What sheep breeds are there? A overview of common breeds
It is generally believed that sheep may have originated from 4 different wild species, namely the Mouflon inhabiting the Mediterranean coast, the Urial distributed in central and southwestern Asia, the Argali, and the Barbary sheep. Through long-term selection (of animals) and culling, wild sheep have undergone many changes in appearance and characteristics, and different breed types have emerged due to differences in local natural conditions and economic needs. Since the 18th century, breed development has been particularly rapid.
Fine-wool sheep
Fine-wool sheep are raised mainly for wool production, accounting for about 10% of the world's sheep breeds. The fineness of the whole body's wool is within 25 microns, the count is not lower than 60s, and the wool length is above 7 cm, making it an excellent raw material for manufacturing worsted textiles. Due to differences in breeding objectives among countries and local natural conditions, it is further divided into 3 types: wool type, wool-mutton type, and mutton-wool type (see Merino sheep).
Semi-fine-wool sheep
Semi-fine-wool sheep are raised mainly for meat production, accounting for about 33% of the world's sheep breeds. The fineness of the whole body's wool is 32-58s, and the length is 6-35 cm. It can be used to manufacture worsted textiles, wool yarn, overcoat cloth, industrial felt, and carpets, etc. According to wool length, it can be further divided into two categories.
1. Medium-wool type: The wool fibers are shorter and finer, with a length of 6-15 cm and a fineness of 46-58s. It originated in the hilly areas of southern England, such as Southdown, Oxford, Hampshire, Suffolk, Shropshire, and Dorset, etc. Corriedale and Polwarth, etc., bred by crossing fine-wool sheep with long-wool sheep, also belong to this category.
2. Long-wool type: The wool fibers are longer and coarser, with a length of about 12-35 cm and a fineness of 32-50s. Lincoln, Leicester, Border Leicester, and Romney, etc., native to England, belong to this category.
Coarse-wool sheep
The wool fibers of coarse-wool sheep are mixed with fine wool (down hair), coarse hair, heterotypical hair, and kemp, etc., and can only be used for weaving carpets, so they are also called “carpet wool sheep”. They are widely distributed around the world, accounting for about 48% of all sheep breeds. China's Mongolian sheep and Tibetan sheep, England's Scottish Blackface, as well as many local breeds in Africa and Asia all belong to this category. They have large or short fat tails or fat rumps, and some have small tails. They can adapt to barren grasslands and harsh climatic conditions. Generally, they have good meat performance, strong fattening ability, and fine meat quality.
1. Fur sheep: The fur produced by fur sheep has the characteristics of good wool locks, large skin size, light skin board, beautiful finished product, and durability. China's Tan sheep is the best breed in the world for producing fur.
2. Lambskin sheep: Lambskin sheep are usually slaughtered for skin within 1-2 days after birth. The fur has beautiful curls and patterns and is rich in luster. The lambskin produced by Karakul sheep is famous worldwide. China's Hu sheep lambskin also enjoys a reputation in the international market.
3. Dairy sheep: Dairy sheep are mainly used for milk production, such as Germany's East Friesian sheep, which can produce 800 to 1000 kg of sheep milk in one lactation cycle.