Adv Animal ScienceBreed Book

Vol IVSheep Breeds

Hampshire

• Origin: England• Breed Characteristics:

large-framed terminal (meat breed) with open fleece, black legs and face with unbroken wool cap extending over the poll

• Other:

Merino

• Origin: Spain• Breed Characteristics:

white-faced, open-faced breed bred for wool production; smaller-bodied than meat breeds

• Other: very common in dry, arid areas; one of the most prominent breeds in Australia

Cheviot

• Origin: Scotland/England border

• Breed Characteristics: white-faced, long-wool breed with the head completely free of wool; smaller bodied than some terminal breeds; typically alert temperament

• Other: Dual-purpose breed

Suffolk

• Origin: England• Breed Characteristics: black-

faced, large-bodied terminal breed with face and poll free of wool.

• Other: Popular breed registry and club lamb breed (although recently overtaken in popularity by Hampshire)

Romney

• Origin: England• Breed Characteristics:

white-faced, long-wool breed with wool completely down the legs; medium size in body

• Other: dual-purpose breed; first imported to US to Monmouth, OR

Columbia

• Origin: US (Sheep Experiment Station – ID)

• Breed Characteristics: very large-framed, white face wool breed with medium wool; wool cap; rams can be as large as 400 pounds

• Other: bred specifically for use in Western US rangeland

Finn

• Origin: Finland• Breed Characteristics:

highly prolific breed with typically multiple births (2-5 lambs); small bodied, white-faced/wool with fine medium-wool

• Other: lots of crossbreeding to increase birthing rate

Dorset

• Origin: England• Breed Characteristics:

large-framed dual-purpose, with very white fleece and face; wool down the legs and over the poll (wool cap); both horned and polled varieties

• Other: prolific “out-of-season” breeder

Texel

• Origin: Netherlands• Breed Characteristics:

terminal breed with remarkable muscling characteristics; distinctive wide, short white-face with horizontal ears

• Other: muscling easily passed on to crossbreed offspring; dominant terminal breed in Europe

Polypay

• Origin: US (USDA Sheep Experiment Station, ID) in 1970

• Breed Characteristics: white-faced, medium-wool breed designed to produce high numbers of lambs per year

• Other: composite of Finn, Rambouillet, Dorset, and Targhee

Border Leicester

• Origin: England• Breed Characteristics:

White-faced polled breed with large body size, upright ears

• Other: long wool once used extensively in carpets, now prized by hand spinners

Lincoln

• Origin: England• Breed Characteristics: was

the largest of the English breeds; long-wool breed with white face and wool hanging in long locks

• Other: Rarer breeds of sheep