It was in the late 1950s that Katahdin sheep first started to be developed. This process was started by Michael Piel from the state of Maine. The Piel Farm at the moment had several thousands of sheep and all the initial development occurred there before other breeders adopted the katahdins. From the Piel Farm, katahdins have spread widely in all the four corners of the United States. As such, when one wants Katahdin sheep for sale Kentucky should be one of the first places to consider visiting. There are several breeders in Kentucky who produce high-quality katahdins for sale to the public.
The development of the new breed was motivated by the realization of the fact that to develop the best animals for meat, some changes were needed. The change related with how selection was done so that instead of depending on wool as the main factor for selection, other factors should instead be prioritized. In his endeavor, Piel intended to combine the good characteristics in Virgin Island sheep and those in wool breeds.
Piel found the qualities he wanted in Virgin Island sheep. He wanted animals that possessed hair coat, hardiness, and prolificacy. These qualities were combined with those of wool breeds, which includes meat conformation and fast growth rate. The development kicked off by crossing Suffolk and other British breeds with hair breeds.
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.
The development of the new breed was motivated by the realization of the fact that to develop the best animals for meat, some changes were needed. The change related with how selection was done so that instead of depending on wool as the main factor for selection, other factors should instead be prioritized. In his endeavor, Piel intended to combine the good characteristics in Virgin Island sheep and those in wool breeds.
Piel found the qualities he wanted in Virgin Island sheep. He wanted animals that possessed hair coat, hardiness, and prolificacy. These qualities were combined with those of wool breeds, which includes meat conformation and fast growth rate. The development kicked off by crossing Suffolk and other British breeds with hair breeds.
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.
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