# Different Breeds Of Sheep



## speakmanfamily (Aug 12, 2011)

Hi everyone :wave:

I was just thinking of all the different breeds of sheep, and how i know so few. So i was wondering, If anyone would be willing to share on their favorite breed of sheep, pros and cons of that particular breed. Maybe even share some pictures? D who doesn't love to share pictures?) 
I'm not looking to switch sheep breeds, but i just find it interesting to see peoples personal opinions (instead of googles  )

So here are mine:

I have Canadian Arcotts, and i really enjoy them.

Some pros i can think of would be that they are very nice meat, VERY easy to birth and are known to have multiples. (This past spring was our ewes first lambing, we ended up with Two singles, Eight sets of twins and one set of triplets!). We don't do anything with their wool, so i wouldn't be able to say if it is actually any good. (quite thick and soft though!)

Cons: I can't actually think of any breed-specific cons. But personally, I don't like that they are mainly white. (We've gotten two ewes with brown faces) I enjoy to see some color in flocks!

Any who~ These are some of my lovies! (these are old pictures, taken last spring. As i don't have any decent new ones at this time)

 This is our ram, we call him Ramsley 
 This pretty mama is Gem
 Sheep Dip! ound:
 Snow, in the middle, along with a few other ewes.

Thanks for reading, and i look forward to hearing about your flock!


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

I used to raise Brecknock Hill Cheviots... now called miniature Cheviots. They were my favorite.

Until I bought the newest lamb.... a Finn. She is sooo sweet, loves humans and was a snap to gentle and train to halter.
Hopefully will be able to add some more Finn's soon. They are my new favorite!

Also have some Katahdin and a Katahdin cross.










Your Canadian Arcotts are beautiful sheep, can see why you like them.


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## speakmanfamily (Aug 12, 2011)

Oh! she is so cute!
I just want to snuggle her!


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## RovingAcres (Mar 3, 2013)

I have 3 breeds of sheep so I can't play favorites but I can share pictures/pros and cons!

The cormos have amazing fleece that handspinners will fight each other for. They are also big puppydogs, especially the boys. They love hugs and face rubs and cuddle time. I've never had one ever even look at me wrong. They tend to have bad feet and are parasite prone though. They're a merino based breed.




The romeldale/CVMs also have lovely fine wool and it comes in all sorts of colors and patterns that I love. The babies grow like weeds and don't seem to be as prone to foot problems and parasites as the cormos. They're friendly and outgoing but can get a bit pushy. They came from romneys.




The jacobs have medium fine wool and are teeny tiny compared to my other breeds. They almost never have any medical issues, their hooves are always great, and I've only had to worm my older (8+ years) sheep regularly. They have twins every year and stay fat on grass. They aren't as cuddly as the finewools but they're friendly and curious and sassy and make me laugh all the time. Visitors love their crazy horns but often think they are goats.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Beautiful sheep RovingAcres! You have a lot of drool worthy fleece to hand spin.


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## RovingAcres (Mar 3, 2013)

I'm not kidding about handspinners fighting over the cormo, I only have 4 right now and its a race to my booth when I sell it at shows. They don't even look at the price :rock:


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

I've had several breeds (Dorset, Suffolk, Romney, textile, and Hampshire) but by far my favorite is the Romney (although Dorsets are a close second). 

Pro: They are great for hand spinning, are calm, quiet, hardy (almost never use the shelter), and are fat on grass. They also don't weight 300 lbs., which is majorly important when you are a 5'6 150 lb. woman trying to handle a small flock alone (and I know that proper equipment would help but I don't have the money for it yet). 

Con: They can get a little hot in the summer (ie they don't like 100+ weather but then again neither do I). 

Hours old lamb:


6 month old lambs: 


and the wool: 


and a yearling black ram:


what I do with the wool:


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Lambsarecute... beautiful sheep and your lace work is stunning!


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## speakmanfamily (Aug 12, 2011)

oooh! Everyones sheep are so nice!


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