SUSAN SCHOENIAN (Shāy-ne-ŭn)Extension Sheep & Goat SpecialistWestern Maryland Research & Education Centersschoen@umd.edu - www.sheepandgoat.com

A N I N T R O D U C T I O N T O HAIR SHEEP PRODUCTION

Today’s topics

1)Breeds

2)Production systems

3)Marketing

Breeds of hair sheep

Breed - a group of usually domesticated animals or plants presumably related by descent from common ancestors and visibly similar in most characters . (Merriam-Webster)

Originally all sheep were hair sheep.Wool is a by-product of artificial selection.

Mouflon Rambouillet

What is a hair sheep?

Sheep Production Handbook: “Sheep whose coats consist of hair, more like that of cattle and goats, rather than wool.”

Some other definitions A sheep that does not

require annual shearing. A sheep that sheds its

coat annually. A sheep whose coat has

more hair than wool.

Pros and cons of raising hair sheep

PROS

Ease of management No shearing No crutching No docking

Environmental adaptation Resistance to internal parasites More heat tolerant Low maintenance (forage)

Reproductive efficiency Early puberty Good mothering ability Out-of-season breeding Prolificacy

CONS

Smaller carcasses Slower growth Less carcass muscling More internal fat

Hair sheep “myths”

Lower fat meatNo scientific evidence to support claim

Leaner carcassesMore internal fat at same finish (back fat) as wooled breeds.

Milder flavor meatOnly anecdotal evidenceAffected more by diet (grain vs. grass)

Less hoof problemsFoot rot bacteria does not differentiate between breed.

Easier lambersAffected more by nutrition and management.

Resistant to scrapieResistance affected by genotype not breed.

All hair sheep are not the same.

Ways to evaluate breed diversity

Origin Tropical (West Africa) Hot, dry (East/South Africa)

Genetics Landrace (pure) Composites (crossbreds)

Coat type Hair Shedding Double-coated

Origin of hair sheep breeds

WEST AFRICA

Thin-tailed sheep that evolved in tropical or sub-tropical climates.

EAST/ SOUTH AFRICA

Fat-tail sheep that evolved in hot, dry, desert climates.

Genetic make-up

LANDRACE Adapted to local climate Indigenous (unimproved) “Pure” hair sheep

COMPOSITES Crosses between

landrace breeds and European (wooled) breeds.

Coat-type (wool cover)

HAIR SHEDDING DOUBLE-COATED

U.S. hair sheep breeds

LANDRACE St. Croix Barbados

BlackbellyAmerican Blackbelly

Wiltshire Horn

COMPOSITES

Katahdin Dorper Royal

White®

DUAL-COATED

Romanov

OTHER California Red “Exotics”

St. Croix(Virgin Island White)

Origin Originated in Virgin

Islands in the Caribbean. Exact origins unknown. Imported to USA in 1975. Unique to North America. Classified as a rare

breed.

Appearance Both sexes polled Usually white Small to medium size

Rams - up to 200 lbs. (avg. 163 #) Ewes - up to 150 lbs. (avg. 119#)

St. Croix ewes in British Virgin Islands

St. Croixwww.stcroixsheep.org

PROS

Exceptional parasite resistance (#1)

Exceptional reproductive qualities Early puberty Good mothering ability Out-of-season breeding Prolificacy

Outstanding maternal breed!

CONS

Small carcass size< most wooled breeds< composite hair x wool

Slower growth < most wooled breeds< composite hair x wool

Less carcass muscling< most wooled breeds< composite hair x wool

More internal carcass fat> most wooled breeds> composite hair x wool

Barbados Blackbellywww.blackbellysheep.org

Origin Originated in Barbados in

the Caribbean. Exact origins unknown Imported to USA in 1904. Few “true” Barbados

Blackbellies in USA.

Appearance Both sexes polled. Distinct markings that include various shades of brown, with black

under parts and points and a badger face. Small breed: rams average 100-130#; ewes average 85-100#

Barbados Blackbelly lambs in Barbados

American Blackbellywww.blackbellysheep.org

The “American Blackbelly is a cross between the Barbados Blackbelly and various European breeds (Mouflon and Rambouillet), resulting in a horned animal.

Historically, the American Blackbelly was used for trophy hunting and training herding dogs. Image source: Oklahoma State

University

Barbados and American Blackbelly

PROS

Internal parasite resistance

Reproductive efficiency Early puberty Out-of-season breeding Prolificacy

Outstanding maternal breed

CONS

Small carcass size< most wooled breeds< composite hair x wool

Slower growth < most wooled breeds< composite hair x wool

Less carcass muscling< most wooled breeds< composite hair x wool

More internal carcass fat> most wooled breeds> composite hair x wool

Disposition (American Blackbelly)

Katahdinwww.katahdins.org

Origin Developed in 1950’s in USA

(Maine) by crossing Caribbean hair sheep (St. Croix) with various British breeds (e.g. Suffolk); Wiltshire Horn later introduced.

One of most popular breeds in US.

