[gleseman]

Does anyone have Royal Whites? I had been planning on getting Katahdin but have read that the Royal Whites are less flighty and tend to flock together better than Katahdin.

 

[billinwv]

I want them also. They are few and far between. I have had no luck

 

[hastyreply]

I raise St Croix/Dorper crosses. I think there is "official" royal whites back there somewhere. I like this cross. Mine are crosses on crosses. I did introduce a St Croix ram last year to help clean up the Dorper mop top some of mine get. I like the smooth coat of the St Croix and the heavier body and faster growth of the Dorper. To complicate it, I also want the badger face that can occur with St Croix ( breeders try to breed it out). I like a little face color but not the black head of the Dorper.

Dorpers are one of the heaviest (least flighty) of the hair breeds. St Croix are in my experience about the same as katadins. So theoricly the cross is somewhere in between. I have some lambs that are just gentle and others who would rather have nothing to do with me. I try to catch and hold my newborn lambs until they stop struggling and then release them. I do this as many times as I can when they are small and easily catchable. It seems to help and keep them from fighting me so hard when I do catch them. I have 3 ewes, mom and twins who were stalled for 2 months when one lamb broke her leg at one week. So they were handled and messed with a lot and they are 3 of my flightest sheep. Go figure.

 

[bergere]

The Kats I have are not flighty at all. But then, I did work with them as lambs and halter trained them.
Also have a huge Kat/Dorper/stCroix wether.... he is also very laid back.
Anway, handling them early on and halter training, makes it a lot easier for me to work with them.

You can look at different breeders, what ever sheep are curious and come up or near to you... are the ones you want to bring home. They will be the easiest to tame down.

 

[AlienChick]

I agree with Shari.
I think just about any sheep will be flighty if you have a large flock and there is no human contact. My Kats are extremely friendly and my rams are sweethearts. I don't pet them every day, but they do know where the food comes from! LOL

I love the look of the Royal Whites. I don't know much about them, unfortunately.