The Beltex is a breed of heavily muscled domestic sheep. [1] A portmanteau of Belgian and Texel, the name reflects the breed's origin as an offshoot of Texel sheep from The Netherlands. In the late 1980s, Belgian Texels were exported to the United Kingdom, and it was there that it was primarily refined into its modern form. It is primarily used in Europe as a terminal sire, meaning Beltex rams are prized for mating with ewes to produce lambs for meat. [2]
The Beltex is a white faced sheep with medium-length wool. It is best known for its extremely heavy muscling, especially in the hindquarters. Rams on average weigh 90 kg (200 lb) and ewes 70 kg (150 lb) at maturity. At the withers, rams grow to 60 cm (24 in) and ewes 50 cm (20 in) at maturity. [3]
The Targhee is a breed of domestic sheep developed in early 20th century by the USDA's Agricultural Research Service. Targhee sheep are a dual-purpose breed, with heavy, medium quality wool and good meat production characteristics. They are hardy, and are especially suited to the ranges of the West where they were developed. Targhee are especially popular in Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota, where their ¾ fine wool and ¼ long wool breeding is favored by western ranchers. This breed is raised primarily for wool.
The Texel is a breed of domestic sheep originally from the island of Texel in the Netherlands. A heavily muscled sheep, it produces a lean meat carcass and will pass on this quality to crossbred progeny. The wool is around 32 micrometres and is mostly used for hosiery yarns and knitting wools. It is presently a popular lean meat sheep across Europe, as well as Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
The Bluefaced Leicester (BFL) is a longwool breed of sheep which evolved from a breeding scheme of Robert Bakewell, in Dishley, Leicestershire in the eighteenth century. First known as the Dishley Leicester, and then the Hexham Leicester, because of the prevalence of the breed in Northumberland, the name Bluefaced Leicester became known at the beginning of the 20th century. In the 1970s, the Bluefaced Leicester was exported to Canada. Exported frozen semen from the United Kingdom is now used to expand the genetic diversity in Canada and the United States. This breed is raised primarily for meat, but their fleece is becoming increasingly popular for handspinning. Bluefaced Leicester sheep may also have brown on their face. The sell record has been set by a brown ram lamb selling for 23,000 guineas.
The Charollais is a breed of domestic sheep originating in east central France, in the same region in which Charolais cattle originated, Charolles and Saône-et-Loire. It is known for ease of lambing and is used as a terminal sire to increase muscling and growth rate of the lambs. It has been exported internationally, and is commonly used in the United Kingdom as a sire to produce market lambs from pure-bred ewes and mules.
The Debouillet is a breed of domestic sheep originating from Tatum, New Mexico. It was developed in the 1920s through crossing Rambouillet and Delaine Merino sheep and the breed's name is a portmanteau of these two ancestors. This breed is primarily raised for its wool.
The Kerry Hill is a breed of domestic sheep originating in the county of Powys in Wales. It derives its name from the village of Kerry (Ceri), near Newtown. Kerry Hill sheep have a distinctive and unique coloration, with a white face bearing black markings around the mouth, ears, and eyes. Both rams and ewes are polled. Their wool is white, and their legs are white with black markings. First mentions of the breed date back to the early 19th century, and today it is distributed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. Though still not very numerous, the breed was removed from the records of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust watchlist in 2006. This breed is primarily raised for meat.
The Llanwenog is a breed of domestic sheep originating in Wales. It was developed in the 19th century from the Llanllwni, the Shropshire, Welsh Mountain, and Clun Forest breeds. The Llanwenog's native locale is the Teifi Valley, in western Wales, but it has since spread into other areas. The breed association was formed in 1957. Llanwenogs have black faces and medium-length wool. They have a docile temperament and are known for their profligacy in lambing. The breed has a very placid temperament, is easily handled, easily contained and is well suited to stress free inwintering if necessary. This has important consequences for the health of both the animal and its keeper. This breed is raised primarily for meat.
The Badger Face Welsh Mountain is a distinct variety of the Welsh Mountain breed of domestic sheep bred for sheep farming in Wales. It is a hardy upland breed known for producing a high percentage of twins and triplets under good conditions. It appears in two sub-varieties of its own: the Torddu, which has a white fleece with dark face and belly, and the Torwen, which has a black body with a white belly and white stripes over the eyes. The Torddu is the more common of the two types. In both types, ewes are polled and rams are horned. Although this breed grows wool, it is primarily raised for meat.
The Beulah Speckled Face is a breed of domestic sheep originating in the United Kingdom. Having been bred in the uplands of Wales for more than a hundred years, a breed society was officially formed in 1958. This breed is most common in Eppynt, Llanafan Fawr, Abergwesyn, and Llanwrtyd Wells, and it is little known outside Wales. The origins of the breed are unclear; it may be a truly native breed that has been selected to suit the local environment for centuries. The breed is named for its distinctly patterned black and white face, which is free from wool. The ewes, which are naturally polled, are often crossed with lowland rams such as the Suffolk, Texel or Bluefaced Leicester to breed mules, and to produce market lambs for meat. When bred pure, the lambs do not meet today's export demand for lean, fast-growing sheep. However, the ewes make good mothers and produce plenty of milk.
Altay is a breed of domesticated sheep originating in the dry, cold mountain basins of China. This breed belongs to the fat-rumped carpet wool type of sheep and the Kazakh group. Although the Altay grows wool, it is raised primarily for the meat.
Algerian Arab sheep is a breed of domesticated sheep found throughout Algeria. This breed does grow a carpet-grade wool, and is raised primarily for meat.
The Balkhi is a domesticated breed of sheep found in Afghanistan and North-western Pakistan. This breed is of the fat-tailed mutton type. Though this breed does grow wool, it is primarily raised for meat.
The Bardoka or White Metohian sheep is a multi-purpose breed of domesticated sheep in Kosovo. It is a popular sheep in Kosovo and partially in Montenegro, Serbia and Albania. This breed appears to adaptable to all environmental conditions especially low temperatures. However, the Bardoka is sensitive to high humidity.
The Bibrik is a fat tailed, domesticated breed of meat sheep that is found in Baluchistan Province of Pakistan.
The Bizet[bi.ze] is a domesticated breed of sheep originating from France. It grows wool but is primarily raised for meat. In 1952, the Bizet was introduced on the Kerguelen archipelago. It is utilized as food for the scientific station there.
The British Milksheep is a robust, dual-purpose sheep commonly known for its milking characteristics.
The Bündner Oberländerschaf is a domesticated breed of sheep in Switzerland. As of 2007, there were less than 1,100 but the population is increasing and used primarily for vegetation management.
The Cikta is a breed of domestic sheep from Hungary. In the 18th century, this breed was brought to Hungary by German settlers. This breed grows wool but is primarily raised for meat. The Cikta belong in the Mountain Group of sheep breeds.
The Criollo is a breed of domestic sheep originating in the highlands of South and Central America. In the mid 16th Century, Spanish settlers brought the Churra with them. This is believed to be the ancestor of the modern day Criollo. The Criollo is raised primarily for meat.
The Eliottdale is a breed of domestic sheep originating from Tasmania. It is a carpet wool breed raised primarily for its wool. Due to the amount of wool grown by the Eliottdale, it needs to be shorn twice per year.
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