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St. Croix ewes
Photo courtesy of
Virginia State University
St. Thomas ewe and lamb
Image
courtesy of St.
Thomas Hair
Sheep Breeders of North America
Steinschaf
Photo
courtesy of
EAAP-Animal Genetic Bank
American Suffolk ram
Image
courtesy of
Donner Trail Ranch
UK Suffolk ram
Imge
courtesy of
Suffolk Sheep Society
Swaledale
Image
by Wayne Hutchinson
www.farm-images.co.uk
Swifter sheep
Image
courtesy of The
Swifter Sheep Herdbook
Swiss Black-Brown Mountain ram
Image
courtesy of
EAAP-Animal Genetic Bank
Swiss White Alpine
Image
courtesy of
EAAP-Animal
Genetic Bank
Tan ram
Image
source: ConSDABI
Tan ram
Image
source: ConSDABI
Targhee
Ewes
Photo
courtesy
of Robert Padula
Teeswater
Image
courtesy of Teeswater
Sheep Breeders Association Limited
Texas Dall rams
Image by Ryan LeBlanc
Courtesy of Benson
Farm and Ranch
U.S. Texel ram
UK Texel ram lamb
Image
courtesy of
British Texel Sheep Society
Tong ewe
Image
source: ConSDABI
Tong ram
Image
source: ConSDABI
Tsigai
Image
courtesy of
EAAP-Animal
Genetic Bank
Tukidale
Image source: Tukidale Sheep
Society of Australia
Tunis
ewe
Image courtesy of Old
Orchard at Stockdale Farm
Tunis
ram
Photo courtesy of Laurie's
Lambs
Turki ram
Images courtesy of Fardeen Omidwar
Turki rams
Lop Eared Alpine Tyrol
Image courtesy of Jim Tardio
Photography ©www.jimtardio.com
Ujumqin ram
Image source: ConSDABI
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Sheep Breeds St - U
- St. Croix
(Virgin Island White)
The St. Croix is a hair sheep that originated in the Virgin Islands,
where it is called the "Virgin Island White." The breed
is believed to have descended from the hair sheep of West Africa,
but some feel it is a cross of the Wiltshire Horn and the native
Criollo. Most of these sheep are white with some solid tan, brown,
black or white with brown or black spots.
Both sexes are polled,
and rams have a large throat ruff. Exceptional parasite resistance
compared to British sheep breeds has been documented in studies
at several universities. The St. Croix is classified as a "rare"
breed by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.
Breed categories: hair (meat)
Distribution: Caribbean, North America
Go to St. Croix Sheep
Breeders Association =>
Go to
St. Croix Hair Sheep Breeders of North America =>
- Steinschaf
(Pecora della Roccia or del Sasso, Tiroler Steinschaf)
The Steinschaf is a direct descendent of the now extinct Zaupelschaf.
It had developed characteristics that made it perfect for life
in the high mountains in the Eastern Alpine regions. In the
beginning of the 20th century the Steinschaf still roamed the
meadows of Bavaria, Germany, especially the areas around Berchtesgaden,
Traunstein, and Rosenheim. In Austria, its range was mainly
in the Salzburg area
.The original Steinschaf used to be a dual-coated,
small, and wiry high mountain sheep, weighing 28- 30 kg (62-66
lbs). It was bred twice a year and it had 20-70 % twins. The
modern Steinschaf is a robust, small to medium-sized sheep with
a coarse, dual-coated fleece, that can be of all colors and
markings. It would benefit the breed if it could be kept exclusively
on high alpine meadows, in order to retain its excellent characteristics.
Breed categories: double-coated
Distribution: Germany, Austria, Italy
Go
to Arbeitsgemeinschaft Krainer Steinschafe Deutschland =>
Go to Das Alpine Steinschafe =>
- Suffolk
Suffolks are found throughout the world's sheep producing countries.
