Breed Selection

There are more than 1,000 breeds of sheep worldwide and more than 50 in the United States. While only a handful of sheep breeds are of commercial significance in the U.S., all contribute to the genetic diversity of the industry. Pictures and descriptions of more than 200 sheep breeds can be found at www.sheep101.info/breeds.html.

Deciding which breed (or breeds) to raise is an important decision each shepherd must make. The goal(s) for raising sheep should be the primary consideration when deciding upon a breed (or breed type). This is because if you're interested in producing wool for the hand spinner's market, your breed choice would be much different than if meat will be your primary product to sell. Conversely you wouldn't choose "wool" breeds, if the majority of your income is going to come from meat. If your children want to compete in junior market lamb shows, choice of breed(s) will affect success in this segment of the sheep industry. Price and availability will also have a bearing on which breeds are chosen.

Crossbred, Purebred, or Registered?

A crossbred is an animal whose sire (father) and dam (mother) are different breeds or breed types, while a purebred animal's parents are of the same breed or type. A registered or pedigreed animal has a known ancestry. However, it could be crossbred (percentage purebred) or purebred (fullblood), depending upon the registration policy of its breed association. Most sheep breeds have closed flock books, meaning only 100% purebred animals with registered parents can be registered in the flock book. Some breed associations have open flock books (e.g. Katahdin and Dorper), allowing percentage purebreds to be recorded by the breed association. Percentage sheep are usually recorded as part of an upgrading program.

Crossbred sheep are usually hardier and more productive than purebred sheep.

While purebred sheep usually sell for higher prices than crossbred sheep and registered animals tend to cost more than non-registered animals, breed type (or purity) or registration status is in no way indicative of quality or productivity. In fact, crossbred animals tend to be hardier and more productive than purebreds. This is due to "heterosis" or "hybrid vigor," a natural phenomenon whereby the performance of crossbred offspring is superior to the average performance of its parents. Heterosis is maximized when a crossbred ewe is mated to a crossbred ram. Heterosis occurs to a lesser degree in "composite" breeds, such as the Katahdin and Polypay.  

Another advantage to crossbreeding is breed complementarity. This is when the weaknesses of one breed are offset by the strengths of the other breed(s) and vice versa.   

Unless your objective is to market purebred and/or registered sheep, it is advisable to raise crossbred sheep. This is especially true for beginners. It's better to practice shepherding with hardier, less expensive animals!

Breed Categories

Oftentimes, it is more useful to look at breed "types" rather than individual sheep breeds. Breed types tend to share common characteristics and can usually be substituted for one another in a breeding program. The ways in which sheep breeds can be categorized include: purpose, use, face color, fiber type, and various physical or performance attributes.

Purpose 
Probably the most useful way to categorize sheep breeds is by their primary purpose: meat, wool, or dairy. While most sheep breeds are dual-purpose (i.e. they produce both meat and wool) and some are even triple-purpose (dairy, meat, and wool), most sheep breeds excel in either the production of meat, wool, or dairy -- seldom two or all three. Thus, if you want to milk sheep, you shouldn't choose a meat breed, even though it produces milk to feed its lambs. Nor should you choose a wool breed, if your primary purpose for raising sheep is meat production, even though wool breeds are slaughtered for meat.

Use
Sheep breeds are often categorized as to whether they are more suitable as a ram or ewe in the breeding program. Ram or "sire" breeds should excel in growth and carcass (meat) characteristics whereas ewe or "dam" breeds should excel in fitness (e.g. longevity, parasite resistance) and reproductive traits (early puberty, prolificacy, milk production). Sire breeds are often called "terminal sires" because their offspring are all marketed (terminated) whereas lambs sired by a ewe breed ram, such as Finnsheep, are often kept as flock (ewe) replacements.

The most popular terminal sire breed in the United States is the Suffolk. In Europe, it is the Texel. Some sheep breeds are considered dual-purpose, because they have traits which make them suitable as either a ram or ewe breed. Examples of dual purpose breeds include Dorset, Columbia, and North Country Cheviot.

