SHEEP BREEDS

• fine wool

• medium wool

• long wool

• crossbred wool

• carpet wool

• fur sheep

classes of sheep

rambouillet

• backbone of the american sheep industry

• foundation of most western range flocks

• descends entirely from spanish merino

• dual-purpose

• producing desirable carcass and good fine wool

• large size, rugged, long-lived, strong flocking instincts

• distribution: north america, europe

afrino

• 80% for meat production, 20% for wool production

• merino-type wool, 19-22 microns

• breed category: dual-purpose, fine wool

• distribution: south africa, australia

delaine merino

• breed category: fine wool

• distribution: north america

• medium size

• mature ewe with full fleece: 125-180 lbs

• ram: 175-235 lbs

• smooth body and free of wrinkles

• several strains evolved in the US

type A merino

• developed in vermont

• very heavy, wrinkly hide

• angular form

• little carcass value

• not advocated for commercial lamb and wool production

type B merino

• developed in ohio

• heavy fleece with fair mutton form

• body is fairly free of wrinkles, but carries heavy neck folds

• frequently wrinkles or heavy folds behind the shoulders and on the thighs and rear flanks

• larger and better adapted to everyday conditions that the type A

type C merino / delaine merino

• most practical merino

• especially adapted to range sheep production in the western and southwestern parts of the US

debouillet

• best adapted to the conditions of southwestern US

• medium-size, white hair on face and legs

• hardy and gregarious

• adaptable to unassisted pasture lambing

• produce a fine wool fleece with a deep, close crimp

• breed category: fine wool

• distribution: USA

cheviot

• modern-day of this sheep is a pure-bred, produced by selection

• breed category: dual purpose, medium wool

• distribution: UK

apennine

• kept primarily for meat production

• polled and has semi-lopped ears

• reared in small or medium size flocks

• breed category: meat, medium wool

• distribution: italy

beltex

• double-muscled hindquarters coupled with fine bones, ensures killing-out percentage of the finished lamb

• sired lambs are born with ease and are thrifty

• finished lambs have a carcass with well-fleshed legs, good eye muscle, and a long loin

• breed categories: meat, medium wool

• distribution: europe, UK, North America

dorset (horned and polled)

• know for the ability to produce lamb crop anytime of the year

• prolific ewe, also heavy milkers

• produce lambs with moderate growth and maturity that yield heavy muscled carcasses

• breed categories: medium wool, meat

• distribution: north america, UK, australia, new zealand

aragonesa

• raised mainly for meat

• very rugged, gregarious, high pasturing ability, good adaptability to the harsh environment

• breed categoryL dual-purpose, medium wool

• distribution: spain, europe

hampshire (down)

• large breed

• black face and leg

• wool on legs and head

• fast growth, superior carcass merit

• breed categories: meat, medium wool, down

• distribution: UK europe, north america, south america

montadale

• developed in the US from chviot and columbia crosses

• good meat type

• dual purpose

• no wool on head and legs

• stylish appearance and agile body

• breed category: dual purpose, medium wool

• distribution: north america

oxford

• cotswolds x hampshires

• one of the largest breeds

• produces the heaviest fleece of any of the down breeds

• in the UK, it’s a specialist breed to cross with commerical crossbred ewes for meat production

• breed categories: medium wool, meat, down

• distribution: UK, north america, europe, south america

shropshire

• good, middle-of-the-road sheep

• medium to large in size

• dark faces and wool on legs

• ideal farm sheep

• wool from the tip of the nose to the tip of the toes

• breed category: medium wool, meat

• distribution: UK, europe, north america

southdown

• one of the oldest sheep breeds

• adapts well to intensive management

• pass superb conformation to offpsring

• thrive and maintain flesh where many other breeds would virtually starve

• breed categories: medium wool, meat

• distribution: worldwide

suffolk

• “black faces”

• large breed

• all-black head and legs without wool

• breed categories: medium wool, meat

• distribution: worldwide

tunis

• one of the oldest sheep breeds

• reddish tan hair covering the legs, faces, and long ears

• classified as a rare breed

badger face welsh mountain

• torddu = blackbelly

• torwen = whitebelly

• distinctive broad striped face with black band from jaw to belly to the underside of tail

• main fleece pure white to light tan

• rams have dark spiral horns, polled ewes

barki

• well adapted to desert conditions

• long breeding season (300 days)

• multi-colored

• smallest egyptian breed

leicester

• big sheep

• heave, curly, lustrous fleece that is even in length and fiber diameter

• classified as rare breed

leicester (blue-faced)

• long wool, dual purpose

• distribution: UK, australia, new zealand, north america

lincoln

• one of the world’s largest breed

• heaviest fleece in the world

romney

• versatile breede

• footrot resistant hooves

• fleece remain heavy in harsh weather

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columbia

• larger-sized breed

• heavy, medium-wool, good staple length

• hardy, fast-growing lambs

corriedale

• oldest crossbreed

• dual purpose

• wool is favored by hand spinners

panama

• only two recognized breeds of sheep which were developed in the US by private sheep breededrs

• rambouillet ram x lincoln ewe

• polled

targhee

• one of america’s youngest breeds

• rambouillet x columbia x corriedale

• ¾ fine wool and ¼ long wool

black-faced highland

• originated in scotland

• one of the most numerous and common sheep breeds in britain

• outstanding quality and taste meat

karakul

• may be the oldest breed of domesticated sheep

• fat broad tailed type

• large flocks are raised for pelt production from very young lambs