Breed · Sheep breed
Katahdin
The Katahdin is a North American hair sheep breed developed in Maine for low-maintenance meat production, carrying a hair coat that sheds so that shearing is not required.
Record
Livestock breed- Breed of
- Sheep
- Species
- Sheep (Ovis aries)
- Type
- Meat
- Origin
- Maine, United States, United States
- Recognition
- Registered
- Conservation status
- Not at riskReported per source and date (e.g. FAO DAD-IS); not a fixed property of the breed.
- Registries
- FAO DAD-IS · Global · as of 2026-07-12Katahdin is recorded in the global breed inventory.
- Katahdin Hair Sheep International (KHSI) · United States · as of 2026-07-12Breed association maintaining the registry and breed standard.
- Adaptation
- Adaptable across warm, humid, and temperate conditions in low-input, pasture-based systems.
- Primary uses
- Low-maintenance meat lamb production, Crossbreeding
Registry listing or variety protection is jurisdiction- and date-specific and does not by itself indicate current commercial availability, universal cultivation approval, patent status, or a recommendation.
The Katahdin is a meat sheep breed developed in the United States, in Maine, during the mid-to-late twentieth century. It was created by combining hair sheep of Caribbean origin with several wool breeds and selecting for a hair coat that sheds, good meat characteristics, and ease of management.
Because the coat sheds seasonally, Katahdins do not require shearing, which suits low-input meat systems. The breed has grown rapidly in numbers in North America and is registered through Katahdin Hair Sheep International.
Origin and history
The Katahdin was developed by a breeder in Maine who crossed hair sheep imported from the Caribbean with wool breeds and later added further hair-sheep influence to fix a shedding coat while improving meat conformation. It was named after Mount Katahdin, and a breed association was established to register and promote the breed, which has since expanded widely in North America.
Physical and production characteristics
Katahdins are medium-sized meat sheep with a hair coat, in a variety of colours and patterns, that grows heavier in winter and sheds in warmer weather. They are selected for meat production and for low-maintenance traits rather than wool.
The breed is valued for ease of care, including the absence of a need for shearing, and is used both purebred and in crossbreeding for meat.
Adaptation and distribution
Katahdins are adaptable and are kept across a range of conditions, including warm and humid environments as well as more temperate ones, in low-input, pasture-based meat systems. They are now widespread in the United States and are also kept in Canada and other countries.
Relationships
Evidence-backed connections in the knowledge graph.
Adapted to climate
Scope & limitations
Geographic scope: Global; developed in the United States and expanding in North America and beyond.
Climate context: Adaptable to warm, humid, and temperate conditions; a low-input hair breed.
- Coat shedding, hardiness, and meat traits vary between individuals, lines, and environments; general descriptions are indicative only.
- Conservation and registry status is date- and source-specific and differs between national populations and registries.
Sources
This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.
- [1]DAD-IS — Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (opens in a new tab)Authoritative
FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
Cited for: Breed record, origin, and characteristics in the global inventory
- Type:
- Official registry
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [2]CABI Digital Library — Crop Protection Compendium (opens in a new tab)High
CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International)
Cited for: Breed characterization and background
- Type:
- Reference database
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12