Main Texas Sheep Breeds - Fine Wool
RAMBOUILLET |
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Developed from the Spanish Merino in France, the Rambouillet is the foundation of most western range flocks. The Rambouillet is large, white-faced with wool on the legs, fast-growing, long-live, gregarious, adaptable to various climatic and forage conditions, considered one of the best sheep for breeding year round, and produces a high quality, fine-wool fleece. |
DELAINE-MERINO |
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The closely related Delaine-Merino and Texas Delaine were developed from the Spanish Merino having an unbroken line of breeding 1200 years old. The modern Delaine-Merinos are relatively smooth-bodied, intermediate sized, white-faced with wool on the legs, hardy, long-lived, gregarious, adapted for unassisted lambing, produce well in extremely warm climates under relatively poor feed conditions, breed year round, and produce a high quality fine-wool fleece. |
COLUMBIA |
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Columbia, the first breed originated in the U.S., was developed in 1912 from Lincoln X Rambouillet crosses. Columbias are prolific, hardy, gregarious and good mothers with good milking ability. They are large with white faces and wool on the legs, useful in crossbred market lamb production, and yield heavy medium wool fleeces with good length, free of black fiber. |