Appearance Both sexes usually polled Multi colors and patterns Variable coat types Medium size breed

Rams - 180 to 250 # Ewes - 120 to 160 #

Katahdinwww.katahdins.org

PROS

Internal parasite resistance Intermediate between hair

breeds and wooled breeds

Reproductive efficiency Early puberty Out-of-season breeding Prolificacy Milking ability

“Best” all-around hair sheep Intermediate between hair

and wool sheep in most traits Excellent maternal breed.

CONS

Smaller carcass size< most wooled breeds> hair breeds

Slower growth < many wooled breeds> hair breeds

Less carcass muscling< meat-type wooled breeds> hair breeds

More Internal carcass fat> most wooled breeds< hair breeds

Dorper

Origin Developed in South Africa in 1930’s

by crossing Dorset Horn with Persian Blackhead (desert, fat-rump sheep)

Imported to USA in 1995. One of the most popular breeds

in USA.

Appearance Both sexes usually polled Short coat of wool and hair Two types

1. Dorper - white body with black head

2. White Dorper - all white

Medium sizeRams average 225#

Ewes average 180-210#

Dorper

PROS

Superior growth and carcass muscling as compared to other hair sheep.

Less internal fat than other hair sheep.

Good reproduction Early puberty Out-of-season breeding Prolificacy

Only dual-purpose hair sheep (sire or dam)

CONS

Lighter finish weight than conventional wooled breeds.

Less adapted to warm, moist weather than other hair sheep breeds.

No documented resistance to internal parasites.

More variable in their shedding ability

Other breeds

ROYAL WHITE®

Newest hair breed Developed in 1990’s by

William Hoag. Cross between St. Croix

and White Dorper. Previously called

Dorpcroix.

www.royalwhitesheep.biz

“EXOTIC” HAIR SHEEP HORNED HAIR SHEEP

Mouflon Barbado Black Hawaiian Corsican Desert Sand Painted Desert Texas Dall

www.unitedhornedhairsheepassociation.org

Other breeds

ROMANOV

Russian in origin. Dual coated with dark

guard hairs. Outstanding

reproductive qualities. Used a lot for crossing.

WILTSHIRE HORN

Ancient British breed. Sheds its short fleece. Used to create Katahdin. Both sexes horned. Classified as a rare breed.

Crossing hair sheepwith other hair sheep and wooled sheep

Why? With wool sheep to

eliminate the need for shearing subsequent generations.

Produce superior crossbred market lambs (terminal cross).

Produce crossbred ewes of a specific type. Lambs are ¾ Katahdin x ¼

Lacaune

Advantages of crossbreeding

1. Hybrid vigor The performance of

crossbred offspring is superior to the average performance of the two parent breeds.▪ Crossbred lamb (offspring)▪ Crossbred ewe (maternal)▪ Crossbred ram (?)

2. Breed complementarity Balancing the strengths

and weakness of different breeds.

½ Katahdin x ¼ Hampshire x ¼ Suffolk

Shearing hair x wool sheep It takes anywhere from

1 to 3 generations of crossing to eliminate the need of shearing the crossbred offspring.

Do not take the fleeces from hair x wool sheep to a wool pool.

The fleeces could be used for insulation or something similar.

5/8 Lacaune x 3/8 Katahdin

Genetics of shedding

According to research recently conducted in the United Kingdom.

A single gene switches on the ability to shed.

Within shedders, there are genetic differences in the speed and extent of shedding.

Not all lambs shed, even though they may shed as adults.

Production systemsHow you raise your livestock

Determining a production system

There is no best production system or way to raise sheep.

Fit production system to resources instead of the other way around.

PRODUCTION SYSTEM

Land

Buildings

Machinery

Labor

Markets

Climate

Sheep production systems Lambing period(s) Lambing environment Lambing frequency Lamb finishing system Marketing system

Lambing period(s)

Early winter (Dec-Jan)

Late winter (Feb-Mar)

Spring (Apr-May)

Fall (Sept-Nov)

Accelerated (multiple lambing periods)

Winter lambingDec-Jan

Indoor lambing

Creep feeding

Early weaning< 90 days

Sell hot house lambs (for Orth. Easter) or finish lambs in dry lot for sale during first half of year.

Winter lambingDec - Jan

PROS

Produces best quality lamb

Highest prices for lambs

Labor availability Less predator risk Parasites not usually a

problem. Less pasture needed

CONS

Need good facilities for lambing and feeding lambs

Higher labor and management requirements.

Higher non-pasture feed costs.

Least profitable “on paper”

Late winter lambingFeb - Mar

Indoor lambing

Graze ewes and lambs on lush spring pastures.

Creep feeding and early weaning common.

Can wean lambs and finish in dry lot or finish lambs on pasture.

Late winter lambingFeb - Mar

PROS

Utilize lush spring forage growth

Market lambs before peak parasite challenge.

Market lambs before onset of hot weather.

Market lambs before usual summer price slump.

Higher lambing percentage than winter and fall lambing.

CONS

Need good facilities for lambing.

Higher labor and management requirements than spring and fall lambing.

Higher non-pasture feed costs than spring or fall lambing.

Some predator risk. Some parasite challenge. Price volatility.

