Counting Sheep

Many Breeds of Sheep 

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.

See Sheep Breeds A-Z   

 

Youth Conservation Program
Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

Photo by Susan Schoenian

Rambouillet Ewes in Maryland

Photo by Susan Schoenian

 Fine Wool sheep

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.

Lincoln Ram in Maryland

Photo by Susan Schoenian

 Long Wool sheep

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.

Suffolk Ewe lamb in Maryland

Photo by Susan Schoenian

 Medium wool - Meat Sheep

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.

More about Hair Sheep

Pelibüey Ewes and Lambs
in the Dominican Republic

Photo by Susan Schoenian

Fat-tailed/Fat-rumped sheep 

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.

Fat-rumped Turki sheep in Afghanistan

Photo courtesy of Fardeen Omidwar

 
Icelandic Ewe in Michigan

Photo courtesy of Lavender Farm

 Short or rat-tailed breeds

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 very prolific. Examples of these breeds include Finnsheep, Romanov, East Friesian, Shetland, and Icelandic.