Purebred sheep - Katahdin
Crossbred lamb
Wool breed - mostly Romney
Meat breed - Texel
Dual-purpose Columbia
Photo courtesy of
South Dakota
State University
Dairy sheep - East Friesian
Photo courtesy of Crane
Creek
Sire breed
Maternal breed - Polypay
Whiteface sheep - Merino
Blackface sheep
Fine wool sheep - Rambouillet
Long wool sheep - Romney
Natural colored
Hair sheep - Katahdin
Rat-tailed - Finnsheep
Prolific breed - Barbados Blackbelly
Rare breed - Karakul
Easy care - North Country Cheviot
Photo courtesy of North
Country Cheviot Sheep Society
Aseasonal - Dorset
Image by K Bar Farm
Mixed breed ewes
Crossbred lambs
Tunis lamb
Selecting a breed of sheep
There are more than 1,000 breeds of sheep worldwide and more than 50 in the United States and Canada. While only a handful of sheep breeds are of economic importance, all breeds of sheep are important, as they contribute to the genetic diversity of the species and industry. Pictures and descriptions of more than two hundred sheep breeds can be found at www.sheep101.info/breeds.html.Deciding which breed (or breeds) to raise is an important decision that 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 or crosses are chosen.
At the same time, it is important to remember that there are no "best" breeds of sheep. All breeds have traits which may be good or bad, depending upon the production situtation. In addition, there is usually as much difference within a breed as between breeds.
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) which allow percentage "purebreds" to be recorded by the breed association. Percentage sheep are usually recorded as part of an upgrading program.
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 in which the performance of crossbred offspring is superior to the average performance of the 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 the objective is to raise and market purebred and/or registered sheep, it is better 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 are several ways in which sheep breeds are categorized. They include purpose, use, face color, fiber type, and various physical or performance attributes.
Purpose
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 harvested 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 from their matings 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.
Face Color
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-face
breeds (e.g. Rambouillet, Targhee, and Polypay) tend to have
superior maternal and wool traits.
In some countries, black-face sheep are strongly 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 prevent 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 or the type of coat they have. 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
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 because 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 tend to be 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 western United States and
Canada. 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.
Long wool sheep
Long wool sheep grow long wool fibers that have a large fiber
diameter (usually more than 30 microns) and long staple length.
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 Falkland 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.
Medium wool sheep
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.
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 indigenous
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.
Fleece or coat color
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 fleeces for hand spinning.
Fine |
Medium
(meat) |
Long |
Minor* |
American Cormo Booroola Merino Debouillet Delaine-Merino Rambouillet |
Border Cheviot Dorset (Polled or Horn) Hampshire Montadale North Country Cheviot Oxford Shropshire Southdown Suffolk Texel Tunis |
Border Leicester |
Black Welsh Mountain Bluefaced Leicester California Variegated Mutant Clun Forest Gulf Coast Native Icelandic Jacob Karakul Navajo-Churro Scottish Blackface Shetland Wiltshire Horn |
Medium (dual purpose) |
Hair |
||
Columbia Corriedale East Friesian Finnsheep Panama Polypay Targhee |
American Blackbelly Barbados Blackbelly California Red Dorper Katahdin Romanov Royal White St. Croix |
Minor breeds grow a variety of different types of wool, from double-coated (e.g. Navajo Churro) to hair (e.g Wiltshire Horn) to black (e.g. Black Welsh Mountain) or spotted (e.g. Jacob).
There are several breeds not included ASI's table that can be found in the United States. They include Gotland, Hog Island, Ile-de-France, Lacaune, Leicester Longwool, Santa Cruz, SAMM (South African Meat Merino), and Soay. Some of the breeds are rare, whereas others are being introduced via upgrading programs or embryos.
Other 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).
Prolificy
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 noteworthy 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. Another breed of great historical significance is the Leicester Longwool.
Ewe Breed Selection
The most important factors to consider when selecting a ewe breed, type, or cross are:
1. Adaptability to environment
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 in any geographic location, 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 good choices for hot
and dry climates where feed may be scarce. Where it's hot
and humid, the Gulf Coast Native or hair sheep (of tropical
origins) are good choices, 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 sheep 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 all shepherds desire 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 percent. 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. Litter size should be matched to the production environment.
When to Lamb
In temperate climates, most sheep are seasonal breeders, i.e. "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. To produce "out-of-season" lambs, that go against this "norm," you'll need
to select a breed that is able to breed at different times of the year.
In the U.S., the Dorset is 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. This is because many Polled Dorsets have been bred for show ring qualities and not production traits.
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 are 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.
Level of Care
Sheep raising tends to be much 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 rare or 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 need to 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. At the same time, it is important to remember than diet exerts a larger influence on lamb flavor than genetics.
Purebred rams are often favored over crossbred rams because
there will be more uniformity in their offspring. However,
crossbreed rams tend to be superior in their breeding ability.
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