List of sheep breeds

This is a list of breeds of domestic sheep. Domestic sheep (Ovis aries) are partially derived from mouflon (Ovis gmelini) stock, and have diverged sufficiently to be considered a different species. Some sheep breeds have a hair coat and are known as haired sheep.

Four breeds of sheep, in the illustrated encyclopedia Meyers Konversationslexikon

Domestic sheep breeds

Sorted alphabetically.

Contents: 

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

• See also
• Notes
• References
• External links

A

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Acıpayam			Turkey	Meat, wool[1]
Adal			Ethiopia[2]	Meat[2]
Afghan Arabi[note 1]			Afghanistan[3]	Meat[3]
Africana		Camura, Colombian Wooless, Pelona, Red African, Rojo Africana, West African[4]	Colombia[4]	Meat, woolly items[4]
Afrikaner		Cape fattest tail	South Africa	Meat, pelts honed
Afrino			South Africa	Meat, wool, crossbreeding
Alai			Kyrgyzstan[5]	Meat, wool[5]
Alcarreña			Spain[6]	Meat[6]
Algarve Churro			Portugal[7]	Meat[8]
Algerian sheep[note 1]		Ouled Jellal, Western Thin-tailed[9]	Algeria[9]	Meat[10]
Alpines Steinschaf			Germany[11]	Meat, wool, vegetation management[11]
Altay			China[12]	Meat[13]
American Blackbelly			United States	Trophy hunting
Ancon		Otter sheep[14]	United States[14]
Appenninica		Appenninica, Bariscianese, Chietina Varzese, Perugina del piano[15]	Italy[15]	Meat[15]
Arabi			Iran, Iraq[16]	Meat[16]
Arapawa			New Zealand[17]	Wool[18]
Arkhar-Merino			Kazakhstan	Wool
Armenian Semicoarsewool		Armyanskaya Polugrubosherstnaya[19]	Armenia[19]	Meat, milk[19]
Askanian		Askaniysky[20]	Ukraine[20]	Wool[20]
Assaf			Israel[21]	Meat, milk[21]
Aussiedown			Australia[22]	Meat[22]
Australian White			Australia	Meat
Awassi		Ivesi, Baladi, Deiri, Syrian, Ausi, Nuami, Gezirieh[23]	South Eastern Anatolia, Syro-Arabian desert[23]	Milk[23]

B

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Balkhi			Afghanistan, North-west Pakistan	Meat
Baluchi		Baluchi dumda, Mengali, Taraki, Shinwari, Araghi, Farahani, Kermani, Khorasani, Khurasani, Naeini, Neini, Yazdi	Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan	Wool
Barbados Blackbelly sheep		Barbados Black Belly, Black Belly, Barbados Barriga Nigra	Barbados	Meat
Bardoka			Kosovo	Milk, meat, wool and research
Basco-Béarnais			Spain, France	Milk
Bellary			Karnataka, India	Wool
Beltex			Belgium, The Netherlands	Meat
Bentheimer Landschaf		Bentheim sheep	Germany	Landscape preservation
Bergamasca			Italy	Meat
Berichon du Cher			France
Beulah Speckled Face			United Kingdom	Meat
Bibrik			Pakistan
Biellese		Razza d'Ivrea, Piemontese Alpina	Italy	Meat, milk
Bizet			France	Meat
Blackhead Persian		Swartkoppersie	Somalia	Meat
Bleu du Maine		Bazougers, Blauköpfiges Fleischschaf, Bluefaced Maine, Blue-headed Maine, Maine-Anjou, Maine à tête bleue, Mayenne Blue	France	Meat, Wool
Bluefaced Leicester			United Kingdom	Meat
Blue Texel			Netherlands	Meat[24]: 765
Bond			Australia	Wool
Border Leicester			United Kingdom	Meat, wool
Boreray sheep			Scotland	Meat, wool
Bovec sheep		Bovška Ovca, Plezzana, Trentarka, Krainer Steinschaf	Italy	Meat, milk
Braunes Bergschaf		Brown Mountain sheep[25]	Germany[25]	Meat, vegetation management[26]
Brazilian Somali		Berbera Blackhead[27]	Somalia[27]	Meat[28]
Brianzola			Italy	Meat
British Milksheep			United Kingdom[29]	Milk[29]
Bündner Oberland		Graubünden, Grisons[30]	Switzerland[30]	Vegetation management[30]

