Breeds of Sheep PDF

BREEDS OF SHEEP Classes of Sheep (by wool type) ◼ Fine Wool ◼ Medium Wool ◼ Long Wool ◼ Crossbred Wool ◼ Carpet Wool ◼ Fur Sheep Fine Wool Breeds Rambouillet ◼ the "backbone" of the American Sheep Industry, forming the foundation of most western...

BREEDS OF SHEEP Classes of Sheep (by wool type) ◼ Fine Wool ◼ Medium Wool ◼ Long Wool ◼ Crossbred Wool ◼ Carpet Wool ◼ Fur Sheep Fine Wool Breeds Rambouillet ◼ the "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. ◼ a dual purpose sheep, producing a desirable carcass and good fine wool.  Rambouillet ◼ large sized, rugged and long-lived with a strong flocking instinct ◼ Rambouillet ewes possess many desirable traits which have resulted in their inclusion in crossbreeding programs to improve lamb production. ◼ Breed category: fine wool, dual- purpose ◼ Distribution: North America, Europe 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 American Merino Australian Merino 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 1. The type "A" Merino was developed in Vermont through selection and inbreeding. This carries a very heavy, wrinkly hide. In formit is angular and has little carcass value. It is not advocated for commercial lamb and wool production. 2. The "B" type Merino was developed principally in Ohio, a result of breeders selecting for a heavy fleece on a sheep that has a fair mutton form. Its body is fairly free of wrinkles, but it carries heavy neck folds and frequently wrinkles or heavy folds behind the shoulders and on the thighs and rear flanks. It is larger and better adapted to everyday conditions than the type A. 3. The type "C" or Delaine Merino is the most practical Merino and is especially adapted to range sheep production in the western and southwestern parts of the U.S.  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 and gregarious and adaptable to unassisted pasture lambing ◼ produce a fine wool fleece with a deep, close crimp. ◼ Breed category: fine-wool ◼ Distribution: USA Medium Wool Breeds Cheviot Apennine ◼ kept primarily for meat production ◼ polled and has semi-lopped ears ◼ reared in small or medium size flocks, that usually are not the only economic source of the farm. ◼ Breed category: meat, medium wool ◼ Distribution: Italy  ◼ main characteristics are double- Beltex muscled hindquarters, coupled with fine bones, which ensures maximum killing-out percentage of the finished lamb ◼ Beltex-sired lambs are born with ease and are thrifty ◼ Finished lambs yield a high killing-out percentage and 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) ◼ known for their ability to produce a lamb crop any time during the year ◼ ewes are prolific, heavy milkers that 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 ◼ high degree of ruggedness, gregarious instinct, pasturing ability, and adaptability to the harsh environment ◼ Breed category: dual- purpose, medium wool ◼ Distribution: Spain, Europe Finnish Landrace  Hampshire (Down) ◼ a large breed, with black faces and legs and wool on the legs and head. Their fast growth rate and superior carcass merit make them a popular choice to sire crossbred market lambs. ◼ Breed categories: meat, medium wool, down ◼ Distribution: UK, Europe, North America, South America 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 ◼ breed was the result of crossing Cotswolds and Hampshires ◼ one of the largest breeds of sheep. It produces the heaviest fleece of any of the Down breeds. ◼ In the U.K., it is 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 ◼ 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  Southdown ◼ one of the oldest sheep breeds, ◼ adapts well to intensive management, pass their superb conformation onto their offspring, and can thrive and maintain flesh where many other breeds would virtually starve ◼ Breed categories: medium wool, meat ◼ Distribution: Worldwide Suffolk ◼ Originally, they were called Southdown Norfolks or just "Black faces." ◼ a large breed with a distinctive all-black head and legs that are free of wool. ◼ lambs grow faster than any other breed and yield heavy, high cutability carcasses of the