Small Ruminants

• Sheep Key Terms


  • Ram: Intact Male
  • Wether: Castrated Male
  • Ewe: Adult Female
  • Lamb: Animal under 1 year
• Goat Key Terms


  • Buck (Billy): Intact Male
  • Wether: Castrated Male
  • Doe (nanny): Adult Female
  • Doeling: Young female goat
  • Buckling: Young intact male goat
  • Kid: Goat under six months
• Overview of the US Sheep Industry

  • Farm Flocks
  • Range Flocks
• Overview of the US Sheep Industry

  • Purebred Breeders
  • Commercial Market Lamb Breeders
  • Commercial Feedlot Operations
• Sheep production is now considered a specialty industry
• There are 5 Million head of sheep in the United States (including lambs)
• Typically meat production is more profitable than wool
• Wool value in the US: $38 million
• Most US sheep producers raise sheep as a secondary job or hobby
• It is believed every country in the world has sheep and goats
• Hawaii is ranked with "other states" for Sheep production
• Estimates put about 16,000 small ruminants in the state of Hawaii
• The majority of sheep production in the US is for meat
• Overview of US Goat Production

  • Mohair
  • Dairy
  • Meat
  • Other
• The US has roughly 2.5 million head of goats
• Most of the demand for goat in the US is from immigrant populations
• There is not much data on the US goat industry as there is for sheep
• Goats aren't considered to contribute a lot to the US economy
• Domestication of goats occurred by several different distinct communities in the Fertile Crescent around 11,000 BC
• The oldest goat remains have been found in Iran
• Goat remains are found at numerous archaeological digs across the world
• Goats were used for milk, meat, and fur
• Goats were brought to North America by Spanish Missionaries
• Differences Between Sheep and Goats

  • Feeding habits: Sheep (graze); goats (browse)
  • Tails: Sheep (hang down); goats (point up)
  • Horns: Sheep (curled to the sides); goats (point up)
• Differences Between Sheep and Goats

  • Food variety: Sheep (accept monotonous diet); goats (requires variety)
  • Habitat selection: Sheep (lowlands or hilly grasslands); goats (climb rocks and elevations)
  • Antagonistic behavior: Sheep (butts head on); goats (sideways hooking motion)
  • Fighting: Sheep (butts); goats (rears on hind legs)
  • Beard: Sheep (absent); goats (present in bucks and some does)
  • Wattles: Sheep (absent); goats (may be present)
• Sheep Breeds can be divided into categories based on

  • Wool Quality: Fine, Medium, Long, Crossbred, or Hair
  • Breeding Purpose: Ewe-Type, Ram-Type, or Dual-Purpose
• Ewe-Types


  • Usually be white-faced
  • Fine, medium, or long wool or a cross of these types (typically)
  • Known for: Reproductive Efficiency, Wool Production, Size, Milking Ability, Longevity
• Common Ewe-Type Breeds


  • Rambouillet
  • Merino
  • Corriedale
  • Targhee
  • Finnsheep
  • Polypay
• Ram Types


  • Raised primarily to produces rams for crossing with the ewe type ewes
  • Noted for: Growth, Carcass traits
• Common Ram-Type Breeds


  • Suffolk
  • Hampshire
  • Texel
• Dual Purpose Breeds


  • Used as either a ewe or ram breed
  • Depending on the goal of the operation
• Dual Purpose Breeds


  • Lincoln
  • Romney
• Suffolk


  • Developed in England
  • Southdown rams and Norfolk Ewes
  • Naturally polled
  • Low quality wool
  • Known for meat quality and growth
  • Popular for club lambs
  • 5-8 lb. fleece
  • Rams commonly used as a terminal sire on cross-bred ewes
• Hampshire


  • Dual purpose breed
  • Noted for rapid growth and feed conversion
  • Wool discounted
  • Originated in Hampshire County, England
  • Medium wool type
  • Popular in the US
  • Prolific, good mothering ability
  • 8 lb. fleece
• Rambouillet


  • Developed in France ("French Merino")
  • Largest fine wool breed, but produces good mutton (dual-purpose)
  • Prolific and good mothers
  • Best breed for ability to forage
  • 7-14 lb. fleece
  • Very popular in western USA
• Columbia


  • First breed developed in the USA
  • Suited to rangeland
  • Dual purpose
  • Market or terminal type sheep
  • Largest of crossbred-wool type
  • Rams can weigh up to 400 lbs
  • 10-18 lb. fleece
• Targhee


  • Developed at the US Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, Idaho
  • Project started in 1926 (Ideal type was developed around 1938)
  • Careful selection using Rambouillet, Lincoln, and Corriedale ewes with Rambouillet rams
  • Named after Targhee National Forest where the sheep grazed
  • Dual purpose sheep
  • Rams: 200-300 lbs
  • Ewes: 125 -200 lbs
  • Average 10-14 pounds of wool
• Polypay


  • Developed in the 1960's as the "dream sheep" at the US Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, Idaho
  • Five Goals: High lifetime prolificacy, Large lamb crop at one year of age, Ability to lamb more frequently than once per year, Rapid growth rate of lambs, Desirable carcass quality
  • Developed using Finnsheep, Rambouillet, Targhee, and Dorset
  • Poly= Multiple Pay=Meaning return on investment
  • Maternal dual purpose breed
  • Fleece: 7-10 pounds
  • Rams: 190-250 pounds
  • Ewes: 140-180 pounds
• Katahdin


  • Hair sheep
  • Lean, meaty carcass
  • Adaptable to many environments
  • Low maintenance
  • No shearing
  • Parasite resistance
  • Exceptional mothering ability and lambing ease
• Dorper


  • Hair sheep
  • Meat producing
  • Originated in South Africa
  • Will graze and browse
  • Do not need shearing