Tropical breeds of sheep are small-sized, hardy and prolific. They are well adapted to tropical conditions and thrive under extensive management systems.
They are also easy to rear and milk.
Some of the best known tropical breeds include Barbados Blackbelly, Barbados Blackbelly (BKB), Bajan Blackbelly, Bajan Blackbelly (BBB), Dominica Whiteface, Dominica Whiteface (DWF), Grenada Greyface, Grenada Greyface (GGF), Grenada Greyface (GGF), Jamaica Greyface, Jamaica Greyface (JGF) and St Vincent’s Greyface.
Sheep are one of the most popular livestock animals in the world. They can be raised for their meat, milk and wool. There are many different breeds of sheep, but some of them are native to tropical regions.
The following are a few examples of tropical breeds of sheep:
Mouflon Sheep – The Mouflon is also known as the Corsican ram or Ovis musimon. It is native to Corsica and Sardinia and is found throughout Europe and North Africa. The Mouflon is a large animal that can stand up to 1 meter (3 feet) tall at the shoulders and weigh up to 140 kilograms (310 pounds). It has horns that curve backward, sometimes with two points instead of one. The coat color varies from brownish red to dark brown with white markings on its face, belly, legs and underbelly.
Tropical Breeds Of Sheep
Toggenburg – This breed was developed in Switzerland in the late 19th century by cross-breeding several European breeds with local goats that had been brought over by early settlers from Toggenburg Valley in Switzerland. Today there are three types of Toggenburg: dairy, dual purpose and meat production. They have long ears that curl back along their skull like rams’ horns; short tails; strong
Tropical breeds of sheep are those that are best suited to tropical regions. These breeds of sheep are adapted to the heat, humidity and insects of the tropics. They are generally not suited for use in temperate climates.
The main characteristics of tropical breeds include:
Coarse wool
Short body (shorter than other breeds)
Densely packed coat (to block sunlight)
White or light colored fleece
The Australian Merino is the most famous sheep breed in the world. It was developed in Australia over many years and is now exported worldwide.
Australian Merinos are used for both meat and wool production. They have become synonymous with fine, soft wool which is used in clothing and felt making.
Merino sheep were introduced to Australia by British settlers in 1788, however it wasn’t until 1825 that Thomas Austin began breeding them for their wool. He was a sheep farmer from Bathurst who imported rams from Spain and Portugal, crossed them with his own stock, then bred the progeny together to produce a hardy breed better suited to the Australian environment than European breeds.
Eventually this new breed became known as Australian Merinos or “Texel Merinos”. The name comes from Texel Island off the coast of Holland where these sheep originated many centuries ago. The farmers on this island had been breeding these sheep for centuries before they were brought to Australia by Thomas Austin.
There are many different breeds of sheep in the world, but there are two main groups: The fat-tailed breeds and the thin-tailed breeds.
The fat-tailed breeds include Dall sheep, Argali, Barbary sheep and Mouflon. These animals have large rumps which store large amounts of fat.
The thin-tailed breeds include East Friesian, Icelandic and Navajo Churro sheep. These animals have very little body fat, so they cannot survive without access to food during periods of cold weather.
Dall Sheep