Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
According to the American Sheep Industry Association, there are more than 47 different
sheep breeds in the United States. Worldwide, there are hundreds of sheep breeds, each spe-
cially adapted to their own particular geographical area. In the U.S., the breeds are divided in-
to six categories according to purpose: meat, fine wool, long wool, dual purpose, hair, and
minor breeds. For the most part, the breeds primarily are divided according to meat type or
wool type sheep.
Meat breeds
Cheviot:
The Cheviot is a small-framed sheep with a white face and bare face and legs. It is
hornless and has long wool. A mature ram weighs 160 to 200 pounds. A mature ewe weighs
120 to 160 pounds. Ewes will average 5 to 10 pounds of fleece.
Dorset:
The Dorset can either be horned or polled. They have a medium-sized frame with
white faces. Mature rams weigh 225 to 275 pounds, while a mature ewe weighs 150 to 200
pounds. The fleece from a Dorset ewe weighs between 5 and 9 pounds.
Hampshire:
The Hampshire breed are black-faced, black-legged, large-framed sheep. They
are widely used in the United States in crossbreeding programs when larger offspring is de-
sired. A mature ram weighs more than 275 pounds, while the mature ewe can weigh more
than 200 pounds. A fleece from a mature ewe will average 6 to 10 pounds.
Southdown:
This small-framed breed has a light brown face and matures early into muscular
carcasses. A mature Southdown ram weighs about 200 pounds, while a mature ewe is much
smaller, averaging 150 pounds. The ewe will have a fleece between 5 and 8 pounds.
Suffolk:
This is the largest framed sheep breed in the United States. It has a rapid growth rate,
which makes it an excellent meat breed sheep. The Suffolk has a black bare face and legs. A
mature ram will weigh 250 to 350 pounds, while the mature ewe will weigh 180 to 250
pounds. The ewe's fleece will weigh between 5 and 8 pounds.
Milk breeds
Sheep milk is not popular in any modern culture. However, milk from sheep is used to pro-
duce yogurt and other cultured products. Sheep produce much less milk than dairy cows, but
their milk is much richer in terms of fat, minerals, and solids. This makes sheep milk excel-
lent for making cheese. Three sheep breeds have been bred selectively to produce more milk
than other sheep.
