Katahdins are a hair sheep breed developed in Maine and named for Mt. Katahdin in that state.  Michael Piel developed them on his farm, beginning in 1957 by crossing African hair sheep with a variety of breeds, including Wiltshire Horn Sheep, Tunis, Southdown, Hampshire, and Suffolk.
   We bought our Katahdins from a neighbor who raises them for their meat and to use while training competition border collies.  Most of our sheep come out of the late Mississippi State University flock and handle our hills and hollers well.  They will eat many weeds that cattle and horses do not touch and provide us with delicious, mild lamb.
    Every animal poses a unique challenge to the farmer and sheep are no exception.  If you're considering sheep, you'll need to know two things.
    First, sheep require good fencing; barbed wire will not contain them.  Field fencing, or woven wire fencing works well.  There are many people that use electric strand and woven electric fencing successfully with sheep, but let the buyer beware--this is difficult.  It is definitely not impossible, but due to their thick coats, sheep require adequate training before the can be contained with electric fencing.
    Second, sheep require worm management on a much more intensive scale than do cattle or horses.  It has been said that you  know you've got worm problems in your flock when sheep start dropping and that's not far from the truth.  We utilise pasture rotation, Diatomaceous Earth, FAMACHA testing, and basic pH to control worms in our flock.  Commercial wormers just won't cut it, due to parasite resistance.
    If your're interested in sheep, though, don't let this dissuade you.  There are few things in this world that are purer in their fragility than newborn lambs.  And it's hard to match the beauty of those same lambs floating in the air as the dance along with the flock.
    We sell unregistered breeding stock and lambs for meat.  If your're interested in either, drop us an email anytime.