Sheep Breeds - S-St

  

** Saeftinger **

The Saeftinger breed originated around 1986 by crossing a Romanov ram onto Suffolk ewes. The breed takes its name from the salt meadows where it grazes. The meat from the Saeftinger is a culinary specialty. Mature ewes average 2.2 lambs per lambing; ewe lambs, 2.0. Three lamb crops in two years is common. Ewes and rams are both hornless.

Breed categories: meat, short-tailed

Distribution: Belgium, Netherlands

Saeftinger Ewe in Belgium

Photo courtesy of Lieven Caekebeke

  

** Santa Cruz **

There is considerable uncertainty as to the exact origin of the sheep of Santa Cruz Island, even to the century in which sheep were placed there. Speculation is that Merino, Rambouillet, and perhaps some Churro figure in the Santa Cruz sheep's background, and it is certain that the sheep have been feral for the last 70 years. The Nature Conservancy acquired 88% of the island (located off the coast of southern California) during the 1970's and began an eradication program in 1980. In 1988, twelve lambs were brought off the island by a team of Nature Conservancy and ALBC volunteers and were placed with five California breeders to begin a population rebuilding effort. The Santa Cruz Island sheep breed is an important genetic resource. Its historic background, long period of isolation, and adaptation to a challenging environment have given the breed an array of characteristics not found among commercial breeds.

Breed categories: feral, rare

Distribution: United States

SVF Foundation
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy

** Santa Inês **

The Santa Inês is a breed of hair sheep found in Brazil. It is generally thought to be a cross of Morada Nova, the course-wooled Italian breed, Bergamasca, and the native coarse-wooled Crioula, followed by a period of selection or evolution for absence of fleece. Colors range from red, black and white and can be spotted or solid. They have large bodies, are long-legged and have large pendulous ears and are polled. The rams do not have a throat ruff. They have a low litter size of 1.25. Mature weights of the ewes in the field fall between 40 and 50 kg. (88 to 110 lbs.), and if well fed, the rams can weigh as much as 100 kg (220 lbs).

Breed categories: hair (meat), skin

Distribution: South America

Associação Brasileira de Criadores de Ovinos

Santa Inês Ram and Ewe in Brazil

  

** Sardinian **
(Sarda)

The Sardinian breed originated from the local lowland breed which were large, polled, and had white wool. Merino and Barbary breeding were also used in developing the breed. The males are occasionally horned and the females are polled (hornless). Sardinian sheep are primarily keep for milk production. Pecorino sarda cheese is made only from Sardinian sheep milk coming from the island of Sardinia off the coast of Italy. In Sardinia, there are more sheep than people.

Breed categories: dairy, carpet wool

Distribution: Europe

Photo courtesy of EAAP-Animal Genetic Bank

  

** Scotch Mule **

The Scotch Mule is an intentionally produced crossbred sheep out of Scottish Blackface ewes and sired by Bluefaced Leicester rams. The term "mule" (when it refers to sheep) is used for an intentionally produced crossbred sheep that is sired by a Bluefaced Leicester ram. In the United Kingdom, Mule ewes are the backbone of the commercial sheep industry. The various types of Mules are the most popular commercial ewes in the UK, and the Bluefaced Leicester is the number one crossing sire there. The advantages of the Mule as a commercial ewe are many, and the Bluefaced Leicester imparts many highly desirable qualities in his crossbred daughters. The Mule ewe will have improved maternal qualities such as early maturity, increased prolificacy, improved milk production, more capacity, in addition to hybrid vigor.

Text courtesy of Nancy Cox Starkey

Breed categories: half-breed, meat

Distribution: United Kingdom

Scotch Mule Association

  

** Scottish Blackface **
(Blackface)

The Scottish Blackface is by far the most important blackface sheep in all of Great Britain. They are primarily used for crossing, usually with the Border or Bluefaced Leicester. They originated as a mountain sheep in Scotland, and there is a tradition that they came from a Spanish ship wrecked during the northward flight of Armada in 1588. The Scottish Blackface has a light weight fleece of long, coarse wool. Both sexes have horns. In addition to an attractive and stylish fleece, their roman nose and unusual black and white face markings set them apart in appearance. The Scottish Blackface is found in the Highlands and Borders of Scotland, Pennines, Dartmoor and Northern Ireland. They have also been exported to the United States, Italy and Argentina.