C

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
California Red			United States	Meat, wool
California Variegated Mutant		CVM, Romeldale/CVM[31]	United States[31]	Wool[31]
Cambridge			United Kingdom	meat
Cameroon			West Africa[32]	Meat[33]
Campanian Barbary			Italy[34]	Meat, milk[34]
Canadian Arcott			Canada[35]	Meat[36]
Cărăbaşă		Black-headed Teleorman Tigaie	Romania
Castlemilk Moorit		Castlemilk Shetland, Moorit Shetland[37]	Scotland[38]	Hobby[37]
Charmoise			France[39]	Meat[40]
Charollais			France[41]	Meat[41]
Cheviot			Scotland[42]	Meat, wool[42]
Border Cheviot[note 2]		South Country Cheviot[43]	United Kingdom[43]	Meat[43]
Brecknock Hill Cheviot[note 2]		Brecon Cheviot, Sennybridge Cheviot[44]	Wales[44]	Meat[45]
North Country Cheviot[note 2]			Scotland[46]	Meat[46]
Chios			Island of Chios, Greece[47]	Milk[48]
Cholistani			Pakistan[49]	Meat[50]
Churra		Spanish Churro[51]	Spain[52]	Meat, milk[53]
Cigaja			Croatia	Wool, milk
Cikta			Hungary[54]	Meat[54]
Çine Çaparı			Turkey[55]
Clun Forest			England[56]	Meat, milk, wool[36]
Coburger Fuchsschaf		Coburg Fox Sheep[57]	Germany[57]	Vegetation management[57]
Columbia			United States[36]	Wool[58]
Comeback			Australia[59]	Meat, wool[59]
Comisana		Lentinese, Red Head, Testa rossa, Faccia rossa[60]	Italy[60]	Milk[60]
Coolalee			Australia[61]	Meat[61]
Coopworth			New Zealand[62]	Meat, wool[62]
Cormo			Australia and New Zealand[63]	Wool[63]
Corriedale			New Zealand[64]	Meat, wool[64]
Cotswold			United Kingdom[65]	Meat, wool[65]
Criollo		Creole, Chilludo, Colombian, Lucero, Pampa, Tarhumara, Uruguayan, Venezuelan[66]	Central America[67]	Meat[66]

D

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Dala Fur sheep		Dala pälsfår[68]	Sweden[68]
Dalesbred			United Kingdom[69]	Meat, wool[70]
Dagliç			Turkey[71]	Meat, milk[71]
Damani			Pakistan[72]	Meat, wool[72]
Damara			Namibia[73]	Meat[73]
Danish Landrace		Landfår, Klitfår[74]	Denmark[74]	Wool[74]
Debouillet			United States[36]	Wool[75]
Derbyshire Gritstone			United Kingdom[76]	Meat[76]
Deutsches Bergschaf		Weißes Bergschaf, White Mountain, Deutsches Weisses Bergschaf[77]	Germany[77]	Meat, wool[78]
Devon Closewool			United Kingdom[79]	Meat[80]
Devon Longwoolled		Devon Longwool[81]	United Kingdom[81]	Meat, wool[81]
Dohne Merino		Dohne, El Dohne Merino[82]	South Africa[82]	Meat, wool[82]
Dorper			South Africa[83]	Meat[83]
Dorset		Dorset Horn, Dorset Horned[84]	United Kingdom	Meat[84]
Dorset Down			United Kingdom[85]	Meat[85]
Drenth Heath Sheep		Drents Heideschaap[86]	Netherlands[86]	Vegetation management[86]
Drysdale			New Zealand[87]	Wool[87]
Duben sheep			Bulgaria	wool

E

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Easycare			United Kingdom[88]	Meat[88]
East Friesian		Ostfriesisches Milchschaf[89]	Germany[89]	Milk[89]
Edilbay		Edilbaevskaya, Edilbaev	Kazakhstan[90][91]	Meat, tail fat[90][91]
Elliottdale			Tasmania[92]	Meat, Wool[92]
English Leicester		Bakewell Leicester, Dishley Leicester, Improved Leicester, Leicester, Leicester Longwool, New Leicester[93]	England[93]	Meat[93]
Estonian Ruhnu		Ruhnu maalammas[94]	Estonia[94]	Meat, wool[94]
Elinpelin sheep		-	Bulgaria	wool
Exlana sheep[95]			United Kingdom	meat, wool
Exmoor Horn			Exmoor[96]	Meat[96]

F

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Fabrianese			Italy	Meat, milk
Faroe		Faroese	Faroe Islands	Meat, wool
Fat-tailed sheep (group of breeds)			Africa, Middle East, Near East, Pakistan, Northern India, Western China, Mongolia	Meat
Finnsheep		Suomenlammas, Finnish Landrace	Finland	Meat, Wool, Milk, Landscape Management
Flanders Milk sheep			Belgium
Forystufé		Leadersheep, Forystukind	Iceland	Genetic conservation, herd management
French Alpine sheep			France
Friesian Milk sheep			Netherlands
Fuglestad			Norway

