East Friesian Sheep Breed Information
The East Friesian sheep breed is native to Germany’s Northern area and to Friesland province in the Netherlands. In 1994, Canada introduced the East Friesian to the United States as purebreds and the breed quickly caught on in local dairy operations. The East Friesian sheep breed is the highest milk producing breed of sheep and as a result the East Friesian tends to be the breed of choice for every sheep dairy, though some farmers do cross in polled Dorset to produce a slightly larger-framed animal. The East Friesian tends to be mid to large in size and relatively docile - a desirable trait in any dairy livestock. Their faces are white and open, making the breed easy to manage and Friesian sheep wool is of a decent length and quality considering that the wool is typically an afterthought for those raising Friesian sheep. Ewes tend to lamb by the time they are a year old and mature ewes are more productive. As in most dairy breeds, the lambs are taken away from the mothers after a few days and raised on a bottle while the ewe is milked in the dairy several times each day. The East Friesian is not a hardy breed and it thrives in specialized conditions. The breed is not one that does particularly well in large flocks or challenging weather and range conditions, but due to their unparalleled milk production, East Friesian ewes are ideal for cross breeding with sheep breeds which are already well adapted to local conditions.
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East Friesian Sheep Information
MATURE BODY WEIGHT
Ram 225-270 lb Ewe 160-180 lb AVERAGE FIBER DIAMETER Micron 29-33 USDA Wool Grade 46’s-54’s GREASE FLEECE WEIGHT Ewe 9-12 lb YIELD 55-65% STAPLE LENGTH 4-6" 
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