Naked Sheep

	History of Hair Sheep The wild ancestors of today's domestic sheep breeds had long, coarse hair and a short, downy undercoat, which under domestication gradually became wool, while the long hair disappeared. Wild sheep, such as the Mouflon, still do not have wooly coats.
Wool  Some breeds of sheep remain true to their ancestors and do not have long, wooly coats. This is because wool is a disadvantage in many environments and not profitable to produce in many circumstances.	Barbados Blackbelly Photo courtesy of Virginia State University
Native hair sheep in Brazil	Found in the Tropics It is estimated that approximately 10 percent of the world's sheep population are hair sheep, which an estimated 90 percent are found in Africa, 10 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Popular in United States  Though estimated to be only 3% of the U.S. sheep population, hair sheep are gaining rapidly in popularity in the U.S. and other temperate climates because wool is not as profitable as it used to be and meat (lamb) is the primary source of income in the majority of sheep operations. Hair sheep are also valued for their production efficiency and "easy-care" nature.	Katahdin Ewe with Twins
Santa Inês Ram in Brazil	Hair vs. Wool Sheep Hair sheep are not a cross between goats and sheep. They have the same number of chromosomes as wooled sheep. The primary difference between hair sheep and wooled sheep is the ratio of hair to wool fibers. All sheep have both types of fibers. Hair sheep have more hair fibers and wool sheep have more wool fibers. Wooled sheep need sheared. Hair sheep do not. Hair sheep also do not need their tails docked (removed). Most wool sheep have their tails dock for reasons of health and sanitation.
Not All Hair Sheep are the Same  Like wooled breeds, there is considerable diversity in hair sheep breeds, depending upon their origins. Some breeds and animals have short, slick hair coats absent of wool, while others have thicker coats containing a mixture of hair and wool fibers that shed naturally every year. Hair sheep tend to grow more wool fibers in cold climates, thus making them adaptable to different climate extremes.	Katahdin Ewe with Her Triplet Lambs
Dorper Ewes in North Carolina	Shedding Sheep Some of the newer breeds of hair sheep are crosses between "pure" hair sheep and meat-type wooled breeds. They grow more wool than traditional hair sheep, but shed their coats annually and still do not require shearing. They may be more accurately identified as "shedding" sheep.
Hardy, Productive Sheep  Besides shedding their "fleeces," hair sheep have many outstanding qualities including a high level of reproduction, natural resistance to internal parasites and other pests, and greater tolerance for heat and humidity.	St. Croix (Virgin Island White) Ewes Photo courtesy of Virginia State University
Katahdin x Dorper Lambs	Hair Sheep Lambs Hair sheep lambs have excellent vigor. Their growth rates depend upon their breed, genetics (for growth), and diet. Many of the hair sheep breeds "fatten" more like goats, meaning they deposit fat around their internal organs before they deposit external fat. As a result, they should probably not be full-fed in a feed lot. It is probably better to grow them out more slowly on a lower-energy, higher-roughage diet.
. . New Words . . Ancestor - Any organism, population, or species from which some other organism, population, or species is descended by reproduction. Domestication - the process of taming something wild. Chromosome - Components in a cell that contain genetic information. Each chromosome contains numerous genes. Chromosomes occur in pairs: one obtained from the mother; the other from the father. Resistance - the condition in which an organism can resist disease. Tolerance - the ability to experience exposure to potentially harmful amounts of a substance without showing an adverse effect. Vigor - healthy growth in any living organism. Fatten - to feed for slaughter. To make fleshy or plump.

Choose a topic from the drop down list

Basic Sheep Info Sheep Terms Sheep vs. Goats Kinds of Sheep Sheep Breeds Colored Sheep Hair Sheep Lambing Tails Sheep Behavior Are sheep stupid? Butting Horns Cud Chewing What Sheep Eat Sheep Grazing Products from Sheep Eating Lamb Dairy Sheep About Wool Shearing Wool Qualities Sheep Farming Predators Sheep as Pets Diseases from Sheep Sheep Dogs Sheep in History Interesting Facts -- Sheep101 Home Page --

This web site is optimized for screen resolutions of 1024 x 768 and higher. You can change your screen resolution by right clicking your mouse on the desktop, then clicking on properties, followed by settings. The web site contains a lot of images and pages may take awhile to load on computers with slow connections.

About the SITE | SITE MAP | About the PHOTOS | About GEORGE

Last updated 18-Jun-2007 by Susan Schoenian.

Go baaaaa . . . ck to Sheep 101 home page

Sheep 101 is affiliated with sheepandgoat.com and baalands.com.