Dr. Charles Parker lecture notes:
21st CENTURY KATAHDINS;
VISIONS OF A COMPLETE MEAT SHEEP
Charles Parker,
Honorary
Member, KHSI
SCKA, Hahira, GA; June 13, 2009
SHEEP RAISING IN THE SOUTHERN REGION
PREVIOUS RESEARCH
KATAHDIN SHEEP
“IN THE BEGINNING”
PIEL
FARM, ABBOT VILLAGE, ME
FEBRUARY,
1956
MICHAEL PIEL’S VISION;
“A
SINGLE PURPOSE SHEEP”
KATAHDIN---
THE BREED WHOSE
TIME HAS COME
SOME HAIR RAISING STATISTICS
OTHER STATES (NASS):
AL, AK, AR, DE, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, NJ,
SC
PAST 10 YEARS—138%
INC.—BR. EWES
“OTHER STATES” AND BORDER STATES
PAST 5 YEARS---44% INC. SHEEP INV.
2009-AREA HAS 10% OF U. S. INV.
ALSO 47% OF KHSI MEMBERSHIP
BREED REGISTRATIONS
HAIR SHEEP ‘08; 11.5 K---17% OF TOTAL
KATAHDIN AND DORPER; 91% OF REGS.
DURING THE PAST 18 YEARS—
NATIONAL SHEEP INV. HAS DECLINED 48%!!
KATAHDINS
HAVE LED THE ONLY GROWTH SEGMENT OF THE U. S. SHEEP INDUSTRY—
WHILE KHSI
MEMB. HAS INC. 5X; W REG. AV. 5K ANNUALLY FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS
TRADITION ISN’T WORKING
2008 NRC INDUSTRY REPORT:
“CHANGES
IN THE SHEEP
INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED
STATES; MAKING THE
TRANSITION FROM TRADITION”
EMPLOYED (19th CENTURY)
GENETICS HAS “STALLED
OUT!”
GENETIC
ENGINE NEEDS “PEP”---
PRODUCTIVITY, EFFICIENCY AND
PROFITABILITY
MEAT
PRODUCTION PARADIGM;
TRANSITION HAS BEEN DIFFICULT
FEW HAVE RECOGNIZED THE HOLY GRAIL OF MEAT SHEEP PRODUCTION:
“LBS. OF QUALITY LAMB MARKETED
PER
EWE PER YEAR”
KATAHDIN
CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!
VISIONS OF THE COMPLETE MEAT SHEEP
ONE “GENETICALLY BALANCED” AND FOUNDED ON PREDICTABLE PERFORMANCE
SELECTION
THE IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTES
ADAPTABILITY
**CLIMATIC
**PARASITE RESISTANT
EASY CARE
**ESP. AT LAMBING
REPRODUCTIVE
EFFICIENCY
**LAMB
CROP % !!
AGE AT MARKET WT./
CONDITION
**GROWTH-
MATURITY
ADAPTABILITY
**HEAT/COLD
TOLERANT
**BODY TEMP.
**PARASITE
RESISTANT
“A BREED SIGNATURE
TRAIT!!”
REPRODUCTIVE
EFFICIENCY
**ASEASONAL BR.
**FERTILITY
EWE & RAM
**PROLIFICACY
**LAMB
SURVIABILITY
**BEHAVIORS—
LAMB AND EWE
**MILK CAPACITY
LAMB
AGE AT
MARKET END POINT
**GROWTH, MATURITY
MARKET END WT.
AND EFFICIENCY
**1/AGE AT MARKETING
**SIZE—THE
GOOD, BAD
AND UGLY
PRODUCTS
**MEAT EATING--
QUALTIES
FLAVOR++
**SKIN QUALITIES
G. I. PARASITE RESISTANCE
POPULATION DYNAMICS—
“THE GENES ARE THERE FOR THE
USING”
RESISTANT
TRAITS OF IMPORTANCE
LAMB
**INNATE (7-8 WKS.)
**ACQUIRED
(10-12 WKS.)
IMPORTANCE OF EXPOSURE TIME
EFFECT OF LAMB AGE ON
RESPONSE
EWE
PERI-PARTURIENT RISE (PPR)
SIGNIFICANT
FEC INCREASES
BACKGROUND
**HYPOBIOSIS OF LARVAE
**GESTATION/SEASON EFFECTS
ON IMMUNE SYSTEM
RESISTANCE EXPRESSION
**FECAL EGG
COUNT
DURING PP PERIOD
**VALUE OF
FAMACHA SCORING
SELECTION STRATEGIES
REPRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY
“ABOUT LAMBS BORN AND LAMBS
RAISED”
KATAHDIN STATS
S-29, ‘66
LAMBS BORN---------2.11
1.33
LAMBS RAISED------1.85
.82
LAMB MORTALITY--12.3%
22.8 %
“IMPROVING LAMB SURVIVABILITY”
EWE AND LAMB BEHAVIORS AND THEIR INTER-DEPENDENCE
“ABOUT ASSESSING NATURAL BEHAVIORS AT LAMBING TIME”
MATERNAL BEHAVIORS:
SHORT LABOR
LICKING/GROOMING
STAYS AT BIRTH SITE
WITHDRAWS
FROM LAMBS
CALM VS. NERVOUS DISPOSITION
FLIGHT DISTANCE—AT FIRST
LAMB HANDLING
SUGGESTION—MATERNAL BEHAVIOR SCORING
( 1-5 )
LAMB BEHAVIOR
“GET UP AND GO!”
TIME TO:
STAND
SEEK UDDER
FIRST SUCKLING
FIRST PLAY
PROXIMITY TO DAM
SUGGESTED VIGOR SCORING
( 1-5 )
INTER-DEPENDENCE
CONTACT TIME—EWE AND LAMB
INTRA UTERINE FACTORS
“LIFE BEFORE BIRTH”
EFFECT OF
PLASMA STEROID CONCENTRATIONS, STRESS,
NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF EWE
GOAL
“ELIMINATE NIGHT TIME SHEPHERDING!”
CONCENTRATE GENETIC BEHAVIORS FOR CREATING
“SELF CARE” SHEEP AT LAMBING
HIGH LEVEL OF SELECTION FOR
GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS ALONE MAY LEAD TO A DETERIORATION IN MATERNAL ABILITY UNLESS THESE BEHAVIORS ARE SPECIFICALLY INCLUDED
IN SELECTION PROGRAMS. (BALANCED GENETICS!)
DWYER AND LAWRENCE
1998
CONCLUSION
VISION—
KATAHDINS HAVE THE GENE POOL TO BECOME
A GENETICALLY COMPLETE BREED TO LEAD U. S. LAMB MEAT PRODUCTION IN THE 21st CENTURY.
BALANCED
GENETIC SELECTION IS THE “KEY” TO SUCCESS.
FOR THE BREED
“WHOSE TIME HAS COME, KEEP IT COMING!”
