Dautobi  Acres 

Katahdin lamb sale info

Our Spring lamb crop is due March 2021. 

Our Fall lamb crop is due October 2021.

Lambs are typically born in March and October of each year, from different ewes. Lambs are available to leave for new farms as early as 80 days of age, but can stay later if preparations need to be made for thier arrival. Lambs from 3 to 5 months of age are an easier size for loading and transporting and subsequent handling by the new owner. 

2021 Katahdin lamb prices

 Katahdin ewe lambs   -  $275.00 each (recorded at 75%)    $350.00 each (87.5 % and eligible for later registration)

Registered ewe lambs are $425 each (sold out for Spring 2021)

Our ewe lambs come from ewes selected for generations of the best mothering instincts,  lamb survival, fecundity, forage conversion and milk production. They are also docile,  easy to manage and polyestrous.  They will be recorded with KHSI.  Sire and dam tested for OPP, CL and Johne's. Closed flock.   

Our recorded ewe lambs come with recordation papers (at least 75%) with KHSI, the other 25% is commercial Katahdin.  The offspring of these lambs can be fully registered with KHSI if you are using a KHSI registered ram and submit the required documentation.  

 Katahdin ram lambs 

 75 % Recorded - $275.00 each     87.5 % and more are $375 (eligible for later registration) 

Registered ram lambs are $425 each (sold out for Spring 2021)

Our recorded ram lambs have at least 75% of their pedigree registered with KHSI, the other 25% is commericial Katahdin bred from registered.  The 87.5 and greater percentage ram lambs can be registered at 1 year of age and older, after a hair coat inspection.  The offspring of the 75% ram lambs can be further recorded or fully registered with KHSI if you are using a KHSI registered EWE and submit the required documentation.  We can hold your ram lamb until November, if needed. Our selected ram lambs are intended to pass along the genetics most folks need to produce a good crop of registered Katahdin lambs.  KHSI registered or recorded, at least QR, most are RR,  sire and dam tested for OPP, CL and Johne's. Closed flock.  Selected from outstanding ewes that produce 200% lamb crop with 99% lamb survivability. Great genetics for producing replacement ewe lambs.    Contact us for more detailed pedigree information if needed. 

Custer's thoughts - Please don't jump off that hay stack onto my back (again). 

 Our Katahdin lambs are properly weaned, started on alfalfa pellets and/or whole grains, good hay, loose mineral, pasture, vaccinated (CDT only) and de-wormed prior to pickup or delivery. They will have been recorded or registered with KHSI. Recordation allows for further grading up of their offspring to a registered status when using a registered KHSI ram and submitting the required documentation.

Lambs are from sires and dams that have tested free from ovine progressive pneumonia (OPP), Caseous lymphadenitis (CL) and Johne's disease.  Our latest test was 01/03/2020.  It is important that the sire/dam be tested vs the lamb - lambs exposed to these diseases rarely test positive due to latency.  We have used many generations of RR Katahdin rams, so our lambs are either QR or RR at Codon 171. Genetic testing available for most attributes. Blood work for out of state shipment available, if needed. Vet fees and certificates of health are extra if provided on an individual basis, we do have a whole flock exam certificate available (however this may not satisfy out of state transport requirements for all states. No inspections/certificates of health are required for in state sales).  

Baby pic of "Ruby" above.  Her 2020 ram lambs (below) look just like her ! 

Our sheep and lambs are familier with Great Pyrenees/Anatolian Shepherd livestock guardian dogs, electric cross-fencing, woven field wire perimeter fencing, sheds for shelter, trees for shade, water trough and pond drinking.

Start Clean and Stay Clean with a Bio Security Plan

Our flock has been a closed flock (for ewes) since 2001. Introduced rams are tested for CL, OPP and Johne's.  Our most recent whole flock test was January 2020 and we will continue to test a percentage of sheep each year. Our sheep stay with us for a lifetime (record 19 years), that's important as an indicator of flock heatlh.  For many diseases, like OPP and CL, the disease is rarely detectable in lambs and young sheep, testing mature sheep (that have been in your care for years) is real proof.  Our latest whole flock test was 01/03/2020 and our oldest ewes tested were 8 years of age. 

