Welcome To Spinderella's
1640 South 600 East * Salt Lake City~ UT * 84105 * 801.668.0563
Breeds of Sheep in the USA
Sheep fill a unique need today, just as they have for thousands of years. In todays day and age, we have many fibers to choose from and varying grades of wools. Knowing about the breeds of sheep may help you decide if a particular wool would be best used for a carpet, woven into suit fabric or knit up into a cozy woolen sweater.
Click on the links below to find more about the other sheep classifications in the USA.
Hair Sheep
Hair sheep include the folowing breeds. We see California reds on occasion, but not the others listed here.
- Barbados Blackbelly and American Blackbelly
are believed to have a West African origin and was first introduced into the Caribbean region in the 1500's. This breed of sheep in the United States are now fequently referred to as American Blackbelly.
- California Reds
originated in 1970 at the University of California at Davis and are a cross between Tunis and Barbados breeds. The lambs are born all red but change in color as adults. Mature California Reds turn a light tan color but retain the red color on their legs and head. - Dorper
sheep were developed in the early 1940's in South Africa. Dorpers have a mixture of hair and wool, but do not require shearing.
- Katahdin
Katahdin sheep are a breed of hair sheep developed in the United States. The Katahdin breed originated at the Piel Farm in north central Maine. It is a meat sheep which do not produce a fleece and therefore do not require shearing.
- Romanov
are not a cross of anything, unlike the majority of sheep breeds today. They have a dual coat, that sheds itself during the summer months
- Royal White Sheep
is the largest framed pure hair sheep in the USA. They are used for meat production and in making fine grain skins for production of washable apparel. This is a new breed of sheep is the first developed in the USA since the Polypay. - St Croix
was developed in the Virgin Islands and is also known as the Virgin Island White. The St. Croix is known for mild and tender meat and is also being used in dairies for milk and cheese production.
CONTACT:
Jim and Lynn Snell801.668.0563
1640 S. 600 E
SLC,UT 84105
email: spinderellas523@msn.com