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New Member
 
Group: Banned Members
Last Login: 5/4/2011 6:10:12 PM
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I'm scoping sheep breeds, I've narrowed it down to these three - Ile de France, Black Welsh Mountain, and California Red. Has anyone had any experience with these three?
Also, as a side note, how hard would it be to manage more than one breed of sheep__________________________
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Advanced Member
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Last Login: 5/18/2012 7:15:44 AM
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| Don't know about sheep, but with cattle having two different breeds isn't that hard as long as you have enough room on your place.
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 2/21/2012 7:40:35 AM
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| I'm a 20+year California Red Sheep breeder. They are very easy keepers, easy lambers and great mothers. We recently conducted a survey of our breeders to find out 1) What attracted you to the breed and 2) why have you stayed with the breed? The answer to the first question was overwhelmingly...the color and attractiveness of the breed. The overwhelming answer to the second question was their personality and easy handling. I have tried having two breeds and I think it is very workable as long as you have good fences to keep your rams dancing with the right partners. Other than that, good organized records are the key and there are lots of good reasonably priced ranch management programs out there. The only reason we gave up on a second breed is that we chose the wrong second breed...at least the individuals that we had could not handle the extreme heat of our summers here in New Mexico. CA Reds have no problem with extremes of hot or cold.
Lyn Shear Perfection Ranch
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Starting Member
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Last Login: 6/25/2011 10:07:50 AM
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I am not sure if you have decided or not yet but I wanted to let you know, I am new to the whole sheep thing as well I have 2 5 month old katahdins and they are amazing. Igot them in March and I don't think I could have chosen a better breed. They are hair sheep so they do not require shearing. I am in it for the meat, and they are meaty!! But they come when called they are very personable. My ewe is attached to my hip she sees me and runs right to me. They love foilage and grass and only require grain in the winter. I do feed them about a cup each through the day if I do not turn them out to the pasture.
~**BoBo**~
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Junior Member
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Last Login: 5/18/2012 11:24:16 AM
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The Katadin's are really kind of small. I think they have a carcass size of like only 130 pounds or so, which may be alright, but they have shorter backs giving the breed less meat then say the Hampshires, Montadales, Texels and Suffolk. You got to deal with the wool, but that is no big deal, but the real flip side to all that is, very flighty animals.
I say this because I know some producers that got in Katadin's thinking they were a perfect breed, and then they found out they get 15% less at auction for Katadins, and with their small carcass size, they could not compete in the market and had to sell their flocks and start over with a different breed.
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Starting Member
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Last Login: 10/29/2011 7:38:47 PM
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| We chose our Katahdins because they are easy keepers. As I am no spring chicken anymore, we did not want the task of shearing. They do well in pasture on the rocky coast of Maine. No parisite problems, Pretty smooth lambing season. One prolapse. in the end 200% lamb crop.
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Starting Member
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Starting Member
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Last Login: Yesterday @ 7:37:01 AM
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I would recommend California Red sheep! I have them, as well as Scottish blackfaces, Dorsets, Shropshire sheep and Shetlands. They get along considerably well together but they usually stay in their breed groups.
Good Luck! 
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