Following is an article written by the same lady and may duplicate some of the above. However may well put discriptions of sheep in an easier format to understand.
A Cornucopia of Sheep Breeds: Which One Do I Pick?by Susan Schoenian
Area Agent, Sheep and Goats
Western Maryland Research & Education Center
Maryland Cooperative Extension
Before choosing a breed (or breeds) of sheep to raise, you must first ask yourself why you want to raise sheep. Your motivation for raising sheep will have a significant impact on the breed you choose. For example, the breed that you choose for your children's 4-H project may not be the same breed you'd choose if your motivation is primarily profit.
Some of the reasons people raise sheep include:
Profit
Favorable tax treatment
Hobby
Home consumption
4-H or youth project
Grazing or vegetation control
Aesthetics
Oftentimes, it is more useful to look at "types" of sheep as opposed to individual sheep breeds. These types of sheep tend to share similar characteristics and can often be substituted for one another in a breeding program.
There are several different ways to categorize sheep breeds. These include:
1. Commercial use
2. Production purpose
3. Face color
4. Wool or coat type
5. Special traits.
When categorizing sheep according to their commercial use, there are four categories: meat, wool, dairy and multi-purpose. While most sheep breeds are dual-purpose (e.g. meat and wool) and some are triple-purpose (meat, wool and milk) many breeds excel in the production of one product.
A useful way to categorize sheep breeds is according to their use in production. For example: is the breed more suitable as a "ram" or "ewe" breed in your flock? Ram breeds tend to be those which excel in growth and carcass traits, whereas ewe breeds are strong in maternal characteristics such as fertility, prolificacy, milking ability and mothering ability. Some breeds are considered dual-purpose because they possess traits which make them equally suitable as either a ram or ewe breed.
Face color is often used to differentiate breeds, but the most common way to categorize sheep is according to the type of coat or fleece they have. All sheep have both hair and wool fibers in their fleeces. Hair sheep have a higher percentage of hair fibers, while wool sheep have a higher percentage of wooly fibers. Hair sheep do not need sheared; they shed their coats annually. Wool sheep need sheared a minimum of once per year.
Within the wool types of sheep, there is considerable difference in the type of fibers that the sheep grow. Fine wool sheep grow shorter-stapled fleeces in which the wool fiber has a very small diameter. Long or coarse wool sheep grow long-stapled fleeces in which the wool fiber has a very large diameter. Medium wool sheep grow wool that is intermediate in fiber diameter and length. The crossbred wool type sheep produce fibers that are intermediate between fine and medium wool; these breeds are primarily crosses between fine and long wool sheep.
Some breeds of sheep excel in more specific traits. Prolific breeds, for example, produce litters of lambs. These include Finn sheep, the Romanov, the Booroola Merino and the Barbados Blackbelly. The Finn and the Romanov are among the most prolific breeds of sheep in the world. The Booroola Merino is a specific strain of Merino in which prolificacy was found to be controlled by one gene -- the F (for fecundity) gene. Under good feeding conditions, the Barbados Blackbelly, a Caribbean hair sheep, is very prolific.
If you're looking to add muscling to your flock, there are several breeds to choose from. The Texel, a Dutch breed, excels in muscling, producing carcasses with a high lean to fat and meat to bone ratio. The Dorper, a new breed from South Africa, also produces very heavy muscled carcasses. Sheep carrying the "Callipyge" gene (a gene mutation) possess a high amount of muscling in the leg and loin regions.
Hair sheep are gaining in popularity due to their lack of shearing and ease of care. There are two types of hair sheep: unimproved or "pure" hair sheep, which include the Barbados Blackbelly, St. Croix (Virgin Island White) and Wiltshire Horn; and improved or "shedding" hair sheep, which include the Katahdin and Dorper. The unimproved hair breeds excel in reproductive and fitness traits, whereas the improved hair breeds are intermediate between hair and wool sheep in these traits, but faster growing and heavier muscled.
Ewe breed selection
When selecting a ewe breed or type, the following factors should be considered:
1. Adaptation to environment
2. Type of wool or coat
3. Desired level of reproductive
4. When and how often to lamb
5. Desired level of care
While you can raise any breed of sheep in any environment, some sheep breeds will tend do better in certain climates than others. For example, fine wool breeds, as well as the Navajo Churro are a better choice in hot and dry environments where feed may be scarce. Where it's hot and humid, the Gulf Coast (or Florida) Native or hair sheep are a good choice, because of their heat tolerance and parasite resistance. In cold, wet areas where feed is abundant, the long wool breeds, dairy sheep, meat sheep and improved hair sheep breeds are a good fit.
The type of wool or coat desired is an important consideration when forming a ewe flock. If you do not want to shear your sheep, hair sheep (or goats) are your only choice. For the commercial wool market (sales to wool pools and mills), the fleeces from fine and crossbred wool ewes will net more money. Due to the absence of dark fibers, the wool from white-faced wool is also usually worth more. If commercial pelts are a consideration, the pelts from white faced sheep and fine wool breeds are more desirable. If you're interested in producing wool for hand spinning, any breed of wool sheep can be raised, but the wool from the long wooled breeds and natural colored animals seems to be in the greatest demand. Natural colored pelts are also desirable.
Not every shepherd wants to deal with large litters of lambs. On the other hand, ewes that only produce one lamb will not be very profitable. Breed choice will have a large bearing on the reproductive rate of your flock. Prolific breed ewes will produce litters of lambs (3 or more). Ewes containing 50% or more of a prolific breed will produce lamb crops in excess of 200%. Under proper management and nutrition, most of the meat breeds are capable of producing a 200% lamb crop. The Polypay and Katahdin will generally produce two lambs, in addition to any ewe containing at least 25% of a prolific breed. Any breed of sheep can be selected to produce larger lamb crops.
Most sheep are seasonal breeders, breeding in the fall when day length is shorter and lambing in the late winter or spring. If you want to produce "out-of-season" lambs, you'll need to select an appropriate breed. The Dorset is known for its ability to lamb yearround, though there are genetic differences within the breed. Other breeds with extended breeding seasons include the Rambouillet, Finn, Merino, Polypay and Katahdin. The breeds which are most seasonal in their breeding habits include the long wool breeds and meat breeds of British origin. Any breed of sheep can be selected for the ability to lamb in the fall.
Raising sheep can be a labor intensive undertaking, but there are breeds of sheep which inherently require less care. Easy care sheep include hair sheep, Border and North County Cheviots, Coopworths and the fine wool breeds. Those which require a higher level of care (or labor) include the meat breeds, long wool breeds, prolific breeds and dairy sheep, though any flock of sheep can be selected and managed to minimize care (labor).
