Sheep ID

Southdown

• Medium- to small-sized breed• Polled, medium-wool breed raised primarily

for meat• Early maturing breed• Ewes have good lambing ability and average

milk production

Southdown

American Sheep Industry Association

Hampshire

• Large medium-wool breed• Mild disposition and polled• Rapid growth and efficient feed conversion

Hampshire

American Sheep Industry Association

Suffolk

• Most common breed in the U.S. (40 percent of sheep population

• Medium-wool polled breed• Raised primarily for meat

Suffolk

American Sheep Industry Association

Dorset

• Medium-sized medium-wool breed• Both horned and polled varieties (polled is more

common)• Ewes are good mothers and good milkers• Second most common breed in the U.S.

Dorset

American Sheep Industry Association

Delaine Merino

• Medium-sized fine-wool breed• Originated in Spain 1,200 years ago• Noted for producing the best wool in the world

Delaine Merino

American Sheep Industry Association

Rambouillet

• Fine-wool breed; medium size• Good carcass characteristics; dual-purpose

breed• French in origin and descends from Spanish

Merino• Produce some of the finest wool in the

world

Rambouillet

American Sheep Industry Association

Montadale

• Medium-wool, dual-purpose breed• Produce high quality carcasses and excellent

wool that is very white in color

Montadale

American Sheep Industry Association

Columbia

• Crossbred wool breed developed by the USDA in 1912

• Produce large ewes with large lambs and good wool yield

• Survive well on range conditions of the western U.S.

Columbia

American Sheep Industry Association

Cheviot

• Small-sized, medium-wool• Polled• Raised primarily for meat; produces a high-quality

lamb carcass• Hardy sheep developed in Scotland and England

Cheviot

American Sheep Industry Association

Jacob Sheep

• is a rare breed of small, piebald (colored with white spots), polycerate (multi-horned) sheep. Jacobs may have from two to six horns, but most commonly have four. The most common color is black and white. Jacobs are usually raised for their wool, meat, and hides.

Jacob