type demanded by today's health conscience consumers. ◼ Breed categories: medium wool, meat ◼ Distribution: Worldwide  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 Long Wool Breeds Cotswold Badger Face Welsh Mountain ◼ a color variation (a recessive trait) of the Welsh Mountain ◼ main type is known by Torddu which means blackbelly, but there is also a rarer Torwen which is the reverse coloration, black with a white belly Badger Face Welsh Mountain ◼ Torddu variation have a distinctive broad striped face with a black band from jaw to belly and extending to the underside of the tail ◼ The main fleece varies from pure white to light tan ◼ Rams have dark spiral horns and the ewes are polled ◼ Breed categories: long wool, dual-purpose ◼ Distribution: UK  Barki ◼ well adapted to live under desert conditions ◼ known for a long breeding season (300 days) and good mothering abilities ◼ milk production of ewes is low ◼ multi-colored, usually white with brown or black head and legs ◼ produce coarse wool and have a small fat tail ◼ the smallest Egyptian breed. ◼ Breed categories: long wool, fat- tailed ◼ Distribution: Middle East Leicester ◼ a big sheep with a heavy fleece of curly, lustrous wool that is even in length and fiber diameter ◼ classified as a "rare" breed by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. ◼ Breed categories: long wool, rare ◼ Distribution: UK, North America Leicester (Blue-Faced) ◼ Breed category: long wool, dual-purpose ◼ Distribution: UK, Australia, New Zealand, North America 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 ◼ a versatile breed, as demonstrated by its ability to produce quality meat and wool under diverse climate conditions and management systems ◼ Due to the extreme geographic and climatic conditions of the region, Romney sheep developed some specific breed characteristics which include hooves which are resistant to footrot and fleeces which remain heavy in harsh weather Romney ◼ Their long, lustrous fleeces are sought by hand spinners. ◼ Breed category: long wool, dual-purpose ◼ Distribution: New Zealand, UK, North America, Falkland Islands Crossbred Wool Breeds Columbia ◼ one of the larger-sized breeds ◼ produces a heavy, medium- wool fleece with good staple length and hardy, fast- growing lambs. ◼ Breed categories: medium wool, dual purpose ◼ Distribution: North America  Corriedale ◼ oldest of all the crossbred wool breeds, a Merino-Lincoln cross developed in Australia and New Zealand ◼ dual-purpose sheep with good meat and wool ◼ dense fleece is medium-fine and high yielding, with good length and softness, somewhat between medium wool and long wool, favored by hand spinners ◼ lambs produce good quality carcasses and have a high pelt value.  ◼ only two recognized breeds of sheep which were developed in the United Panama States by private sheep breeders ◼ began as a cross between Rambouillet rams and Lincoln ewes ◼ a hardy breed that is highly adapted to range areas with ample feed conditions. ◼ They are polled, resembling the Columbia breed, but are more intermediate in size, and produce a heavy, dense medium-grade fleece with a long staple length. ◼ Breed category: dual-purpose, medium wool ◼ Distribution: USA Romeldale Targhee ◼ one of America's youngest breeds. ◼ developed from Rambouillet, Columbia and Corriedale crosses. ◼ a dual-purpose sheep with good meat type and a heavy fleece of high quality wool. ◼ their ¾ fine wool and ¼ long wool breeding is favored by western ranchers. ◼ Breed categories: crossbred wool, dual-purpose ◼ Distribution: North America Tailless Southdale Carpet Wool Breeds Black-faced Highland Fur Sheep Breed ◼ may be the oldest breed of Karakul domesticated sheep ◼ fat broad tailed type of sheep. In their large tail is stored fat, a source of nourishment, similar in function to the camel's hump ◼ large flocks of Karakuls are still raised for pelt production from very young lambs  Karakul ◼ The skins of baby lambs with their tightly curled wool are used in the "Persian lamb" fur trade ◼ Breed categories: double- coated, fat-tailed, rare ◼ Distribution: USA, Africa, Middle East, Europe, Asia