Raising Sheep
  • Home
    • Sheep Pictures
    • Sheep Books
  • Getting Started
    • What Is a Female Sheep Called
    • What Do Sheep Eat
    • How Many Sheep Per Acre
    • Business Plan for Sheep Farming
    • Raising Sheep: Getting Prepared
    • The 4-H Sheep Project >
      • Lamb Buying Guide
      • How to Halter Break a Lamb
      • Market Lamb Equipment List
      • Washing Sheep for Showing
      • How to Show Sheep
    • Breed Selection
    • Sheep vs Goat
    • Wether Sheep
  • Sheep Breeds
    • Meat Breeds >
      • Cheviot
      • Dorset
      • Hampshire
      • Montadale
      • North County Cheviot
      • Oxford
      • Shropshire
      • Southdown
      • Suffolk
      • Texel
      • Blue Texel
      • Tunis
    • Fine Wool Breeds >
      • American Cormo
      • Booroola Merino
      • Debouillet
      • Delaine-Merino
      • Rambouillet
    • Dual Purpose Breeds >
      • American Miniature Brecknock
      • Columbia
      • Corriedale
      • East Friesian
      • Finnsheep
      • Panama
      • Polypay
      • Targhee
    • Long Wool Breeds >
      • Border Leicester
      • Coopworth
      • Cotswold
      • Lincoln
      • Perendale
      • Romney
      • Wensleydale
    • Hair Breeds >
      • American Blackbelly
      • Barbados Blackbelly
      • California Red
      • Dorper
      • Katahdin
      • Mouflon
      • Romanov
      • Royal White Sheep
      • St. Croix
    • Minor Breeds >
      • Black Welsh Mountain
      • Blueface Leicester
      • California Variegated Mutant
      • Clun Forest
      • Gulf Coast
      • Icelandic
      • Jacob
      • Karakul
      • Navajo-Churro
      • Scottish Blackface
      • Shetland
      • Wiltshire Horn
      • Ouessant
  • Working with Wool
    • Raising Sheep For Wool
    • The Art of Spinning Wool
    • How to Spin Wool & Make Wool Clothing
    • How to Set Up and Use a Spinning Wheel
  • Flock Management
    • Sheep Gestation Calculator and Table
    • Sheep Fencing >
      • Sheep Predators
    • Sheep Lambing
    • Tagging Sheep Ears
    • Sheep Tail Docking
    • Sheep Housing
    • Sheep Breeding Season
    • How to Trim Sheep Hooves
    • Shearing Sheep >
      • Maintaining Sheep Shears
    • Raising Sheep for Show
    • Sheep Herding Dogs
  • Sheep Diseases
    • White Muscle Disease
    • Overeating Disease
    • Foot Rot
  • Guides
Home    ›    Sheep Breeds

Sheep Breeds: List of Breeds of Sheep

Here is a resource list of more than 50 of the most common sheep breeds. We've done our best to sort this list for easy browsing - presenting images of each breed of sheep to make it easy to find the breed you're interested in learning more about. We've separated this list of 50+ sheep breeds into six categories:

  1. Meat Breeds
  2. Long Wool Breeds
  3. Fine Wool Breeds
  4. Dual Purpose Breeds
  5. Hair Sheep Breeds
  6. Minor Breeds  

The name of each sheep breed will appear by hovering your mouse over the photograph. For more information on any of these sheep breeds simply click on the photograph.
Sheep Breeds: List of Breeds of Sheep

Meat Sheep Breeds

Meat sheep breeds produce wool but most shepherds raise these sheep for their rapid rate of growth and high yield carcasses. These breeds are often very popular in the show ring due to their flashy appearance and the fact that breeders are usually easy to locate.
Cheviot
Dorset
Hampshire
Montadale
North County Cheviot
Oxford
Shropshire
Southdown
Suffolk
Texel
Blue Texel
Tunis

Long Wool Sheep Breeds

Handspinners often raise long wool sheep breeds as these animals produce long, lustrous fleece which is easy to work with. Though not as large or fast-growing as the meat breeds listed above, long wool sheep breeds are popular around the world.
Border Leicester
Coopworth
Cotswold
Lincoln
Perendale
Romney
Wensleydale

Fine Wool Sheep Breeds

While fine wool breeds don't produce a fleece with as long a staple (length) as the long-wool breeds listed above, their high-quality fleeces are highly valued for commercial uses. Wool from these sheep breeds can be found in many high-end woolen clothes.
American Cormo
Booroola Merino
Debouillet
Delaine-Merino
Rambouillet

Dual Purpose Sheep Breeds

Dual purpose breeds are popular due to their versatility. Shepherds who value sheep which can produce a serviceable fleece while also exhibiting rapid growth often raise dual purpose sheep breeds. Click on any of the images below to learn more.
American Miniature Brecknock
Columbia
Corriedale
East Friesian
Finnsheep
Panama
Polypay
Targhee

Hair Sheep Breeds

Sometimes confused with goats, hair sheep are increasing in popularity as these animals reduce production time and cost (no annual investment in shearing) and many hair sheep breeds also have a resistance to parasites which can lead to a significant savings in annual medical expenses. Hair sheep breeds offer a very unique and distinctive appearance - click any tile for more photos.
American Blackbelly
Barbados Blackbelly
California Red
Dorper
Katahdin
Romanov
Royal White
St. Croix

Minor Sheep Breeds

Many of the sheep breeds listed in this category are more difficult to find in certain regions of the world, but each offers something unique which makes the breed beloved by the shepherds who raise them.
Black Welsh Mountain
Blueface Leicester
California Variegated Mutant
Clun Forest
Gulf Coast
Icelandic
Jacob
Karakul
Navajo-Churro
Scottish Blackface
Shetland
Wiltshire Horn
Ouessant

Table of Sheep Breeds in our Directory

Meat Sheep Breeds Long Wool Sheep Breeds Fine Wool Sheep Breeds Dual Purpose Breeds Hair Sheep Breeds Minor Breeds
Cheviot Border Leicester American Cormo Miniature Brecknock American Blackbelly Black Welsh Mountain
Dorset Coopworth Booroola Merino Columbia Barbados Blackbelly Blueface Leicester
Hampshire Cotswold Debouillet Corriedale California Red California Variegated Mutant
Montadale Lincoln Delaine-Merino East Friesian Dorper Clun Forest
North County Cheviot Perendale Rambouillet Finnsheep Katahdin Gulf Coast
Oxford Romney Panama Romanov Icelandic
Shropshire Wensleydale Polypay Royal White Sheep Jacob
Southdown Targhee St. Croix Karakul
Suffolk Navajo-Churro
Texel Scottish Blackface
Tunis Shetland
Wiltshire Horn
Ouessant

Back to the Top
Questions or comments? Email us at webmaster@raisingsheep.net
Copyright RaisingSheep.net 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Smart Shepherd Blog   |   Lamb Recipes   |   Join our Mailing List
Reviews of Sheep Supplies & Equipment  |  Useful Links

RaisingSheep.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. To learn more you can read our complete advertising policy.