There
are more breeds of sheep than breeds of any other livestock
species. Worldwide, there are more than a thousand distinct
sheep breeds, more than 40 in the United States alone.
Sheep come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. They
can be differentiated by their primary purpose (meat, wool,
or milk), the type of fibers they grow (fine, medium, long,
or carpet wool; or hair), the color of their faces (black, white,
red, or mottled), and/or various production or physical characteristics.
Fine
wool sheep produce wool fibers with a very small fiber diameter
(usually 20 microns or less). Sheep bred for their fine
wool account for more than 50 percent of the world's sheep population.
Found extensively in Australia, South Africa, South America,
and the western U.S., most sheep of this type belong to the
Merino breed. The Rambouillet,
related to the Merino, is the other major breed of fine-wool
type. It is the most common breed of sheep in the U.S., especially
the western states where the majority of sheep in the U.S. are
raised. Fine wool sheep are best adapted to arid and semi-arid
regions. They are known for their strong flocking instinct.
Long
wool breeds produce long stapled wool with a large fiber
diameter (usually greater than 30 microns). Long wool sheep
are best adapted to cool, high rainfall areas and are found
in such places as England, Scotland, New Zealand, and the Falkland
Islands. In the U.S., the fleeces from the long wool breeds
are popular among hand spinners.
Meat
or "mutton-type" sheep produce wool, mostly medium
and long, but are raised more for their meat qualities. Medium
wool sheep account for about 15 percent of the world's sheep
population. The most popular meat breeds in the U.S. are Suffolk,
Hampshire, and Dorset.
Hair
sheep
Some breeds of sheep lack wool and are covered with hair instead,
like their wild ancestors. Some hair sheep have pure hair coats,
wheras others have coats containing a mixture of hair and wool
fibers that shed naturally. Hair sheep are found mostly in Africa
and the Caribbean, but are also raised in temperate climates
such as the U.S. and Canada. Hair sheep comprise about 10 percent
of the world sheep population and are the fastest growing segment
of the American sheep industry. Interest in hair sheep is also
developing in Europe and the United Kingdom.
Fat-tailed
or fat-rumped sheep are so named because they can store large
amounts of fat in the tail and the region of the rump. Fat-tailed
sheep are found for the most part in the extremely arid regions
of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. They often produce wool,
but are raised primarily for meat (lamb or mutton) or milk.
Fat-tailed sheep make up about 25 percent of the world's sheep
population. Several U.S. breeds have fat-tailed origins: Karakul,
Tunis, and Dorper.
Short or "rat-tailed" breeds originate primarily from
Scandinavia and Northern Europe. Their tails are thin and free
of wool and do not need docked. These breeds tend to be veryprolific. Examples of these breeds include Finnsheep,
Romanov, East
Friesian, Shetland,
and Icelandic.
Primitive breeds have developed with minimal human selection pressure.
They typically possess lots of genetic variation between members,
but share certain characteristics indicative of a breed. A primitive
breed will typically retain survival characteristics that favor
production with minimal human inputs. Consistency among the products
produced by the breed is somewhat lacking, but they are an important
source of genetic variation that may not exist anywhere else. Many
primitive breeds live in isolated mountain regions or on islands.
Like some species of wildlife, many are endangered. Fortunately,
conservation efforts are underway to preserve these important
genetic resources.
Breed
- a special variety of domesticated animals within a species.
Conservation
- the preservation of natural species and environments.
Endangered
- in great danger of dying out.
Mottled
- having spots or patches of color.
Micron
- one-millionth of a meter.
Primitive
- of ancient origin; retaining many ancestral characteristics.
Prolific
- bearing in abundance, especially offspring.
Staple
- A synonym for fiber. A lock or tuft of wool.
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