Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
A breed of animals is a group that has been raised to exhibit similar, inherit-
able traits. Most breeds have a breed association or registry that establishes
the standards for the breed and maintains records of “registered” breeding
stock. A purebred possesses the distinct characteristics of the breed and is
registered, or eligible for registration, with the breed association.
The advantages of purebreds are greater uniformity in appearance and
production and a chance of income from the sale of breeding stock, although
in most cases the additional cost associated with maintaining and marketing
purebred animals isn't offset by the extra income. If you or your children
are interested in showing sheep, then purebreds offer a much wider array of
show opportunities. The disadvantages are the higher initial expense and the
costs of registering lambs, with no better price for wool or meat.
Different breeds were developed in response to market needs and the
conditions under which the animals were to be raised. For example, some
breeds were raised to fl ourish in hotter climates and others in cool climates.
Some breeds have a higher incidence of multiple births (which is fi ne if
you are able to give them suffi cient attention to ensure survival and good
growth), and some breeds are able to lamb more than once a year (this is
known as “out-of-season” lambing).
Crossbred Sheep
Crossbred sheep are those that have blood from one or more breeds in their
lineage. Crossbreeds often produce as well as, if not better than, purebreds
as a result of a phenomenon known as hybrid vigor. Although purebreds
usually exhibit certain desirable traits, inbreeding can also bring out some
undesirable traits; when sheep of two different breeds are bred to each other,
the most desirable traits of each breed tend to come out and the less desir-
able ones don't. This makes for hardier, more vigorous, and more productive
offspring — hence the term “hybrid vigor.”
Most commercial fl ock owners run a crossbred fl ock for their produc-
tion animals, though many also maintain smaller, registered fl ocks. A typi-
cal cross in commercial circles is a ewe with one-half Finn and one-half
Rambouillet blood; these crossbred ewes are typically bred to a Dorset ram,
yielding one-quarter Finn, one-quarter Rambouillet, and one-half Dorset
lambs. See chapter 2 for help deciding which breed, or crossbreed, might be
best for you.