Breed categories: carpet wool

Distribution: United Kingdom, Europe, North America, South America

Blackface Sheep Breeders' Association
www.scottish-blackface.de
www.blackface.nl

  

** Scottish Greyface **

By using the Border Leicester ram with the Scottish Blackface ewe, the Scottish Greyface is produced. The Scottish Greyface ewe has the same purpose as other Halfbred and Mule ewes,namely to produce quality prime lamb when put to a terminal sire. As the name suggests, she has a speckled face, gray in color. The body is long, well-sprung, and evenly fleshed. The Scottish Greyface can be found in all parts of the British Isles.

Breed categories: half-breed, meat

Distribution: United Kingdom

Scottish Greyface Sheep Breeders Association

Scottish Greyface Ewes

Photo courtesy of Society of
Border Leicester Sheep Breeders

  

** Shetland-Cheviot **

From the turn of the 20th century, North Country Cheviot rams have been bred with the Shetland ewe to produce what has become locally as the Shetland-Cheviot. The hybrid vigor prdouced from the crossing the two pure breeds ensures that the Shetland-Cheviot retains the features of both. She is a hardy, thrifty, and milky with her sire's excellent conformation. Following the realization that a small ewe crossed with a large, fast growing sire could produce prime lamb very efficiently, producers outside Shetland turned to the breed, which has spread into the Orkneys, Caithness and down through Scotland. The Shetland-Cheviot's main purpose is to produce quality lamb when put to a suitable ram, usually a terminal sire.

Breed categories: half-breed, medium wool

Distribution: United Kingdom

Shetland-Cheviot Marketing Society

** Skudde **
(Skuddeschaap)

The Skudde is a nordic, short-tailed heather sheep. Its original homeland was East Prussia and the Baltic States. Today a few small herds can be found in these areas. The most noticeable feature of the Skudde ram is the imposing snail horn. The ewes are hornless or carry horn stumps. In individual cases, it occurs that ewes carry chamois-like “hornlets.” The animals are slender, the weight of the rams lies between 35 and 50 kg (77-110 lbs), that of the ewes from 25 to 40 kg (55-88 lbs). The wool mixture typical of this breed consists of fine wool fibers, dispersed with short hairs and course cover hair. The colors are white, brown, black, and gray. White Skuddes have small pigment spots on the head. Lambs have a rust-colored marking in the nape of the neck and on the legs. This coloring disappears in adults. Skuddes are not kept for their meat. They are suited for pasturing more barren areas. The meat is held to be a delicacy in circles of connoisseures. Skuddes come into heat aseasonally. Lambs are born at any time of the year. As a rule three lambings are possible in two years.

Breed categories: rare, short-tail

Distribution: Europe

Skuddenschäferei auf dem Vulkan

Photo courtesy of EAAP-Animal Genetic Bank

** Solognote **
(Solognot)

The Solognote is an old breed that derives its name from Sologne, France, where it was developed in the 15th century. The breed was very widespread in the 1850's. It has been exported to Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Morocco. The Solognote is a very rustic breed that is able to tolerate diseases and poor feeding conditions.

Breed category: medium wool, rare

Distribution: Europe, Africa

** Somali **
(Black Head Somali, Ogaden)

The Somali is a hair sheep which is reared primarily for meat production. They are white with a black head. Both sexes are polled and the breed belongs to the fat-rumped type. Somali sheep are the immediate ancestor of the Blackheaded Persian which was developed in South Africa in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and that has been widely used for crossbreeding in many parts of Africa and elsewhere in the tropics.