In the United States, they are by far the most popular pure
breed of sheep, accounting for more than fifty percent of purebred
sheep registrations. In the British Isles, they are the leading
terminal sire breed. The Suffolk breed originated almost 200
years ago on the rugged southeastern coast of England, the result
of crossing Southdown rams and Norfolk Horn ewes. Originally,
they were called Southdown Norfolks or just "Black faces."
The first Suffolks were brought to the United States in 1888,
but it wasn't until after the second World War when the sheep
industry moved towards a larger, meatier, open faced sheep that
Suffolks gained in prominence. They are a large breed with a
distinctive all-black head and legs that are free of wool. Suffolk
lambs grow faster than any other breed and yield heavy, high
cutability carcasses of the type demanded by today's health
conscience consumers.
Breed categories: medium wool, meat
Distribution: Worldwide
Go to United Suffolk Sheep
Association =>
Go to Montana Suffolk
Sheep Breeders Association =>
Go to Northeast Suffolk Sheep
Association =>
Go to Suffolk Sheep
Society =>
Go to Suffolk
Sheep Society South East Branch =>
Go to Suffolk
Sheep Society Northern Ireland =>
Go to Suffolk
Stamboek Nederland =>
Go to Suffolk Sheep
Society of Australia =>
- Swaledale
The breed's origin almost cerainly emerged from the genetic
group of horned sheep from which also came the Blackface, the
Rough Fell, and other localized types. Slowly over time a "Swaledale"
breed type emerged from within these horned sheep.The Swaledale
can now be found in both the hills and lowlands of Britain,
producing both pure bred and the well-known North of England
Mule (a Blue Faced Leicester cross). The Swaledale has proven
itself to be a bold hardy sheep, well-fitted to endure the hardships
of exposed and high lying situations. Wool is medium.
Breed categories: medium wool, meat
Distribution: United Kingdom
Go to Swaledale
Sheep Web Site =>
- Swifter
The Swifter is a new, highly productive sheep breed, which was
developed in the 1970's by the Agricultural University in Wageningen,
the Netherlands, to increase the productivity of the Dutch sheep
stock. Swifters are used as dams for slaughter lambs. The Swifter
is a product of a cross between the Texel and Flemish breeds.
To obtain excellent, fast-growing lambs for slaughter, the Swifter
ewe is tupped by a ram for slaughter lamb production: the Charollais,
the Suffolk, or the Texel. Pedigree Swifters produce 2.5 lambs
per lambing on average. 80% of ewes give birth to two or more
lambs in their first year. Births are virtually always without
problems.
Breed categories: medium wool, meat
Distribution: Europe, United Kingdom
Go to the Swifter Sheep
Herdbook =>
- Swiss Black-Brown Mountain
(Schwarzbraunes Bergschaf, Gebirgsschaf, Brun-Noir du Pays (BNP),
Pecora giurassiana, Juraschaf)
The Swiss Black-Brown Mountain originates from the ancient
Swiss breeds Jura, Simmentaler, Saanen, Frutiger, Roux de Bagnes
and Freiburger. It is a polled, medium-sized sheep, deep, and
broad. The coat color is either black, chestnut colored, or
light brown. Head and legs are clear of wool, covered with short
black or brown hairs. The fleece of the Swiss Black-Brown Mountain
is of single-color, thick, and close-cropped.
Due to the Merino
ancestry, the wool is fine and strong and is remarkable for
its strength and elasticity. No kemp or white fibers are allowed.
The ewes lamb quite often twice a year and have 1.7 lambs on
average, thus making them an ideal mother race for crossings
with meat producing rams. Swiss Black-Brown Mountain lambs,
both purebred or crossbred, kill out significantly better than
the Tyrol Mountain. Their bone is light, with a commendable
meat to bone ratio.
Breed categories: medium wool, meat
Distribution: Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Germany
Go to Black-Brown Mountain
Sheep Association =>
- Swiss White Alpine
(Weißes Alpenschaf, Blanc des Alpes, West Swiss White)
The Swiss White Alpine is a short-wooled breed kept primarily
for meat. The breed originated in Switzerland in 1936 from a
cross between the Swiss White Mountain and 50 to 75% Ile-de-France.
