TYPES AND BREEDS OF SHEEP

1. Fine wool

a. Rambouillet
Rambouillet sheep are large sized animals with beautiful appearance. Both
rams and ewes are horned, but the rams have large curved horns. The
Rambouillet sheep are dual-purpose animals. They are raised for both meat
and wool production.

b. American merino
Merino sheep are medium sized animals with very beautiful appearance.
They can be either polled or horned. The polled version has no horns, or has
a very small stubs, known as scurs. Merino sheep are wool sheep breed.
They are raised primarily for wool production. But they are also good for
meat production.
c. Delaine merino
Delaine Merino sheep are medium sized animals. Unlike most Merinos, these
animals have a smooth body and short neck, sometimes with one or two
dewlap under their chin. The Delaine Merino sheep is a wool sheep breed. It
is raised mainly for wool production.

d. Debouillet
The Debouillet sheep are medium to large sized animals. They have long and
fine wool, and have white hair on the face and legs. The rams may or many
not have horns, but the ewes are always polled. The Debouillet sheep is a
wool sheep breed. It is raised mainly for wool production.
2. Medium wool

a. Cheviot
The Cheviot sheep are large sized animals. They have a distinctive white-
face, and their head and legs are wool free. They have picked ears, black
muzzle and black feet. They are mainly white in color, and their wool is long.
Both rams and ewes are generally polled. The Cheviot sheep is a dual-
purpose animal. It is raised for both meat and wool production.

b. Dorset

The Dorset sheep are a medium to large sized animal with an all-white
coloration. Their carcass are muscular with good conformation and the
mature animals produce a thick fleece. The Dorset sheep are a meat sheep
breed. They are raised mainly for meat production.
c. Shropshire

The Shropshire sheep is a medium to large sized breed with stylish carriage.
Its body is covered with fine and dense wool. The Shropshire sheep are dual
purpose animals. They are raised for both meat and wool production.

d. Oxford

Oxford Down sheep are large animals with beautiful appearance. They are
generally large bodied animals, and both rams and ewes are usually polled.
Oxford Down sheep is a meat sheep breed. It is raised mainly for meat
production.
e. Southdown

Southdown sheep are medium to large sized beautiful animals with

distinctive appearance. They are sturdy, wide, deep, compact and refined.
They are usually of white color with mouse colored faces. They have wool on
their faces, ears and legs. Rams and ewes are usually polled, that means
they have no horns. The Southdown sheep are excellent meat producers.
They are raised mainly for meat production.

f. Suffolk

Suffolk sheep are among the large sheep breeds. They have black faces and
legs. Their frame is large and they are usually highly muscular. Both rams
and ewes are usually polled. Suffolk sheep is raised mainly for meat
production. But it is also good for wool production.
3. Long wool

a. Cotswold

The Cotswold sheep are large animals. They are similar in appearance to the
Lincoln sheep. They are mainly white in color with other colors available.
Their faces are mainly white in color, but can also be mottled with some light
gray or tan hairs. Some small black spots are available on the non-woolly
portions of their legs, faces and ears. The Cotswold sheep are dual purpose
animals. They are raised for both meat and wool production.

b. Leicester

The Leicester sheep are large sized animals. Their body is long and are
completely white in coloration. They have well sprung ribs and a wide,
strong back. The Border Leicester sheep is raised mainly as a meat sheep
breed. But it is good for both meat and wool production.
c. Lincoln

The Lincoln sheep are large sized animals with deep body. They are probably
the world’s largest breed of sheep. They may be completely white or
colored, including shades of black, charcoal, gray and silver. They are
straight and strong in the back and cover thickly as mature sheep.
Sometimes, they lack fullness through the leg and appear somewhat
upstanding when in short fleece. Lincoln sheep are dual-purpose animals.
They are raised for both meat and wool production. But they are specially
noted for their wool production.

d. Romney

Romney sheep is a large sized breed. It can be either white or colored. It is

generally an open-faced breed with long wool that grows over the legs in
full.
Standards for the breed are not identical across all countries, but have much
in common. These animals have a wide head with large, bright and
prominent eyes. Romney sheep is a dual-purpose animal. It is raised and
good for both meat and wool production.
4. Fur Type

a. Karakul

The Karakul sheep are medium-sized animals. They differ radically in

conformation from many other sheep breeds, and they are of the fat broad
tailed type of sheep. There are stored fat in their large tail, which is a source
of nourishment and similar in function to the camel’s hump. They usually
stand tall, with a long and narrow body. The Karakul sheep are multi-
purpose animals. They are used for meat, milk, wool and hides. But they
were valued for their wool previously.