Breed categories: hair (meat), fat-rumped

Distribution: Africa, South America

** South African Meat (Mutton) Merino **
(Prime SAMM)

SAMMs were imported into South Africa by the Department of Agriculture from 1936 to 1974 from Germany where the Deutsche Fliesch Merino is a common meat sheep of Germany, Austria, and Poland. In South Africa, the name was translated as Duits Vleis Merinoand then into English as German Mutton Merino. In 1974, the South African Breed Society changed the name to the South African Mutton Merino. When imported into Australia in 1996, Western Australian SAMM breeders registered the name Prime SAMM, as the Australian usage of the word "'Mutton" relates to a description of extremely old and inedible sheepmeat. The translation used in Australia is "South African Meat Merino." The SAMM is bred specifically to produce a slaughter lamb at an early age (35 kg/77 lbs. at 100 days of age), while still being able to produce good volumes (4 kg/8.8 lbs) of medium to strong wool.

Breed categories: Merino, dual-purpose

Distribution: Worldwide

South African Mutton Merino Breeders' Association
Australian Meat Merino
New Zealand Meat Merino Group

South African Meat Merinos in Australia

Photos courtesy of Jeancourt Prime SAMM

** South Wales Mountain**

South Welsh Mountain sheep have been reared on the harsh hill pastures of South Wales for centuries. Their ability to thrive where lesser breeds have failed has ensured their predominance in the area. They are a dual purpose breed. They are similar in appearance to other Welsh Mountain breeds, and rams are frequently used to improve the size and conformation of the other Welsh Mountain breeds. When crossed with a Suffolk ram, the South Wales Mountain ewe produces ewe lambs that are much sought after as lowland breeding ewes, being hardy, prolific and good milkers with strong conformation. Their fleece is dense with an even mixture of white kempy fiber.

Breed categories: dual-purpose, hill

Distribution: United Kingdom

** Spanish Merino **
(Merina)

A number of sheep breeding nations, including Phoenicia, Italy, and Spain, are believed to have played a part in the development of the Merino sheep. However, it is generally agreed upon that the Moors, who dominated Spain through the eighth to thirteenth centuries, were primarily responsible for selectively breeding the animals to such an extent that the wool they produced became superior to that of all other sheep. Indeed, the word Merino may be of Moorish origin, possibly evolving from their word for a judge that settled disagreements about flocks between shepherds. By the eighteenth century, Merino wool was considered so luxurious and valuable only the sovereign of Spain was permitted to send Merino sheep out of the country, which he occasionally conveyed as gifts. The Merino fleece sits at the top of the grading charts for fineness; it is the standard against which all others are measured. Merino sheep are also noted for their hardiness and their herding instincts and have been used as parents of several other breeds, notably the Rambouillet of France.

Breed categories: fine wool

Distribution: Worldwide

Photo courtesy of EAAP-Animal Genetic Bank

** Spael sheep **
(Norsk Spael Sheep, Spælsau )

The Norwegian Spael sheep is named after the short, nearly wool-less tail (spælen). It originates from the old Norwegian landrace of sheep. In 1912, two breeding stations were established to prevent extinction of the breed. Icelandic sheep were crossed onto the Spael sheep through semen import in the 1960's and 1970's. Finnsheep and Faeroe Island sheep were also used in the breeding of Spael sheep. The sheep are most commonly white, but there are also black, brown, grey and blue-grey animals and various forms of piebald are found. Most animals are polled, with about 10% occurrence of horned in both sexes. The wool is double coated, with mean fibre diameter 31.5 micron of underwool and 57.1 micron of outer hair.wool is used for many different products and woolskins and nappa leather are made out of the pelts.

Breed categories: short-tailed, double-coated

Distribution: Northern Europe

Colour Genetics in Spaelsau

A-Ba	D-F	M-N	S-Sp	Index
Be-Br	G-I	O-P	St-U
C	J-L	R	V-Z

References:
Oklahoma State University Breeds of Livestock
EAAP-Animal Genetic Bank
British Sheep 8th Edition
Sheep Breeds in Poland
FAO Breeds Database
Breed Association Web Sites