What do EWE know about Sheep Breeds? Quiz

Answer: Karakul

Now considered a rare breed, the American Karakul sheep is distinct for many reasons. For example, they store fat in their tails as do camels and they are the only sheep born with a "fur" fleece coat- usually a deep black in color. Unfortunately for the Karakul, this early soft coat cannot be shorn off like a regular fleece but must be harvested by killing and skinning a lamb within 2 days of its birth.

Answer: East Friesan

Newly imported from northern Germany and the Netherlands in the 1990s, this all-white dairy breed has been improved by man to yield between 1,100 and 1,700 pounds of milk yearly. Sheep milk is most commonly used in the production of cheese and is higher in fat content than cow or goat milk.

Answer: Navajo-Churro

Navajo Indians are credited for domesticating and adapting the Spanish Churro to thrive in the southwest. These sheep lamb easily, often have twins, and are excellent mothers. Females sometimes sprout horns and males commonly develop two or four horns in large, curling spirals. Like the Karakul, they have coarse wool, graded as "carpet wool" and it is the basis of the famed Navajo Indian blanket.

Answer: Suffolk

Suffolk sheep are well-known for their large size and quick growth weight. While mature rams commonly tip the scales at over 250 pounds, these white-fleeced sheep with black head and legs are usually slaughtered for their meat as lambs.

Answer: Dorper

Created by crossing a Blackhead Persian with a Dorset Horn sheep, Dorpers are commonly used for meat. They do not require shearing, grow rapidly, and have been found to be highly adaptable to any American farm setting.

Answer: Border Leicester

This "famous" all-white breed is commonly found in high-rainfall, good pasture northern areas of the US. Originally imported from England, they produce an excellent quality spinning wool.

Answer: Tunis

Originating in North Africa and imported to the US in 1799, this medium-sized sheep is naturally polled (no horns on either sex) and has a fat tail similar to the Karakuls. Their ability to breed out-of-season and tendency to be great mothers led to their popularity in the U.S.

However, Tunis farms were most prevalent in the South and nearly eliminated during the Civil War. They are still considered a rare breed.

Answer: Finnish Landrace

The fine-boned Finnish Landrace, or Finnsheep, is commonly used to cross with other breeds of sheep to increase prolificacy (number of lambs per birth). While all-white sheep were originally imported (from Finland- shocker!) their tightly crimped fleeces are popular with hand-spinners and they've been bred to include virtually every color combination known.

Answer: Scottish Blackface

Uncommon in the US, these sheep are easily recognized by their coarse, carpet quality fleeces and white and black speckled face and legs. Awesomely adapted to life on their own under hilly pasture conditions, the protective rams usually sport horns and ewes are excellent mothers.

Answer: Jacob

Raised for over 350 years in England, the origin of the Jacob is unknown. Covered in randomly patterned black and white wool that grows at different rates (the black is shorter/ grows slower than the white!), their wool often exhibits the characteristics of tweed clothing.