Targhee Ewes Most fine or crossbred wool sheep can trace their ancestry to the Spanish Merino. Photo courtesy of Robert Padula

Face Color  
In the U.S., sheep breeds are often described by their face color. Black or non-whiteface breeds (e.g. Suffolk, Hampshire, and Oxford) tend to excel in growth and carcass traits, whereas the white-faced breeds (e.g. Rambouillet, Targhee, and Polypay) tend to have superior maternal and wool traits. In some countries, black-faced sheep are discriminated against because the dark fibers and hairs in their fleeces can contaminate the wool clip. In Australia, they developed the White Suffolk breed to avoid this problem. Animal scientists in the U.S. have started to breed a white-faced terminal sire breed.

Fiber or Coat Type 
The most common way to categorize sheep is according to the type of fibers they grow (e.g. fine, medium, long wool, or carpet) or the type of coat they have (e.g. wool vs. hair, single vs. double-coated).  All sheep grow both hair and wool fibers. Hair breeds have more hair fibers than woolly fibers and shed their coats annually. They do not need to be sheared, crutched, or docked. Wooled breeds have more woolly fibers and need to be sheared, usually at least once per year. Ideally, wooled sheep should be crutched , if they are not sheared prior to lambing. Crutching is the removal of wool around the vulva area and udder. Originally, all sheep were hair sheep. The soft, short undercoat ("down") of hair sheep was favored in selection programs and led to the development of the wooled breeds of today.

Fine-wool sheep grow wool fibers with the smallest fiber diameter (usually less than 22 microns). Their fleeces tend to be the shortest in length and contain the most lanolin (wool wax).  Fine wool fleeces usually yield a lower percentage of clean fiber than coarser fleeces. However, fine wool is the most valuable wool in the market place, as it is used to make the highest quality wool garments.   Fine-wool is less likely to itch when it is used in garments.

Fine-wool sheep are hardy and long-lived. Most trace their ancestry to the Spanish Merino. Fine-wool sheep have a strong flocking instinct and are well adapted to arid regions, such as South Africa, Australia, and the southwestern United States. Fine wool sheep and their crosses are the most numerous sheep in the U.S. sheep industry. Worldwide, they comprise approximately 50 percent of the sheep population.

Katahdin Hair Sheep Hair sheep are gaining in popularity. They do not require shearing, docking, or frequent deworming. Image from The Baalands

Long wool sheep grow long wool fibers that have a large fiber diameter (usually more than 30 microns). Their fleeces yield more clean fiber because they contain less lanolin. Carpet wool is even longer and coarser than long wool. Long wool sheep do best where feed resources are abundant. They are most common to cool, wet climates such as the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and the Faukland Islands.. Many of the long wooled breeds in the U.S. can trace their ancestry to the British Isles. The fleeces from the long wooled breeds tend to be favored by hand spinners and weavers.

As the name would suggest, the length and fiber diameter of medium wool fibers is intermediate between fine and long. Most of the meat-type breeds grow medium wool. Medium-wool sheep comprise about 15 percent of the world sheep population.

While sheep are generally not categorized according to the color of their fleeces, there are a few breeds that are a single color (e.g. Black Welsh Mountain and California Red) or color pattern (Jacob).  Most sheep breeds can be different colors, though white is the most common. The color of a sheep's fleece is controlled by many different genes. In fact, inheritance for fleece color can be very complicated. Breeding sheep for different color fleeces can be very interesting. White sheep are favored in commercial flocks, whereas naturally colored sheep tend to be favored in flocks raised for hand spinning.

Hair Sheep
Hair sheep comprise about 10 percent of the world's sheep population, and their popularity is increasing in temperate climates such as North American and Europe. In the United States, there are two general types of hair sheep: "improved" and "unimproved" (or landrace) breeds. The unimproved breeds tend to be indiginous sheep breeds that have adapted well to the local environment in which they evolved. Examples include the Barbados Blackbelly and St. Croix. The American Blackbelly or "Barbado" is believed to be a cross between the Barbados Blackbelly, Mouflon, and Rambouillet. The Wiltshire Horn is a shedding sheep native to the British Isles. The improved hair breeds are crosses between hair sheep breeds and meat-type, wooled breeds. Examples include the Dorper, Katahdin, Royal White, and Meatmaster.

