Ovine species

Class and order

Mammals, Artiodactyla

Family and sub-family

Bovidae, Caprinae

Genus and species

Ovie, Ovis aries

Merino branch

Oldest breed

Productive

Fine wool but can also produce meat

High rusticity and adaptability

E.g. Merino

Iberian branch

Very rustic

High quality meat

E.g. Ojalada

Churro branch

Extremely gregarious

Good milk-fed lambs

E.g. Churra, Latxa

Medium-fine type

Milk and meat

E.g. Manchega, Rasa Aragonesa…

Extensive farming system

• Only one birth per year

• Relies on natural resources, fields…

• Seasonal migration, trastermitance, resident

Semi-intensive farming system

• Precocious or semi-precocious weaning

• Qualified labour and installations

• Feed supplementation in studs

Intensive farming system

• Permanent stabling or semi-stabling

• Highly qualified labour and installations

• Very intense reproduction

• Strict sanitary hygiene programs

Sheep biotypes

Meat, wool, milk and rustic

Fur production

Fine fur and industrial fur

Wool production

According to colour

According to fibre diameter (fine, medium and coarse)

Curls

Length

Yield after washing

Type of hair

Meat production

Different types of meat depending on slaughter age (suckling milk fed lamb, spring lamb, lamb and mutton)

Milk production

Mainly production of cheese

More intensive sector

Variable