Another true test of flock health is a "passive"type that many of those shopping for sheep overlook.  You may have noticed that we also sell lamb meat.  Each time a butcher lamb is processed by the local slaughter house, the carcass is inspected by a state and/or federal meat inspector.  Our meat lambs have always passed inspection and have not been condemned for any issues, including disease. 

When lambs are sold and shipped out of Texas, some states require additional testing before allowing importation of out of state animals.  A common one is a negative test for Brucella Ovis for ram lambs of breeding age.  Our flock benefits from these types of requirements - keeping us aware of what disease issues are out there and sample testing our flock with each sale.

  We do not allow visitors to walk the pastures (only ride), barns or lambing areas. Most folks "shopping" for lambs will visit several farms or have sheep/goats at home, and can track pathogens in/out. We happily text and email current photographs, pedigrees, papers, etc to potential buyers.  

  Email - dautobiacres@yahoo.comThanks for contacting us about lambs and let us know if you have any questions.   

  

We have raised Katahdin hair sheep since 1996.  We typically have a minimum 200% lamb crop and have an excellent lamb survival rate. Our sheep are mostly grass and forage (hay) fed, so we lamb later in the year than some breeders who rely on a mostly grain fed diet.  The ewes need a lot of grass-fed nutrition that last month of pregnancy, so we wait for the Spring flush of lush pasture.  We will not lamb ewes in the freezing cold of January and Feburary and have to feed them tons of grain just to "get a jump" on the season. The dead, frozen lambs and stressed out ewes do little to  give you any bonus for lambing early, let alone the extra cost of feed !   This type of lambing is done by some breeders for two reasons - 1) They never remove the ram and just have ewes lambing whenever (no flock management) OR you are lambing for the Easter/Passover market when auction feeder lamb prices are the  highest - this is typically done by commercial breeders on a large scale, as you need to live close to a good lamb market to haul lambs there and make a profit. 

With the proper environment, these sheep flourish.  They don't ask for much compared to some livestock.  Good shelter, good diet and protection - and they do the rest. 

 There’s an old saying in the cattle industry that “stockmanship trumps genetics” – meaning there is no  "wonder" breed that will magically solve all possible production problems and/or neglect.

 Whether your looking for the perfect animal for an ag exemption, need meat for your family or just want pasture improvement, hair sheep might work for you.  Katahdins are a breed of hair sheep "made" in this country by an enterprising shepherd from Maine. They were originally a composite breed - bred from different varities of sheep to obtain specific traits needed for a meat sheep that did not need shearing.  

 Heifer Project International, an international livestock development charity, took an interest in Piel’s work and his “improved” hair sheep. Piel accompanied an HPI-sponsored shipment of his sheep to Guatemala in February 1976 and was caught in a devastating earthquake there just after the plane landed—a very stressful experience for him! HPI realized that Katahdins were well-suited to the southern U.S. and built a sizeable flock at their center in Arkansas through the 1980s based on stock from Piel Farm and Jepson’s.

Katahdin Hair Sheep International was incorporated in 1985 as a breeders’ association and registry by Piel Farm, Heifer Project, and Donald Williams. The first inspection of animals for the original registry flock book was conducted in 1986 by Stan Musgrave, an animal scientist from Maine familiar with the Piel flock. The first KHSI members were accepted in 1987, and twenty-three breeders agreed to join KHSI and register their Katahdin stock.

An important factor in obtaining breeding stock is what you plan to do with your flock.  Are you wanting great tasting meat for your family ?  Are you working herding dogs ?  Do you just want an ag exemption ?  Are you going to show sheep ?  Are you using sheep in a co-species grazing program ?  Will you sell at the commercial lamb meat auctions or as a private seller at a Farmer's Market?   How much time to you want to spend on your flock?   How much space do you have for the ewes and a separate ram pen ?  

