Intro to Animal Science Animal Science Spring 2005 Breeds of Sheep Intro to Animal Science Animal Science Spring 2005

Classes of Sheep Fine Wool Medium Wool Long Wool Crossbred Wool Carpet Wool Fur

Fine Wool Breeds Merino Rambouillet

Merino Ancient breed, Spanish Fine quality wool Base of many breeds Contributed more than any other breed Dates clear back to Roman times. Spain's conquering armies took Merino sheep with them to the new world for food and clothing. Pure Merino is still the most luxurious wool on the market today, the result of more then twelve hundred years of unbroken breeding. Merinos are hardy, gregarious and long-lived, traits favored by sheep producers worldwide. The American sheep industry is rediscovering the Merino, for its fine fleece as well as its ability to breed out of season and produce under harsh conditions. Three types of merinos: A, B, and C. A and B have wrinkled skin and are called American Merinos C has very little wrinkled skin and are called Delaine Merions Delaine Merino popular in the United States: white and grows 2.5-3” per year More uniform than the fleece of American Merincos Largest of marinos

Rambouillet Big, hearty Prolific breeders Good mothers Fine-wool Good carcass Dual purpose Easy to handle "backbone" of the American Sheep Industry, forming the foundation of most western range flocks and raised throughout the United States. The Rambouillet descends entirely from the Spanish Merino. dual purpose sheep, producing a desirable carcass and good fine wool. large sized, rugged and long-lived with a strong flocking instinct. ewes possess many desirable traits which have resulted in their inclusion in crossbreeding programs to improve lamb production. Breed category: fine wool, dual-purpose

Medium Wool Breeds Cheviot Dorset Finn Hampshire Shropshire Southdown Suffolk Oxford

Cheviot Small, white with black nostrils Medium-wool Meat Hardy, bred to look after themselves Northern England, Southern Scotland Small and blocky body type White face and legs with black nostrils Polled 4-5” fleece Bad flocking instincts

Dorset All white Horned or polled Medium size Medium wool Good mothers, good milkers multiple births Produce lambs anytime 2nd most popular breed in US known for their ability to produce a lamb crop any time during the year. H Medium size Blocky body type Ears, noce face and legs are white Polled and horned Dorset ewes are prolific, heavy milkers that produce lambs with moderate growth and maturity that yield heavy muscled carcasses.

Finn Sheep Small Wool Prolific-good mothers active Finland considered to be several hundred years old, First imported to the United States in 1968, Finn ewes are hardy, will lamb on an accelerated lambing program, have strong maternal instincts and are highly prolific. Lambs are noted for their high livability. have been valued for their soft fleeces of medium wool. Breed category: medium wool, short-tailed, prolific

Hampshire Large, open faced Medium-wool docile Polled Rapid growth southern England were first brought to the United States in 1860, but all of the flocks were either destroyed or scattered during the Civil War. Importations in large numbers did not resume until the 1880's. large breed, with black faces and legs and wool on the legs and head. fast growth rate and superior carcass merit Breed category: medium wool, meat

Oxford Largest of the medium wool breeds Dual purpose Blocky body Face ears and legs are gray to brown Polled Wool extends over poll to eyes Prolific, good milkers, efficient rates of gain

Suffolk Most common breed in the US (40%) Medium-wool Polled Black face, no wool on legs Meat breed In US accounting for more than fifty percent of purebred sheep registrations. first Suffolk's were brought to the United States in 1888, but it wasn't until after the second World War when the sheep industry moved towards a larger, meatier, open faced sheep that Suffolk's gained in prominence. large breed with a distinctive all-black head and legs that are free of wool. Suffolk lambs grow faster than any other breed and yield heavy, high cutability carcasses of the type demanded by today's health conscience consumers. reed category: medium wool, meat

Shropshire Dual-Purpose Breed Medium sized Medium wool: heaviest producers Wool on face, dark legs Hearty, vigorous, meaty Docile Extremely feed efficient  Prolific mothers  Easy lambers Multiple births  Longevity   good, middle-of-the-road sheep, medium to large in size, with dark faces and wool on the legs. First imported into the United States in 1855, until the 1930's, Called the "Ideal Farm Sheep," Shropshires were boasted to have "wool from the tip of the nose to the tip of the toes." evolved into a very modern and productive breed, perfect for families with youth projects. Breed category: medium wool, meat

Southdowns Medium to small sized Polled Medium-wool Meat breed Early maturing Good lambing and average milk Feed conversion one of the oldest sheep breeds, it is known that they were introduced very early in the history of the country. adapt well to intensive management, pass their superb conformation onto their offspring, and can thrive and maintain flesh where many other breeds would virtually starve.B reed category: medium wool, meat

Crossbred Wool Columbia

Columbia developed in the US Produce more wool and lambs Wool breed Large breed Good mothers Fast growing Gentle All-American breed, the first to originate in the United States. Lincoln (Long wool breed) and Rambouillet crosses. breed that produced more pounds of wool and lamb and could replace crossbreeding on the range. found widespread acceptance throughout the United States and is used increasingly to sire crossbred market lambs. Columbias are one of the larger-sized breeds. They produce a heavy, medium-wool fleece with good staple length and hardy, fast-growing lambs. Breed category: medium wool, dual purpose

Other Breeds Crossbred Wool Medium Wool Long Wool Carpet Wool Corriedale Panama Romeldale Targhee Tailless Carpet Wool Black-faced Highland Fur Sheep Karakul (Asia) Medium Wool Montedale Tunis (N. Africa) Long Wool Cotswold Leicester Lincoln Romney