Breed category: meat, medium wool
Distribution: Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Germany
- Tan
Tan sheep are famous for their fur with long curled hair. The
wool of Tan sheep is soft, light and puffy, with long and even
fiber, suitable for making high-grade blankets, shawls and scarves.
Tan sheep are raised in the desert and semi-desert regions of
China.
Breed categories: fur, meat
Distribution: China
- Targhee
The Targhee is one of America's youngest breeds. It was developed
in 1926 at the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, Idaho,
from Rambouillet, Columbia and Corriedale crosses. The Targhee
derives its name from the Targhee National Forest on which the
experiment station's flock grazes in the summer. The forest was
named for a chief of the Bannock Indians who had lived in the
area in the 1860's.
The Targhee is a dual-purpose sheep with good
meat type and a heavy fleece of high quality wool. They are especially
popular in Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota, where their ¾
fine wool and ¼ long wool breeding is favored by western
ranchers.
Breed categories: crossbred wool, dual-purpose
Distribution: North America
Go to U.S. Targhee
Sheep Association =>
- Teeswater
Teeswater, a longwool sheep from Teesdale in the County of Durham,
located in Northern England, have for almost 200 years been bred
by farmers in that area of the north. Until the 1920's, the breed
was comparatively rare, but now they are to be found in almost
every part of the U.K.
Their wool should be fine long-stapled
lustre wool with each lock hanging free and with no tendancy to
mattiness. There should be no dark fibers in the fleece, which
should be uniform in texture over the whole body. The Teeswater
produces a kemp free fleece, a characteristic it passes on.
Breed category: long wool
Distribution: United Kingdom, North America
Go to American
Teeswater Sheep Association =>
Go to Teeswater
Sheep Breeders Association Limited =>
- Texas Dall
The Texas Dall has no relation to the Alaskan Dall. It is a hybrid,
a cross between domestic sheep (Rambouillet and Barbados Blackbelly)
and the European Mouflon. Although most are white, they can range
in color from white to blond or pale champagne. Some even have
spotted markings, usualy fawn in color. Their horns are large
and spectacular. They are raised primarily for trophy hunting.
Breed categories: hair, exotic
Distribution: United States
Go to United Horned Hair Sheep Association =>
- Texel
The Texel originated on the Isle of Texel off the coast of the
Netherlands early in the nineteenth century. They became available
to U.S. sheep producers in 1990 when they were released from quarantine
at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska,
where they were evaluated for their potential in crossbred lamb
production.
The most outstanding characteristics of the Texel
are its remarkable muscle development and leanness. Texel-sired
lambs show an advantage of one full leg score in breed comparisons
and less total carcass fat—especially seam fat. The Texel
has become the dominant terminal-sire breed in Europe and is gaining
popularity as a sire breed in the United States.
Breed categories: medium wool, meat
Distribution: Worldwide
Go to Texel Sheep Breeders
Society =>
Go to
Canadian Texel Association =>
Go to British Texel Sheep
Society =>
Go to Irish Texel Sheep
Society =>
Go to Texel Sheep Netherlands
=>
Go
to the Finnish Texel Sheep Society =>
Go to Australian Texel
Stud Breeders Association =>
- Tong
Tong sheep originate from Mongolian sheep. They are able to withstand
unfavorable environmental conditions and are found in the high
plains of the northern Shaaxi Province of China, where the average
temperature is 13°C and annual precipitation is 520 to 600
mm (20-24 in). Their wool is carpet wool. Wool production is low.
Tong sheep have the ability to deposit fat in the tail. Tong lambs
have beautiful curls that look like pearls. Coats made from the
pelts provide warmth with light weight.
Breed categories: fat-tail, meat, carpet wool
Distribution: China
-
Tsigai
(Cigája)
Tsigai sheep originated in Southeast Europe, where they are
raised for meat and milk. There are many variations of the breed.
Some Tisigai populations have been improved by Merino and British
meat breeds. Tsigai sheep have long tails. They are good meat
and milk producers.