 Visit  www.katahdins.org  for more information on this breed and download a wonderful booklet on how to care for hair sheep.  The booklet is also available in paper format for $3.00.  If your just starting out with Katahdin hair sheep, this booklet will help you separate fact from fiction.   More info on hair sheep. 



 "The breed is taking advantage of the fundamental shift in the American sheep industry caused by the decline of the wool market. This success story is an excellent illustration of the principle that breed resources are conserved so that they can be available when production goals and management systems change. In 2011, the breed association saw more than 6,500 new registrations and Katahdins graduated from The Livestock Conservancy's priority list in 2013." -The Livestock Conservancy

Katahdins are adapatable to just about any breeding and lamb production program.  The meat has an excellent flavor that brings back customers year after year.   We prefer to utilize this small ruminant in a grass and forage based program.  Our farm and our family benefit in numerous ways from shepherding.  It is hard to imagine running a small farm with any other livestock "helper".  From compost making to happily removing poison ivy, these sheep pay their way. The most important tool you need is good fencing ( to keep your sheep safe from dogs and coyotes). 

 If you desire not to be in the sheep breeding business, consider a group of wethers (castrated males) or older, non-reproductive ewes for co-species grazing and/or pasture improvement.   Co-species grazing with cattle, horses and/or poultry helps with parasite control. The maintenance aspect and nutritional demands of a non-reproductive flock is minimal.  A group of wethers (castrated male sheep) can improve a pasture by consuming "weeds", poision ivy, sunflowers, ragweed and many other plants left by cattle and horses.  They are (arguably)  the least expensive method of weed control and  most likey the least toxic.

There are grass and weeds that sheep (and goats) cannot eat, some are toxic, have stickers, thorns or razor like edges,  and some are too mature (take more energy to digest than they yield in calories). You will still need pasture management as with any other breed of livestock.  A breeder/seller of sheep should not tell you that sheep or goats will "eat anything if you make them" i.e. starve them until they eat harmful vegetation.

   Visit  www.katahdins.org  for more information on this breed and download a wonderful booklet on how to care for hair sheep.  The booklet is also available in paper format for $3.00.

  Do not buy your sheep until you  have  the following -  Good sheep/goat fencing,  a shed or barn (for shade and shelter),  water trough or pond,  feed/hay, loose mineral, a catch pen and a plan for finding and introducing a livestock guardian dog.  And TIME ! The first few weeks you spend adapting your flock to thier new home is critical. Expect months of work training your livestock guardian dog pup.  

 If you are new to shepherding, take a look at our page "Sheep Keeping Basics" for more info. It could save you money, time and heartache. 

Below - Don't wait until late in the season to find hay !  Insist on good horse quality hay, not "junk" hay.  

Gestation is 5 months.  Plan your lambs arrival by having good pasture and/or feed during the last month of gestation and first 8 weeks of lactation. Have a separate pen for your ram lamb (a wether or a second ram makes a good companion). Leaving the ram out at all times with the ewes is poor management and will lead to lots of negative issues in the future.  If you want easy to manage sheep, KEEP THE RAM SEPARATE AND BREED ON A SCHEDULE !  

Our commercial, recorded or registered Katahdins are 100% hair sheep, they are not recent upgrades from wool or Dorper sheep.  Dorper sheep are shedding sheep, not hair sheep and do not have the same parasite tolerance as true hair sheep.  Some breeders have used Suffolk, Dorper and other wool breeds to "grade up" Katahdin hair sheep to a size almost the same as wool breeds.  Katahdins are defined as a medium sized sheep, and the live weight of a mature ewe in good condition usually ranges from 125 to 185 pounds; a mature ram will weigh 180 to 250 pounds. Average birthweight of twins is about 8 pounds.    

