TEXAS SHEEP & GOAT
RAISERS ASSOCIATON

The origin of the Barbados Blackbelly has been widely accepted as African, however, there is compelling historical evidence that the Barbados Blackbelly as a breed originated and evolved on the island of Barbados. The Barbados Blackbelly exhibit the distinctive color pattern of the breed, tan with black belly and face and both sexes are polled. The Barbados Blackbelly breed was originally introduced into the U.S. by the USDA in 1904. Descendents of the Barbados Blackbelly are found in Texas and are known as Barbados. The Barbados breed originated from Barbados Blackbelly sheep which were crossed with Rambouillet and European Mouflon. One of the uses of the Barbados is as a trophy animal on game ranches due to its large curled horns. It is typically tan, tan with a pale or black belly or pied. Males show the horns for which the breed was selected and the females are polled. Flavor of the meat from Barbados Blackbelly is excellent, being much milder than meat from our traditional market lambs. Barbados Blackbelly sheep are considered to be resistant to the effects of internal parasites. These sheep are also resistant to most of the sheep diseases that can easily desimate unvaccinated wooled flocks. Thus, it is much easier to raise Barbados Blackbelly sheep without chemical intervention, making them popular with breeders serving organic and ethnic markets.

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.

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.

The Dorper was developed in South Africa in the 1930’s by crossing a Blackheaded Persian ewe with a Dorset Horn ram. The breed has the characteristic black head (Dorper) as well as the white heads (White Dorper). The Dorper is primarily a mutton sheep that was developed for the arid extensive regions of South Africa. They are hornless and have a short, light covering of hair and wool that will shed off so they do not have to be shorn. They are known as easy keepers and require very little labor. Dorpers are exceptional in terms of adaptability, hardiness, reproductive rates, mothering ability, and growth rate. The Dorper is hardy and can thrive under range conditions where other breeds can barely exist and still raise a good lamb. They also have a long breeding season which is not seasonally limited. As a strong and non-selective grazer the Dorper can advantageously be incorporated into a well planned range management system.

The Hampshire was developed in England from Southdown X Wiltshire Horn and Berkshire Knot crosses and imported into the U.S. in the 1880’s. A popular meat breed, Hampshires are crossbred with white-faced ewes for market lamb production. Hampshires are large sized with black faces and wool on the legs, adaptable to varied and wet climates, used in farm flock production, and prolific with good maternal instincts and milking ability. The fast-growing breed has excellent carcass merit and a medium, easy-to-spin wool.

Katahdins are a breed of hair sheep that were developed in the United States by Michael Piel of Maine. The breeds that went into the development of the Katahdin were the West African hair sheep, St. Croix, Wiltshire Horn, and various Down breeds including Southdown, Hampshire, Suffolk, Cheviots, and others. Selection was primarily for a hair coat that did not require shearing, meat-type conformation, high fertility, and flocking instinct. Katahdins are hardy, adaptable, low maintenance sheep that produce superior lamb crops and lean, meaty carcasses that offer a very mild flavor. They produce a very thick winter coat which sheds during warm seasons and therefore do not require shearing. The hair coat of the Katahdin can be any color or color combination. They are medium-sized and efficient, bred for utility and production in a variety of management systems. Ewes have exceptional mothering ability and lamb easily. Lambs are born vigorous and alert. The breed is ideal for pasture lambing and grass/forage based management systems. Katahdins are also significantly tolerant of internal and external parasites and if managed carefully require minimal parasite treatment.

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.

Royal white sheep are a hair breed that were privately funded and developed in the U.S. by William Hoag of Dorpcroix Sheep Farm in Hermleigh, Texas. The Royal White was developed by crossing the St. Croix with the Dorper and White Dorper and were originally called Dorpcroix. These sheep were sold to the public for breeding enabling many traditional wool producers to retain wool ewes and utilize the Dorpcroix rams to achieve lower maintenance and labor benefits and in many cases more lambs with better survivability. The name Dorpcroix was later changed to Royal White. The Royal White are pure white and both the ewes and rams are polled or naturally hornless. They grow a longer hair coat in the fall and then shed it off naturally in the spring.

One of the oldest breeds of sheep, the Southdown originated in England where it contributed to the development of other breeds. Imported into the U.S. in 1803, the Southdown is best suited to farm flock production. It is medium to small sized with gray to mouse-brown face and wool on the legs. This early maturing breed has good lambing ability and excellent crossing ability to produce meaty lamb carcasses at light weights and hot-house lambs. The Southdown is adaptable to varied and wet climates, and yields a medium, easy-to-spin wool.

The St. Croix or Virgin Island White breed is found in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. It is believed to have descended from the hair sheep of west Africa and were introduced into the U.S. in 1975. 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. They are climate adapted, fertile, excellent foragers, and exceptionally parasite resistant compared to British sheep breeds. While they can withstand high heat and humidity better than British sheep breeds, they have adapted to variable climatic conditions in many parts of the country. In colder zones they produce a very heavy winter coat of mixed wool and hair that is shed in the spring. Ewes can breed back one month after lambing and produce two lamb crops per year.

The Suffolk originated in England from Southdown X Norfolk crosses and was imported into the U.S. inn 1888. The breed is highly adapted to farm flock production and crossbred with commercial white-faced ewes for market lamb production. The Suffolk is large sized with bare head, black face and bare, black legs. Hardy, highly prolific Suffolks have excellent growth rates, milking ability and lambing ability, adapt well to heat and cold, and produce high quality meat carcasses and a medium, easy-to-spin wool.