WHAT DO THESE ITEMS HAVE IN COMMON?!

Hide & Wool

Baseballs, footwear, clothing

Fats

Medicines, chewing gum, crayons

Bones, Horns & Hooves

Marshmallows, dice, tape, ice cream

Meat

Bar-B-Que ribs, Lamb chops, rack of lamb

Manure

Nitrogen Fertilizer

Intestines

Surgical supplies, sausage casings

BREEDS OF SHEEP

OBJECTIVES

Define commonly used sheep industry terms;

Describe the wool classifications;

List and describe the different sheep breeds;

Compare and contrast the three versions of a

Delaine Merino;

OBJECTIVES

Explain how the Barbado came to be;

Categorize a set of pictures into what wool

classification they are; and

Plan your own herd and defend why you

choose the breeds you choose.

HISTORY

Domesticated 10,000 years ago in Central

Asia.

3,500 B.C. that man learned to spin wool.

Wool was the first commodity of sufficient

value to guarantee international trade.

Sheep production is known as the oldest

organized industry.

NUMBERS!

235 breeds World Wide

26-30 breeds in the U.S.

8-10 breeds impact the industry

TERMINOLOGY

Lamb- 12 months of age or less.

Sheep- often referred to as having offspring

and over a year in age.

Ewe- a female sheep.

Ram- a male sheep.

Wether- castrated male lamb.

REPRODUCTION

Estrus cycle: 18 days

Gestation period: 145 days

Twins are common when lambing

Breeding: seasonally anestrous (normally

breed in Fall)

FACTS

Body temp: 100.9°F

Pulse rate: 70-80 beats per minute

Weight:

Adult Sheep

100-150 lbs. for ewes

175-275 lbs. for rams

Baby Lambs

10-12 lbs.

Born with long tails.

FIBER OR COAT TYPE

Most common way is to categorize sheep

All sheep grow both hair and wool fibers

Hair breeds = more hair fibers than woolly

fibers

Shed annually

Wool breeds = more woolly fibers

Need to shear

WOOL CLASSIFICATION

Medium Wool Sheep

Fine Wool Sheep

Long Wool Sheep

Hair Sheep

WOOL TERMINOLOGY

Yield: % of CLEAN wool fibers

Fiber Diameter measured in Microns

1 micron = 1/25,400 of an inch (this is the newest

and most accurate)

Staple length: Length of wool fibers.

FINE WOOL BREEDS

Shortest in length

Contain the most lanolin

wool wax or grease

Smallest fiber diameter

usually less than 22 microns

Fine wool fleeces usually yield a lower percentage of clean fiber than longer, coarser fleeces.

Due to so much lanolin

Highest quality of wool

DELAINE MERINO

Medium sized

Golden in color.

Productive life last longer. (10-12yrs)

Yield 45-54%

2 ½-4” staple length

Wool blindness

3 TYPES OF DELAINE MERINO

Three different types:

“A”- lanky with little carcass value. Not advocated

for commercial lamb and wool production.

“B”-Larger than “A”. Has heavy neck rolls and

wrinkles on the thighs and rear flank. More

adaptable to farm like conditions

“C”- Most practical on range farms. Can adapt

from the deserts to mountains.

RAMBOUILLET

Originated from Merino

breed in Germany and

France.

White-faced with wool

on the legs.

Largest of fine wool

breed.

Adaptable to many arid

conditions.

RAMBOUILLET

Rugged and long lived.

45-55% yield

2 ½ -4” staple length

Dual purpose sheep,

producing a desirable

carcass and good fine

wool

DEBOUILLET

Origin: New Mexico

Comes from the Rambouillet and Delaine-Merino.

Medium sized with white-faced and wool on legs.

Produce high quality, long staple fleece.

DEBOUILLET

Good for southwest range conditions.

Can lamb unassisted

35-50% yield

Staple length can range from 3-5

MEDIUM WOOL BREEDS

length and fiber diameter is intermediate

between fine and long

Most of the meat-type breeds

Make up about 15 percent of the world sheep

population

SUFFOLK

Origin: England

#1 Ram Breed!

Bare and black head and legs.

Largest sized breed in U.S.

Wool is undesirable Black hairs contaminate

the fleece when sheared

Grow rapidly and produce high quality carcasses.

HAMPSHIRE

Origin: England

#2 Ram Breed

Excellent muscling

Black head & legs

Wool cap

Wool above the knees

Polled

Males may have scurs

SOUTHDOWN

Origin: England

Small Sized

Mouse colored muzzle

& legs

Polled

Early maturing

Produce muscular,

light-weight carcasses.

FINNSHEEP

Originated in Finland.

small- to medium-sized

Fine-boned, open-faced breed.

Good-staple length

Wool is mainly white, but colored is acceptable.

Ewes are hardy, have strong maternal instincts and are highly prolific

Yield 50-70%

Staple length 3-6”

Dual purpose breed

DORSET

Origin: England

White face

Smaller meatier sheep

Breeds out of season

Excellent mothering ability

Excellent carcass traits

“True Dual Purpose Breed”

LONG WOOL BREEDS

large fiber diameter (usually more than 30 microns)

long staple length.

Yield more clean fiber because they contain less lanolin.

Commonly raised in cool, wet climates

Tend to be favored by hand spinners and weavers.

CHEVIOT

Originated in hill

country that borders

Scotland and

England.

Small sized.

White face and bare

head.

Desirable carcass for

small weight.

Staple length 2 ½-4”

Yield 50-65%

ROMNEY

Developed in England marsh areas to adapt

to wet, cold conditions.

Medium sized.

White faced with wool extending on legs.

Produce course, long stapled fleece.

Yield 55-70%

Staple length 5-8”

COTSWOLD

One of oldest breeds known leading back to Caesar’s conquest of Britain.

Large with white face.

Known for long, coarse fleece of naturally wavy curls and the tuft of wool on their foreheads.

Yield 60%

Staple length 12-15”

LINCOLN

Originated in England.

Large, deep-bodied sheep with

a large frame.

Polled with a bluish-white face and forward-pointing ears.

They produce a heavy fleece that is very coarse, highly crimped, long and shiny.

Yield 55-70%

Staple length 8-15”

HAIR BREEDS

10% world's sheep population

No wool or very little

Hair sheep can be differentiated by the their place of origin.

Some hair breeds originate from tropical climates. (more resistant to internal parasites.)

Other breeds originate from arid regions and are best-adapted to similar conditions.

Desert breeds tend to be heavier muscled

DORPER

Developed in South Africa.

Color: solid white or white w/ black heads.

Extended breeding season

No shearing!

Hardy & adaptable to hot, dry, humid and cold climates

Rapid growth, early maturity

yield muscular, high-quality carcasses.

BARBADO

Origin: Texas

Trophy animal Due to large curled

horns

Tan, tan with pale or black belly, or pied

Coat varies from short hair to coarse wool

Males are horned

Females are polled

BARBADO = BARBADOS BLACKBELLY X (RAMBOUILLET

X MOUFLON)

KATAHDIN

Origin: Maine

Woolless

Capable of high performance in a variety of management systems.

Excellent mothering abilities good milkers, prolific and have an

extended breeding season.

Their hair coat can be any color or color pattern.

Largest of the hair breeds

Naturally produce a lean and well-muscled carcass with excellent meat flavor