There are many different types of sheep breeds available throughout the world. All these breeds are not suitable for farming in all places around the world. Some of these breeds are good for cold areas, and some breeds are good for hot areas.
Some breeds are good for meat production, some are good for milk, and some are good for both milk and meat production. Some breeds are also good for fiber production.
Sheep is a very familiar domestic animal. Dry weather and cold area is very suitable for sheep farming. The main characteristics of sheep is that their body is fully covered with fur. Their skin and fur is very valuable. Sheep are not highly milk productive like goat. There are about 200 sheep breeds around the world.
Different types of Sheep Breeds
Sheep breeds are of three types according to their production which are described below.
- Meat Productive Sheep Breeds: Dorset, Suffolk, Cheviot etc. are highly meat productive sheep breeds.
- Hair Productive Sheep Breeds: Merino, Rambouillet etc. are hair productive sheep breeds.
- Hair & Meat Productive Sheep Breeds: Cordially, Montadale, Kooka etc are famous for both hair and meat production.
Characteristics of some sheep breeds are described below.
Marino
- Marino sheep originated from Spain. But nowadays Marino sheep farming spread throughout the world. They are very famous for hair production. Male sheep produce about 8-15 kg and female produce about 5-10 kg wool per year. Wool is very long and high quality.
- Mouth and legs are white colored.
- Male sheep has horns but female has no horns.
- Their whole body is covered with hair.
Rambouillet
- This breed came from Marino sheep.
- Head become big sized.
- Ears are surrounded by white hair.
- Male sheep weights about 110-125 kg and female 70-90 kg.
- Hair weights very high and dense.
- Whole body is covered with hair. Even on mouth and legs.
Cheviot
- Cheviot sheep breed originated from Scotland.
- They become very beautiful to look.
- Ears become straight.
- Mouth and legs are bright white.
- Hair of mouth and legs become very tiny.
- Nose, lips and legs become blackish.
- Male cheviot sheep weights about 80 kg and female 55 kg.
- Legs, hip and thighs are very fleshy.
- Produce about 2.5-3.5 kg wool annually.
Southdown
- Southdown sheep breed is a very old species of Britain.
- This breed was made artificially.
- Small in size.
- Head is comparatively wide.
- Adult male sheep weights about 80 kg and female 55 kg.
- Color of their mouth is slightly brown.
- They gain sexual maturity earlier.
- Meat is very tasty.
- Produce about 2-3 kg fur every year.
Leicester
- This sheep breeds originated from England.
- Medium sized.
- Mouth and legs are clean.
- Hair become very long.
Lincoln
- Become very big sized.
- Head become wide.
- Ears are thick.
Karakul
- They are highly hair productive breed.
- Male sheep has horns but female has no horns.
- Male sheep weights about 90 kg and female 65 kg.
Bakharwal
- Hair becomes very long.
- Male sheep contain horn but female has no horn.
- Ears are very long and wide.
- Thick fiber with their hair.
- Annual production of hair is about 1.5 kg.
Gaddi
- The color of their hair become white.
- Expert grazing in the hill.
- Male sheep has horn but female contain no horn.
- Medium sized.
Lohi
- Meat of lohi sheep is very tasty.
- Big sized body.
- Ears become very long.
- Fiber of hair is very long and grained.
Deccani
- The color of hair become black or ash.
- Hair is separate and grained.
- Small sized.
- Expert in fighting.
- Highly meat productive sheep breed.
- Produce about 0.5 kg wool per year.
Bellary
- They are of black colored.
- Hair become grained.
- Produce about 1 kg wool annually.
- Big sized.
- Strong body structure.
- Skin is very high quality.
Kooka
- Kooka sheep breed originated from Pakistan.
- They are very suitable for meat and wool production.
- White body color.
- Mouth is medium sized.
- Head is very heavy.
- Their forehead become very wide.
- Horns are very small.
- Ears are hanging.
- Produce about 3 kg wool per year.
- Meat is very tasty.
- Female sheep produce about 1 kg milk daily.
Breed name, production purpose and origin place of some popular sheep breeds are listed in the chart below.