Hair sheep are also categorized by their place of origin. Some hair breeds originate from tropical climates (e.g. Barbados Blackbelly and St. Croix). These breeds tend to be more resistant to internal parasites. Other breeds originate from arid regions and are best-adapted to similar conditions (e.g. Dorper and Damara). The desert breeds tend to be heavier muscled than the tropical breeds, whereas the tropical breeds tend to have superior maternal characteristics.

Type of Tail
Some breeds are grouped together because they have a special kind of tail. Fat-tailed or fat-rumped breeds make up about 25 percent of the world sheep population. They are well-adapted to arid regions and are found mostly in Africa and Asia. Among U.S. breeds, the Karakul is fat-tailed and the Tunis and Dorper have fat-tail origins. The U.S. is home to several breeds of the Northern European short or rat-tail variety of sheep: Finnsheep, Romanov, East Friesian, Shetland, Icelandic, and Soay.  The tails of these short-tailed breeds do not need to be docked. The breeds are also known for their prolificacy (large litters).

Prolific Breeds
Some breeds of sheep are noted for the birth of large litter sizes. Prolific breeds of sheep include Finnsheep, Romanov, Booroola Merino, Barbados Blackbelly, and British Milk Sheep. The Booroola Merino is noteworhty because it has a single gene that is responsible for its high reproductive rate. The "F" (fecundity) gene can be transferred to other breeds. A single gene affecting prolificacy has also been isolated in Icelandic and Cambridge sheep. In most sheep breeds, litter size is a quantitative trait affected by many different genes. Its heritability is low, approximately 10 percent.

Rare and Heritage Breeds 
There are many organizations and individuals dedicated to the preservation of rare and heritage breeds of livestock. While heritage breeds are usually no longer of commercial significance, it is important to preserve their genetics for the purpose of biodiversity. Some of the heritage breeds are also hardier than many of the more popular breeds that have been exploited by the show ring. Heritage breeds are ideal for small, hobby farms or historical farms or estates. The Navajo Churro is the oldest breed of sheep in the United States.

Karakul Ram Raising rare or heritage breeds helps to maintain biodiversity in the sheep industry. Image from Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

Ewe Breed Selection

The most important factors to consider when selecting a ewe breed, type, or cross are:

1.  Adaptability
2.  Type of coat or wool
3.  Desired level of reproduction
4.  Timing and frequency of lambing
5.  Desired level of care

Adaptability 
While any breed of sheep can be raised anywhere, it makes sense to choose breeds which are best adapted to the environment in which they are going to be raised. For example, fine wool breeds and hair sheep (of desert origin) are a good choice for hot and dry environments where feed may be scarce. Where it's hot and humid, the Gulf Coast Native or hair sheep (of tropical origins) are a good choice, because of their heat tolerance and parasite resistance. In cold, wet areas where feed is abundant, the long wool and meat breeds are good choices. Since dairy breeds and prolific breeds are usually raised under intensive management systems, environmental adaptation may be of less importance. Some are adaptable to different climates. For example, hair sheep will grow thicker coats (i.e. more wool) when they are raised in colder climates.

Type of Wool or Coat
The type of wool or coat desired is obviously an important consideration when establishing a ewe flock. If you do not want to shear your sheep, hair sheep (or goats) are your only choice. For the commercial wool market (sales to wool pools and mills), the fleeces from fine and crossbred wool ewes will bring more money. Due to the absence of dark hairs and fibers, the wool from white-faced breeds is more desirable than black or other non-white-faced breeds. If commercial pelts are a consideration, the pelts from white faced sheep and fine wool breeds are more desirable in the commercial marketplace. If you're interested in producing wool for hand spinning, any breed of wool sheep can be raised, but the wool from the long wooled breeds and natural colored fleeces seem to be in the greatest demand. Natural colored pelts are also desirable in the niche markets. The leather market is an untapped market in the United States. The pelts from hair sheep produce the highest quality leather.

