sheep breeds

Wool type classifications

fine wool, medium wool, long wool, crossbred wool, carpet wool and fur sheep.

Rambouillet

most popular among the fine wool breeds.

Afrino

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

• produces Merino-type wool, with a fiber diameter ranging from 19 to 22 microns.

• Breed Category: dual-purpose, fine wool

• Distribution: South Africa, Australia

Delaine merino

• Breed categories: fine-wool

• Distribution: North America

• medium size: mature ewes with full fleece average from 125 to 180 pounds. Rams are larger ranging in weight from 175 to 235 pounds

• has a smooth body and is free of wrinkles.

• Several strains of Merinos evolved in the US

Debouillet

• best adapted to the range conditions of the southwestern United States.

• a medium-sized sheep with white hair on the face and legs

• Hardy, gregarious and adaptable to unassisted pasture lambing

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

• Breed category: fine-wool

• Distribution: USA

Cheviot

• distinctive white-faced sheep, with wool-free head and legs, pricked ears, black muzzle and black feet.

• Cheviots need less husbandry. Their ease of lambing and strong mothering instinct means fewer lambing problems. Hard black feet make them less prone to foot rot. Their tendency for worm resistance means less drenching, less crutching and less fly strike. With wool-free faces, Cheviots never suffer from wool blindness.

• Breed: medium wool

Dorset

Medium wool

Hampshire

• breed: medium wool

• origin: southern England.

• They are large in size and a blocky body type. The face, legs, ears and nose are black. The breed is polled.

• They are good milkers and produce lambs that are often ready for market at weaning.

• Considered as one of the most popular of the medium wool breeds in the US.

• They cross well with fine wool or crossbred breeds to produce market lambs.

Polypay

Medium wool

Suffolk

• A medium wool breed

• originated in southern England.

• Suffolk is large, blocky and muscular. The face, ears and legs are black. The breed is polled and has no wool on the head and legs.

• Lambs grow rapidly, deposit fat at slower rate than other breeds; and produces lean and muscular

carcasses with desirable yield grades.

Montadale

• developed in the United States from Cheviot and Columbia crosses

• good meat type, dual- purpose animal with the head and legs free of wool and with the stylish appearance and agile body

• considered a dual-purpose breed noted for producing both high-quality carcasses as well excellent wool.

• Breed categories: dual-purpose, medium wool

• Distribution: North America

Oxford

• one of the largest breeds of one of the largest breeds of sheep.

• Breed categories: medium wool, meat, down

• Distribution: UK, North America, Europe,South America

Shropshire

• a good, middle-of-the-road sheep, medium to large in size, with dark faces and wool on the legs

• Called the "Ideal Farm Sheep," Shropshires were boasted to have

"wool from the tip of the nose to the tip of the toes."

• Breed categories: medium wool, meat

• Distribution: UK, Europe, North America

Tunis

• one of the oldest sheep breeds

• a unique looking breed with an unusual color of reddish tan hair covering their legs, faces and long pendulous ears and minor fat deposits over the dock area.

• The Tunis is classified as a "rare" breed by the American Livestock Breeds

Conservancy.

• Breed categories: medium wool, meat

• Distribution: North America

BADGER FACE WELSH MOUNTAIN

Leicester

Lincoln

• one of the world's largest breeds of sheep. Its fleece is the heaviest, longest-stapled and most lustrous of any breed in the world

• Breed categories: long wool, rare

• Distribution: UK, North America,

• Australia, New Zealand

Romney

Long wool

Columbia

Crossbred wool

Corriedale

Crossbred wool

Targhee

Crossbred wool