| List of Total Sheep Breeds | ||
| Breed Name | Purpose | Origin |
| A | ||
| Acipayam | Meat, wool | Turkey |
| Adal | Meat | Ethiopia |
| Africana | Meat | Colombia |
| Afrikaner | Meat | South Africa |
| Alai | Meat, wool | Kyrgyzstan |
| Algarve Churro | Meat, wool | Portugal |
| Alpines Steinschaf | Meat, wool | Germany |
| Altay | Meat | China |
| Appenninica | Meat | Italy |
| Arabi | Meat | Iran, Iraq |
| Afghan Arabi | Meat | Afghanistan |
| Arapawa | Wool | New Zealand |
| Armenian Semicoarsewool | Meat, milk | Armenia |
| Askanian | Wool | Ukraine |
| Assaf | Meat, milk | Israel |
| Aussiedown | Meat | Australia |
| Awassi | Meat, milk, wool | Syro-Arabian desert |
| B | ||
| Badger Face Welsh Mountain | Meat | Wales |
| Balkhi | Meat, wool | Afghanistan, Pakistan |
| Baluchi | Wool | Pakistan |
| Balwen Welsh Mountain | Meat | Wales |
| Barbados Blackbelly | Meat | Caribbean |
| Bardoka | Meat, milk, wool | Serbia |
| Basco-béarnaise | Milk | France |
| Beltex | Meat | Belgium |
| Bentheimer Landschaf | Vegetation management | Germany |
| Bergamasca | Meat, milk, wool | Italy |
| Berrichon du Cher | Meat | France |
| Beulah Speckled Face | Meat | United Kingdom |
| Bibrik | Meat | Pakistan |
| Biellese | Meat | Italy |
| Blackhead Persian | Meat, wool | South Africa |
| Black Welsh Mountain | Meat | United Kingdom |
| Brecknock Hill Cheviot | Meat, wool | Wales |
| Bleu du Maine | Meat | France |
| Bluefaced Leicester | Meat, wool | United Kingdom |
| Bond | Meat, wool | Australia |
| Booroola Merino | Meat, wool | Australia |
| Border Leicester | Meat, wool | United Kingdom |
| Border Cheviot | Meat, wool | United Kingdom |
| Boreray | Meat, wool | Scotland |
| Bovec | Meat, milk | Italy |
| Braunes Bergchaf | Meat, wool, vegetation management | Germany |
| British Milk | Meat, milk, wool | United Kingdom |
| C | ||
| California Red | Meat, wool | United States |
| Canadian Arcott | Meat | Canada |
| Castlemilk Moorit | Hobby | Scotland |
| Charmoise | Meat | France |
| Charollais | Meat, wool | France |
| Cheviot | Meat, wool | United Kingdom |
| Chios | Milk | Island of Chios |
| Cholistani | Meat, wool | Pakistan |
| Clun Forest | Meat, milk, wool | United Kingdom |
| Coburger Fuchsschaf | Vegetation management | Germany |
| Columbia | Wool | United States |
| Comeback | Meat, wool | Australia |
| Comisana | Milk | Italy |
| Coopworth | Meat, wool | New Zealand |
| Cormo | Wool | Australia |
| Corriedale | Meat, wool | New Zealand |
| Cotswold | Meat, wool | United Kingdom |
| Criollo | Meat | Central America |
| D | ||
| Dala Fur | Meat, wool | Sweden |
| Dalesbred | Meat, wool | United Kingdom |
| Daglic | Meat, milk, wool | Turkey |
| Damani | Meat, wool | Pakistan |
| Damara | Meat | Namibia |
| Danish Landrace | Wool | Denmark |
| Debouillet | Wool | United States |
| Delaine Merino | Wool | United States |
| Derbyshire Gritstone | Meat | United Kingdom |
| Devon Closewool | Meat | United Kingdom |
| Devon Longwoolled | Meat, wool | United Kingdom |
| Dohne Merino | Meat, wool | South Africa |
| Dorper | Meat | South Africa |
| Dorset Horn | Meat | United Kingdom |
| Dorset Down | Meat | United Kingdom |
| Drenthe Heath | Meat | Netherlands |
| Drysdale | Wool | New Zealand |
| E | ||
| Exmoor Horn | Meat | United Kingdom |
| Estonian Ruhnu | Meat, wool | Estonia |
| English Leicester | Meat | United Kingdom |
| Elliottdale | Meat | Tasmania |
| East Friesian | Milk | Germany |
| F | ||
| Fabrianese | Meat | Italy |
| Faroe | Meat | Faroe Islands |
| Finnsheep | Meat, milk, wool | Finland |
| G | ||
| Gaddi | Meat, wool | India |
| Galician | Meat, milk | Spain |
| Galway | Meat | Ireland |
| Gansu Alpine Fine Wool | Wool | China |
| Gentile di Puglia | Wool | Italy |
| Gotland | Meat, wool | Sweden |
| Greyface Dartmoor | Meat | United Kingdom |
| Grey Troender | Wool | Norway |
| Gromark | Meat, wool | Australia |
| Gulf Coast Native | Meat | United States |
| Guirra | Meat | Spain |