Spring lambingApr - May

Indoor or pasture lambing.

Graze ewes and lambs together through spring, winter, and fall.

Later weaningNeed to castrate rams

Sell feeder lambs or light weight slaughter lambs or feed lambs and sell after first of year.

Spring lambingApr - May

PROS

Minimal facilities required; can lamb on pasture.

Less labor required at lambing.

Maximize forage use. Match seasonal

nature of sheep reproduction to achieve higher fertility and prolificacy.

More profitable “on paper”

CONS

Competition for labor Weather risk during

lambing Highest predator risk Highest parasite

challenge Depressed weight

gains in summer More pasture required

to graze lambs

Fall lambingSept - Oct

Indoor or pasture lambing.

Graze ewes and lambs on high quality fall forage.

Can utilize stockpiled forage for winter grazing.

Sell lambs at Christmas or feed them and sell after first of year.

Fall lambingSept - Nov

PROS

Market lambs in winter and spring when lamb prices are usually the highest.

Minimal facilities required; can lamb on pasture.

Less labor required at lambing.

Less predator risk. Less parasite

challenge.

CONS

Success is limited by seasonal nature of sheep reproduction.

May require second lambing period.

Usually lower lambing percentage with fall lambing.

Accelerated lambingMultiple lambing periods

Twice a yearEvery six months

Cornell STAR® system5 times in 3 years

Three times in two yearse.g. Jan - May - Sept

ContinuousLeave ram(s) in

Accelerated lambing

PROS

Market flexibility Year-round marketing Out-of-season lambs

to sell Reduced overhead

costs Improved ewe

efficiency

CONS

More labor-intensive More management

intensive Higher feed costs Higher input costs Longevity of ewes Limited by success of

out-of-season breeding.

There’s no such thing as low-input sheep production.

All sheep production systems require good management and an infusion of inputs.

Marketing hair sheep

Hair sheep carcasses

Most hair sheep fatten similarly to a goat, from the inside out.

They will deposit fat around their internal organs (kidney and heart) before depositing subcutaneous fat over their ribs, backbone, and loin.

As compared to carcasses from most wooled sheep, hair sheep carcasses will have a higher percentage of carcass fat at an equivalent amount of back fat.

internal fat in a goat carcass

A comparison of feeding programs

MOSTLY PASTURE

Slower growth Longer feeding period Leaner, lighter carcass Stronger flavor More healthful meat

(?) More economical (?)

MOSTLY CONCENTRATE

Faster growth Shorter feeding period Better live grade Heavier, fatter

carcass Milder flavor Less healthful meat

(?) More economical (?)

“Fattening” hair sheep lambs

Full-feeding is likely to result in lambs that get too fat.

Feeding lambs on higher roughage diets will allow lambs to achieve heavier finish weights, without depositing as much internal and subcutaneous fat.

Marketing hair sheep and their crosses

Breed or breed cross affects market suitability.

Hair sheep are not suitable for all markets.

If your lambs aren’t suitable for a particular market, they will sell at a discounted price and/or your customer will be dissatisfied.

Commodity (mainstream) marketVirginia Blue O Choice and Prime, 95-125 #, > 50% dress

Pure hair sheep are not suitable for the commodity or mainstream market. Poor carcass quality

Katahdin and Dorper lambs should be able to meet the lower end of the weight range for commodity lambs without getting too fat (90-110 lbs.)

Crosses between the composite breeds and meat-type, wooled breeds (e.g. Suffolk) should be suitable for the commodity markets in the Eastern USA.

½ Katahdin x ¼ Hampshire x ¼ Suffolk

Ethnic market

The “ethnic” market is composed of many different markets, each having differing preferences and requirements.

Hair sheep and their composites and crosses are suitable for some of these markets, but maybe not all.

Hot house lambs ~35-50 lb. milk-fed lamb, “fancy”

Hair sheep lack the carcass quality favored by buyers and consumers of hothouse lambs.

The composite breeds may or may not be suitable for the hot house market. Purebred Katahdin

Probably not Dorper or Dorper x

Probably Katahdin x Dorper

Probably Katahdin x Southdown or

DorsetProbably

Light weight slaughter lamb60-100 lbs. (not overly fat), ungraded

This is the market that hair sheep are probably best-suited for.

The composite breeds are also well suited to this market.

Ethnic markets often prefer tailed, intact lambs.

Some ethnic customers prefer hair sheep lambs.

Direct marketingSelling goods directly to the end consumer

Any breed can be suitable for direct marketing, so long as you are producing the type of lamb that your consumer desires and is willing to pay a premium price for.

Local Grass-fed Pasture-raised Naturally-raised Organic Grain-fed Light weight Mild flavor

Hair sheep may be uniquely suited to grass-fed and organic production systems because of their resistance to internal parasites.

Hair sheep resources

An Introduction to Hair Sheep Productionwww.slideshare.com/schoenian

Hair Sheep Primer from Sheep 201www.sheep101.info/201/hairsheep.html

Proceedings 2005 Hair Sheep Workshop at VSUwww.sheepandgoat.com/hairsheepworkshop/

Thank ewe for your attention.