Some information on the St. Croix & Katahdin Sheep
The St. Croix is a North American sheep breed that’s part of the Caribbean Hair sheep family. Hair sheep likely came from West Africa in the 1500s, brought along as a food source on slave ships. St. Croix were developed when these West African hair sheep were crossed with a few European wool-sheep breeds that were brought to the Caribbean beginning in the 1600s. The sheep proliferated as subsistence livestock and were also valued for their manure which was critical to sugar cane production. Over time, Caribbean Hair sheep became well adapted to the heat and humidity of their environment. Part of this adaptation is their hair coat, which is shed, eliminating the need for shearing. Today, there are several landrace populations within this breed family in the Caribbean. In the 1960s, Michael Piel of Maine brought a ram and two ewes of the landrace “Virgin Island White” breed to use in the development of Katahdin sheep. In 1975, Dr. Warren Foote of Utah State University imported 22 ewes and three rams from St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. Foote chose a relatively consistent group of polled, white sheep from the Virgin Islands White breed as well. Offspring of this imported group were further selected for consistency of conformation and body size, and lack of horns in both sexes, resulting in the development of the St. Croix, a standardized breed in the US. He also founded a breed registry in the 1980s.
The St. Croix is small, with ewes averaging 120 lbs. and rams 165 lbs. Their coat is smooth in the summer, but thicker in the winter when their hair is mixed with a downy undercoat which they shed in the spring/summer. When they are mature, rams can develop a lion-like mane that can reach their knees. They are known for their high fertility with ewe lambs becoming fertile at about six months of age. Ewes usually produce twins, although they may have singles, triplets, or even quadruplets, and have plenty of milk to raise them. Two lambings a year are not uncommon. Ewes are very protective of their offspring.
They are primarily a meat breed, and their meat is tender and mild in flavor. They also produce milk that can be used to make cheese. They are a slow-growing breed. St. Croix sheep are excellent foragers and very easy keepers. Their browsing ability makes them useful for land management, including mowing grass in orchards and the control of invasive pest plants. Though heat tolerant, these sheep can be raised in many parts of North America. In colder areas, they grow a heavy winter coat of wool and hair that is shed in the spring. They are a docile breed. They flock well and are a popular breed to use for training sheepdogs and for use in herding trials. They will browse and eat weeds and have been used for clearing undergrowth. The St. Croix is adapted to the heat and humidity of a tropical climate. The breed has well-documented parasite resistance, far superior to that found in most other sheep breeds. It is also flystrike and hoof rot resistant.
This combination of characteristics makes the breed an excellent choice for low input meat production. The St. Croix is increasing in numbers, and though it is still rare, the breed’s future seems promising.
The Katahdin is a breed of domestic sheep developed by breeder Michael Piel in Maine, United States. He named this new breed after Mount Katahdin - the state’s highest peak. The breed was developed during the second half of the 20th century by crossing selected St. Croix sheepfrom the Virgin Islands with various other breeds, including the Suffolk. Lambs were selected based on hair coat, meat-type conformation, high fertility, and flocking instinct.
The Katahdin sheep breed was the first in the United States to reach sheep industry standards of carcass quality. The average Katahdin ewe weight is 120 to 160 pounds and the ram's weight is 180 to 250. Most Katahdin ewes will have a 200% lamb crop. The Katahdin sheds its winter coat, so does not have to be sheared. The Katahdin's hair comes in a variety of colors, as the emphasis of the breed is on production rather than appearance. When Katahdins are crossed with wool sheep, their offspring usually have a predominantly wool coat with some hair mixed in.
The St. Croix is small, with ewes averaging 120 lbs. and rams 165 lbs. Their coat is smooth in the summer, but thicker in the winter when their hair is mixed with a downy undercoat which they shed in the spring/summer. When they are mature, rams can develop a lion-like mane that can reach their knees. They are known for their high fertility with ewe lambs becoming fertile at about six months of age. Ewes usually produce twins, although they may have singles, triplets, or even quadruplets, and have plenty of milk to raise them. Two lambings a year are not uncommon. Ewes are very protective of their offspring.
They are primarily a meat breed, and their meat is tender and mild in flavor. They also produce milk that can be used to make cheese. They are a slow-growing breed. St. Croix sheep are excellent foragers and very easy keepers. Their browsing ability makes them useful for land management, including mowing grass in orchards and the control of invasive pest plants. Though heat tolerant, these sheep can be raised in many parts of North America. In colder areas, they grow a heavy winter coat of wool and hair that is shed in the spring. They are a docile breed. They flock well and are a popular breed to use for training sheepdogs and for use in herding trials. They will browse and eat weeds and have been used for clearing undergrowth. The St. Croix is adapted to the heat and humidity of a tropical climate. The breed has well-documented parasite resistance, far superior to that found in most other sheep breeds. It is also flystrike and hoof rot resistant.
This combination of characteristics makes the breed an excellent choice for low input meat production. The St. Croix is increasing in numbers, and though it is still rare, the breed’s future seems promising.
The Katahdin is a breed of domestic sheep developed by breeder Michael Piel in Maine, United States. He named this new breed after Mount Katahdin - the state’s highest peak. The breed was developed during the second half of the 20th century by crossing selected St. Croix sheepfrom the Virgin Islands with various other breeds, including the Suffolk. Lambs were selected based on hair coat, meat-type conformation, high fertility, and flocking instinct.
The Katahdin sheep breed was the first in the United States to reach sheep industry standards of carcass quality. The average Katahdin ewe weight is 120 to 160 pounds and the ram's weight is 180 to 250. Most Katahdin ewes will have a 200% lamb crop. The Katahdin sheds its winter coat, so does not have to be sheared. The Katahdin's hair comes in a variety of colors, as the emphasis of the breed is on production rather than appearance. When Katahdins are crossed with wool sheep, their offspring usually have a predominantly wool coat with some hair mixed in.
References
- "Katahdin Sheep Breed Information". RaisingSheep.net.
- Wikipedia
- livestockconservancy.org