Here we continue our list of different breeds of sheep that fall into other categories not included in the first page.
Return to the first page listing various breeds of sheep, including those for grass production.
Wool Breeds
The wool breeds are duly noted for producing fine quality wool and uniform heavy fleeces. The wool from these different breeds of sheep are sought after by niche wool marketers.
Merino
Rambouillets (French Merino)
Corridale (white or brown to black fleece)
Lincoln
Leicester
Romney
Black Welsh Mountain (brown-black to solid black fleece)
Jacob (colored fleece)
Shetland (several colors)
Debouillet
Hair Sheep
As their name suggests these breeds sustain a hair coat, not a wool fleece. Many of the hair sheep breeds were developed in more heat prone climates but have proven to be hardy enough in colder North American climates as well.
Since they are kind of distinct, we've given them a page to themselves. Learn more about hair sheep.
Meat Breeds
Commonly used by producers raising sheep for the purpose of meat. They are noted for rates of gain (or weaning weights) and carcass frame. Several of the different breeds of sheep listed here will also have been listed for having either maternal or terminal sire traits.
Dorset
Finnish Landrace
Hampshire
Perrindales
Southdowns
Suffolk
Texel
Canadian Arcott
Icelandic Sheep
Ile de France
Oxford
Polypay
Rideau Arcott
Romanov
Scottish Blackface
Targhee
Dual Purpose Breeds
The do everything breeds! Well, not quite. The dual purpose breeds are those who can do a decent job of producing both wool and meat.
Corridales
Border Leicester
Cheviots
Cotswold
Lincoln
Australian Romney
Clun Forest
Columbia
Prolific Breeds
It is common for sheep to give birth to more than one young. Twins and very common in sheep and triplets are not that rare either. The prolific breeds however are noted for having high number of lambs per birthing. Triplets and quads would be a common occurrence with these breeds with litters of five not being out of the norm.
Good candidates for barn lambing and high input operations. Not selected for grass based operations as a ewe on grass and without human assistance will not effectively look after four or five lambs.
East Friesian Dairy
Finnish Landrace
Romanov
Polypay
Common Breeds in Canada
These last two lists are just to give you an idea of how easy or difficult, expensive or inexpensive it might be to find these breeds.
