Meat
Katahdin
A tier
Katahdin is an American hair sheep breed developed in Maine from African hair sheep, wool breeds, and Wiltshire Horn influence, selected for shedding, meat conformation, and northern as well as southern adaptability. It became the most numerous hair sheep in North American commercial lamb production. Katahdin lamb offers mild flavour, good muscling for a hair type, and year-round breeding in many flocks—ideal for farm-direct whole carcasses and retail chops. Grass finishing yields clean, approachable meat; feedlot finish adds weight without the wool handling costs of traditional breeds.
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History
Michael Piel began breeding hair sheep composites in Maine toward a shedding meat breed.
Wiltshire Horn and other inputs refined size and carcass while keeping the shedding coat.
The Katahdin Hair Sheep International registry formalised the breed.
Katahdins led US hair-sheep inventory for commercial and pasture-based lamb.