Katahdin Breed

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Katadins have very strong maternal instincts. Research shows they are prolific, mature early and have long productive lives. They usually lamb without assistance, have ample milk for their lambs and rejection of lambs are rare.

  Katahdins have above average parasite resistance. This characteristic has tremendous impact on profitability by decreasing loss from internal parasites and decreasing dollars spent on dewormers and labor. 

 Katahdins are hair sheep and do not require shearing. 

 Ewes and rams exhibit early puberty and generally have a long productive life. Mature ewes usually have twins, occasionally producing triplets or quadruplets.

 Lambs produce a high quaility, well- muscled carcass that is naturally lean and consistently offers a very mild flavor. Lambs are comparable to other medium-sized maternal breeds in growth and cutability. 

 Katahdins have demonstrated a wide adaptability. In cold weather they grow a very thick winter coat which they shed during the warm season. Their hair coat and other adaptive characteristics allow them to tolerate heat and humidity well.

 Katahdin producers are strong supporters of The National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP). NSIP recognizes the importance of combining genetic information derived from performance records with visual assessments when selecting breeding stock for purebred and commercial flocks. 

 The long breeding season of Katahdin ewes allow lambing outside the traditional period and can provide lambs for year-round marketing to satisfy traditional, specialty ethnic, and religious market demands.