those that make and can hold eye contact have a good chance of eventually being able to walk confidently into pressure. If they can't hold eye contact theres not much hope for them learning to walk into pressure.