Breed categories:dual-purpose, medium wool
Distribution: Eastern and Central Europe
- Tukidale
Technically, the Tukidale is a not a new breed of sheep, but rather
a Romney sheep carrying the T gene for hair. The breed originated
on M.W. Coop's property in New Zealand from a ram born November
26, 1966. The ram possesed the T gene, which is dominant. The
T gene is responsible not only for producing the specialty carpet-type
fleece, but also the formation of horns in the in the male and,
to a lesser extent in females.
Tukidale sheep are easy care sheep
of good conformation and high fertility, with carcass accepability.
High fleece weight with a diameter in the range of 35-45 microns,
with a high percentage of medulated fibers. They have an extremely
fast rate of wool growth, resulting in two wool clips per year
at a premium price.
Breed category: carpet wool, dual-purpose
Distribution: New Zealand, Australia
- Tunis
The Tunis is one of the oldest sheep breeds, said to have roamed
the hills of Tunis and parts of Algeria in North Africa prior
to the Christian era. The American Tunis evolved from a number
of importations of fat-tailed sheep from Africa and the Middle
East that were crossed with established European breeds to improve
the breed's meat characteristics.
The earliest documented importation
occurred in 1799, a gift to the U.S. from the ruler of Tunisia
and entrusted to the care of Judge Richard Peters of Pennsylvania.
One of the largest advocates of the Tunis breed was Thomas Jefferson,
who owned a fairly large flock. The breed could have been a major
breed in this country if most of the southern flocks had not been
destroyed during the Civil War.
Tunis are a unique looking breed
with an unusual color of reddish tan hair covering their legs,
faces and long pendulous ears and minor fat deposits over the
dock area. The Tunis is classified as a "rare" breed
by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.
Breed categories: medium wool, meat
Distribution: North America
Go to National
Tunis Sheep Registry, Inc. =>
- Turki
Afghanistan is home to many of Central Asia's most unique breeds
of sheep that are particularly well-adapted to the local conditions
and highly valuable commercially. The most notable is the largest
breed of fat-rumped sheep, the Turki. The Turki has two distinct
camel humps of fat on their behinds. They have a high growth rate
and are a good producer of mutton, but are not a good wool producer.
They are raised mostly in the northeastern parts of Afghanistan.
Turki sheep accompany refugees to neighboring Pakistan where the
breed is recognized as Afghani sheep.
Breed categories: fat-tailed, carpet wool
Distribution: Central Asia
- Tyrol Mountain
(Lop Eared Alpine Tyrol, Tiroler Bergschaf, Pecora Alpina Tirolese)
This breed is found in Tyrol of Austria and Bolzano of Italy.
It is a coarse wooled breed, belonging to the Lop-eared Alpine
group, which is kept for meat production. The Tyrol Mountain
is similar to the Carinthian but has better wool, a white face
and longer ears. The breed is also occasionally pied or black.
Both sexes are polled. The Tyrol Mountain originated from Bergamasca,
Steinschaf, and Spiegel variety of Carinthian.
Breed categories: meat, coarse wool
Distribution: Austria, Italy, Germany, Switzerland
Go to Alpinetgheep
=>
- Ujumqin
The Ujumqin, a larger version of the Mongolian, is found in
Inner Mongolia, China. It has a fat tail 28 cm (11.2 in) long
by 36 cm (14.4 in) wide in the male, and 22 cm long by 28 cm
(8.8 in) wide in the female. When dressed, the tail fat weighs
2 kg (4.4 lbs) or more. The Ujumqin was developed due to the
sharp seasonal contrast in plant growth in the pastoral areas.
The sheep tend to deposit a large amount of fat in the body
in order to meet nurtitional demands during winter and spring.
They are adapted to the unfavorable local environmantal conditions
of the North and Northwest Pastoral Grasslands. The Ujumqin
have the ability to deposit fat in the tail. Wool is coarse
and production is low, with an annual grease fleece weight of
only about 1 kg (2.2 lbs).
Breed categories: fat-tail, meat, carpet wool
Distribution: China
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