Katahdin sheep were developed during the 1950’s in Abbott Maine by Michael Piel, a sheep enthusiast and amateur geneticist. His goal was to develop an adaptable meat sheep to graze power lines, that would not require shearing. He began his experiments by crossing the hardy, prolific, hair sheep St. Croix with fast growing wooled meat breeds like Suffolks. After 20 years of crossing, he selected 120 ewes he named Katahdin, after Maine’s Mt. Katahdin. In 2009, Katahdin sheep had grown in popularity and are now one of the largest registry in North America. Katahdin sheep require no shearing, tail docking and finish well on grass, making them a perfect choice for meat production. We focus our breeding program on rate of gain for our lambs and excellent mothering ability using EPD data from the National Sheep Improvement Program. For more information see: www.khsi.org
Katahdin Sheep Advantage
Suffolk Sheep Advantage
Suffolk sheep originated in England in the early 1800's and were imported into the USA in 1888. Suffolks became the standard for most western sheep operations. They are know as a terminal sire breed due to their quick growth rates, well muscled carcasses and influence in cross breeding programs to produce lamb. Our Suffolk sheep are primarily raised for 4H Market Lambs and programs. For more information see: www.u-s-s-a.org