Level of Reproduction
Not every shepherd wants to deal with large litters of lambs. On the other hand, ewes that produce only one lamb may not be profitable unless feed costs and overhead are very low. Breed choice can have a large impact on the reproductive rate of the flock. Prolific breed ewes will produce litters of lambs (3 or more). Ewes containing 50 percent or more of a prolific breed will produce lamb crops in excess of 200 pecent. Ewes containing 25 percent of a prolific breed are capable of producing 200 percent lamb crops. Under proper management and nutrition, many breeds are capable of producing a 200 percent lamb crop. Of course, any breed of sheep can be selected to produce larger lamb crops, though it requires a long-term commitment since litter size is only 10 percent heritable. In addition, a high litter size is only advantageous if those lambs can be raised to market profitably.

When to Lamb
In temperate climates, most sheep are seasonal breeders, programmed to mate in the fall when day length is shorter and to lamb in late winter or spring, when the pasture begins to grow. If you want to produce "out-of-season" lambs, you'll need to select an appropriate breed or breed cross. The Dorset is the U.S. breed best known for its ability to lamb year-round, though there are considerable differences for this trait within the breed. In fact, the Horned Dorset is usually considered superior to the Polled Dorset with respect to out-of-season breeding. Other breeds with extended breeding seasons include fine wool sheep (e.g. Rambouillet and Merino), hair sheep, Finnsheep, Polypay, and Karakul. The breeds which are most seasonal in their breeding habits include the long wool breeds and meat breeds of British origin. Any breed of sheep can be selected for the ability to lamb in the fall. Spring breeding can also be achieved with light or hormonal manipulation. The introduction of a ram may also stimulate estrus activity in seasonally anestrous ewes.

The Suffolk is the most popular terminal sire breed in the U.S. Photo courtesy of Donner Trail Ranch

Level of Care
Sheep raising tends to be more labor intensive than raising beef cattle, but there are breeds of sheep which are naturally hardy or have been selected for their easy or self-care nature. Such breeds include hair sheep, Border and North County Cheviots, Coopworths, fine wool breeds, and some of the heritage breeds (e.g. Soay, Shetland, Icelandic). Those breeds which generally require a higher level of care (or labor) include the British meat breeds, long wool breeds, prolific breeds, and dairy breeds. Of course, any flock of sheep can be selected and managed to minimize care (labor). In other words, if you want to work hard raising sheep, you can. If you want the sheep to work for you, you can favor easy-care traits (e.g. unassisted lambing, minimal hoof trimming, minimal deworming) in your management and selection program.

Ram Breed Selection

Before choosing a ram breed, you first need to determine his primary purpose. Will he be used to sire market lambs or do you want him to sire ewe lamb replacements?  Or both? For producing replacements, you need a ram with the appropriate type of wool/coat and reproductive characteristics.

For market lamb production, you need a ram that will sire lambs that are suitable for your target market(s). For example, if you want to produce lambs for the mainstream, heavy lamb (100-140 lbs) markets, your choice of a ram breed would be very different from the ram breed you would choose to sire lambs for the hot house (35 to 50 lbs) or ethnic markets (60-100 lbs.) This is because lambs sired by large-framed breeds such as the Suffolk and Columbia are not very desirable at light weights because they have inadequate muscling and fat. Conversely, lambs sired by small and medium sized breeds such as the Dorset and Southdown, will likely get too fat if they are fed to heavy weights, as these lambs are more ideally suited to the lighter weight lamb markets.

Some producers have been able to create a demand for the meat from certain breeds of sheep. For example, many ethnic buyers like hair sheep lambs because they are accustomed to similar-looking sheep in their homelands. Hair sheep and coarse, long wooled breeds are ideally suited to the freezer market, because their meat has a milder flavor than lambs from fine-wool breeding.

Purebred rams are often favored over crossbred rams because there will be more consistency in their offspring. However, crossbreed rams tend to be superior in their breeding ability.

Additional Web Resources on Sheep Breeds
Sheep Breeds A-Z - Sheep101.info
Oklahoma State University Breeds of Livestock
Animal Genetic Bank - European Association of Animal Production (EAAP)
Maryland Small Ruminant Page - Breed Page
French Sheep Breeds
Origin and diversity of North European sheep breeds