| Gute | Genetic conservation | Sweden |
| H | ||
| Hampshire | Meat | United Kingdom |
| Hebridean | Vegetation management | Scotland |
| Herdwick | Meat | United Kingdom |
| Hill Rannor | Meat | United Kingdom |
| Hog Island | Wool | United States |
| I | ||
| Icelandic | Meat, milk, wool | Iceland |
| Ile de France | Meat | France |
| J | ||
| Jacob | Meat, wool | Middle East |
| Jezersko Solcava | Meat, wool | Slovenia |
| K | ||
| Kerry Hill | Meat | Wales |
| Katahdin | Meat | United States |
| Karayaka | Meat, milk | Turkey |
| Karakul | Meat, milk, wool | Central Asia |
| L | ||
| Laticuda | Meat, milk | Italy |
| Lonk | Meat, wool | United Kingdom |
| Lohi | Meat, wool | India |
| Llanwenog | Meat | Wales |
| Lincoln | Meat, wool | United Kingdom |
| Latxa | Milk | Spain |
| Lacaune | Milk | France |
|
M |
||
| Morada Nova | Meat | Brazil |
| Montadale | Meat, wool | United States |
| Meronolandschaf | Meat, wool | Germany |
| Merinizzata Italiana | Meat, wool | Italy |
| Meatmaster | Meat | South Africa |
| Massese | Meat, milk | Italy |
| Manx Loaghtan | Meat, wool | Isle of Man |
| Merino | Meat, wool | Spain |
| N | ||
| Najdi | Meat, milk, wool | Saudi Arabia |
| Navajo Churro | Meat, wool | United States |
| Newfoundland | General | Canada |
| Norfolk Horn | Meat | United Kingdom |
| North Ronaldsay | Meat, wool | Scotland |
| Northern European Short-Tailed | Meat, milk, wool | Germany, British Isles, Scandinavia, Russia |
| North Country Cheviot | Meat, wool | Scotland |
| O | ||
| Oxford Down | Meat, wool | United Kingdom |
| Ouessant | Wool | France |
| P | ||
| Pelibuey | Meat | Mexico |
| Panama | Meat, wool | United Kingdom |
| Perendale | Meat, wool | New Zealand |
| Pinzirita | Meat, milk, wool | Italy |
| Polwarth | Meat, wool | Australia |
| Polypay | Meat, wool | United States |
| Portland | Meat | United Kingdom |
| Poll Merino | Meat, wool | Australia |
| Polled Dorset | Meat | United States |
| Pomeranian Coarsewool | Meat | Germany |
| R | ||
| Racka | Meat, milk, wool | Hungary |
| Rambouillet | Meat, wool | France |
| Red Maasai | Meat | East Africa |
| Rideau Arcott | Meat, wool | Canada |
| Romanov | Meat | Russia |
| Romney | Meat, wool | United Kingdom |
| Romeldale | Meat, milk, wool | United States |
| Roslag | Meat, wool | Sweden |
| Rouge de l’Ouest | Meat, milk | France |
| Rough Fell | Meat | United Kingdom |
| Royal White | Meat | United States |
| Ruda | Wool | Albania, Croatia |
| Rya | Wool | Sweden |
| Ryeland | Meat | United Kingdom |
| S | ||
| Santa Cruz | Wool | United States |
| Sarda | Milk | Italy |
| Scottish Blackface | Meat | Scotland |
| Serrai | Meat, milk, wool | Greece |
| Shetland | Meat, wool | Scotland |
| Shropshire | Meat, wool | United Kingdom |
| Skudde | Meat | Germany |
| Soay | Meat | Scotland |
| Sopravissana | Meat, milk | Italy |
| Southdown | Meat | United Kingdom |
| Soth African Meat Merino | Meat, wool | South Africa |
| Spaelsau | Meat, milk, wool | Norway |
| St. Croix | Meat | United States |
| Suffolk | Meat, wool | United Kingdom |
| Swaledale | Meat, wool | United Kingdom |
| T | ||
| Targhee | Meat, wool | United States |
| Teeswater | Meat, wool | United Kingdom |
| Texel | Meat | Netherlands |
| Tiroler Steinschaf | Meat, wool | Austria |
| Tunis | Meat, milk | Tunisia |
| U | ||
| Uda | Meat | Africa |
| V | ||
| Valais Blacknose | Meat | Switzerland |
| Van Rooy | Meat | South Africa |
| Vendeen | Meat | France |
| W | ||
| Welsh Mountain | Meat | Wales |
| Wensleydale | Meat | United Kingdom |
| West African Dwarf | Meat | Southwest to central Africa |
| White Suffolk | Meat | Australia |
| Whiteface Dartmoor | Meat | United Kingdom |
| Whitefaced Woodland | Meat | United Kingdom |
| White Horned heath | Meat, wool | Germany |
| White Polled Heath | Meat, wool | Germany |
| Wiltipoll | Meat | Australia |
| Wiltshire Horn | Meat | United Kingdom |
| Z | ||
| Zwartbles | Meat, milk | Netherlands |
| Zulu | Meat | South Africa |