Katahdins come in many shades/colors - left to right - white, red, white, brown ewes enjoying a fresh roll of hay.  We also have spotted/pinto/paint lambs from time to time.

 Some advice for new shepherds 

The number one killer of your sheep will most likely be 1) your "house" dog(s) running them to death,  2) improperly trained livestock guardian dog or guardian donkey "playing", 3) your neighbors dogs that are free to roam the area,  4) overfeeding grain (enterotoxemia) or overfeeding lush grass (grass tetaney), or changing their diet to fast 5) wild predators that can defeat your livestock guardian dog(s) and fence, 6) poor nutrition and lack of parasite management.  Hair sheep are hardy, if they struggle and die, you are doing something wrong ! 

 The need for good fences and a good livestock guardian cannot be emphasized enough.  Accidents can and do happen, but failing to provide for your livestocks security is no accident. 

Your sheep should be this comfortable with your livestock guardian.  If they avoid and stand away it is an indication of lack of trust.  Never let your sheep eat your dog's food - this creates aggression and chasing. 

   Visit katahdins.org for more information on Katahdin Hair Sheep. For information on all of the hair sheep breeds out there, visit http://ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/hair.htm 

Need more information on upgrading, grading up, percentages and recordation ?  Visit  www.katahdins.org Click on KHSI Forms at the top of the page and then click "Registration, Recording, &Upgrading FAQ's" to learn more about how the Katahdin breed registry works. 

 Email us for more info:   dautobiacres@yahoo.com

Picking up your sheep

A stock trailer works well.  A horse trailer (fold down ramp) is a little more difficult unless it has a center gate.  If you plan on using a "goat tote" cage in the back of a pickup, you must have some type of bedding (mat, old carpet, straw, hay, etc.)  If you are bringing extra large pet carriers/kennels, they must allow the sheep to standup and turn around.  We do not load sheep into the passenger compartment of any type vehicle or tie them in the open bed of pickups.

 Delivery

Depending on the time of year, we may offer delivery. Ask for a quote. 

Veterinary Inspection and State required Scrapie Info

 REMEMBER - any animal with a destination outside the State of Texas legally requires a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and your state may require an import permit number.   This is an additional cost to the buyer. If you are an out of state buyer, check with your state's vet office for requirements. 

The last time we asked,  the vet charges $95.00 for a scheduled farm call, $20.00 for the health certificate and $5.00 for each sheep inspected and listed on the certificate.  If your state requires specific testing beyond the basic "visual vet inspection" certificate, additional vet charges may apply. Any test that requires the drawing of blood, semen, genetic tissue, is in addition to the basic vet inspeciton and certificate.  You are welcome to call our vet or yours to check on pricing and the length of time to get results.  

All breeding age sheep are legally required to have a scrapie premise I.D. ear tag.  This tag indicates the sheep/lamb flock of origin for disease tracking purposes. This protects both buyer and seller. Only sheep going directly to slaughter or non-reproductive sheep are exempt. 

If you decide to purchase sheep from a "sketchy" situation or at a livestock auction,  we recommend you have a vet inspect them if you are new to sheep.  This will help you prevent unwanted disease and parasites from being introduced to your place or help you treat for diseases once identified.  If you obtain an animal with CL, for example, it is better to know ASAP than months later.  The same can be said for hoof rot, foot scald, Orf, pink eye, OPP, Scrapie, Brucellosis, etc. 

Lots of honest people sell animals on Craigslist and at auctions, however, these places are also dumping grounds for diseased, injured or old animals.  Sheep at auctions co-mingle with other species and are held in pens that thousands of animals used over the years. As a buyer, you should obtain the site of origin and name of previous owner,  for any livestock you buy at an auction, swap meet or Craigslist.  Ask for the farm's Texas Premise I.D. number if the stock has no ear tags.  All sheep of breedng age sold at livestock auctions are required to have state scrapie tags.  

 Custer watching the flock from a shady spot. 

 Previous year's crop of Katahdin ewe lambs, about 6 months of age.