G

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Gaddi		Kangra Valley, Bhadarwah	India	Wool
Galician		Ovella galega	Spain	Meat, milk
Galway			Ireland	Meat
Gansu Alpine Fine-wool		Northwestern Chinese Merino, North-West China Merino	China	Wool
Gentile di Puglia		Merinos d'Italia	Italy	Wool
German Whiteheaded Mutton		Weißkopf, Weißköpfiges Fleischschaf	Germany	Meat, wool
Gotland		Gotland Pälsfår, Gotland pelt	Sweden	Meat, wool
Gökçeada			Turkey
Greenlandic sheep		kalaallit savaataat, sava	Greenland	Meat, wool
Greyface Dartmoor			United Kingdom	Meat
Grey Troender		Grå trøndersau	Norway	Wool
Gromark			Australia	Meat, wool
Gulf Coast Native		Louisiana Scrub, Pineywoods Native	Gulf Coast, United States
Guligas			Uzbekistan
Guirra			Mediterranean coast of Spain[97]	Meat[97]
Gute		Gutefår	Sweden	Genetic conservation

H

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Hampshire		Hampshire Down	United Kingdom	Meat
Han			Mongolia, China[98]
Langzhou Large-tail Han[note 3]			Northern China
Small-tail Han[note 3]			China	Meat
Hanzhong			China
Harnai			Pakistan[99]
Hasht Nagri			Pakistan[100]	Meat, wool[100]
Hazaragie			Afghanistan[101]	Meat[101]
Hebridean		St. Kilda sheep	Scotland	Vegetation management
Heidschnucke		Family of sheep including the three breeds below	Germany	Meat, wool, vegetation management
Graue gehörnte Heidschnucke[note 4]		Grey Horned Heath	Germany	Meat, wool, vegetation management
Moorschnucke[note 4]		White Polled Heath	Germany	Meat, wool, vegetation management
Weiße gehörnte Heidschnucke[note 4]		White Horned Heath	Germany	Meat, wool, vegetation management
Herdwick			England	Meat
Herik			Turkey
Hill Radnor			Wales	Meat
Hog Island			United States	Wool
Hu

I

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Icelandic sheep		íslenska sauðkindin	Iceland	Meat, milk, wool
Inner Mongolian wool			China
Île-de-France		Dishley Merino	France	Meat
Istrian milk		Istrian Pramenka	Croatia, Slovenia	Meat, milk

J

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Jacob			United Kingdom	Meat, wool, hide, pet
Jezersko–Solčava sheep		Brillenschaf, Carinthian sheep, Seelaenderschaf, Spectacles Sheep[102]	Slovenia[102]	Meat[103]
Juraschaf

K

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Karacabey Merino			Turkey
Kachhi			Pakistan
Kajli			Pakistan	Meat, milk, wool
Kamakuyruk			Turkey
Karakul			Central Asia	Meat, milk, wool, hide
Karayaka			Turkey	Meat, milk, wool
Kärntner Brillenschaf		Spectacled Alpine Sheep	Austria	Meat, wool, hide
Katahdin			United States	Meat
Kempen Heath			Netherlands
Kerry Hill			Wales	Meat
Kihnu Native		Kihnu maalammas	Estonia	Wool
Kıvırcık			Turkey
Kooka			Pakistan	Milk
Kashmir Merino			Kashmir	Wool
Karagouniko			Greece

L

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Lacaune			France	Milk
Landais
Langhe
Lati
Latxa		Lacha	Spain	Milk
Leccese		Moscia Leccese	Italy	Wool, milk
Leineschaf			Germany	Meat, wool
Lincoln		Lincoln Longwool	England	Wool
Lithuanian Black-headed		Lietuvos vietines siurksciavilnês	Lithuania	Meat, wool
Llanwenog			Wales	Meat
Lleyn		Dafad Llŷn	Wales	Meat
Lohi			Pakistan	Wool
Lonk		Improved Haslingden	England	Meat, wool
Luzein sheep

M

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Magra sheep		Bikaneri Chokhla, Chakri, Bikaneri	Rajasthan, India	Wool
Maltese			Malta
Manchega			Spain	Meat, milk
Manech
Marwari			India	Meat, wool
Manx Loaghtan		Loaghtyn, Loghtan	Isle of Man	Wool
Masai			Kenya
Masham			England	Meat, wool
Massese sheep			Italy	Milk
Meatmaster			South Africa	Meat
Mehraban			Iran	Meat
Merinizzata Italiana			Italy	Meat, wool
Merino			Spain, Turkey	Meat, wool
Argentine Merino[note 5]			Argentina	Meat, wool
Arles Merino[note 5]			France	Meat, wool
Booroola Merino[note 5]			Australia	Wool, research
Delaine Merino[note 5]			United States	Wool
East Merino sheep[note 5]			France	Meat, wool
Karacabey Merino[note 5]			Turkey
Medium-wool Merino[note 5]
Merinofleischschaf[note 5]
Merinolandschaf[note 5]			Germany	Meat, wool
Merino Longwool[note 5]
Poll Merino[note 5]			Australia	Meat, wool
South African Merino[note 5]			South Africa	Meat, wool
South African Meat Merino[note 5]		SAMM	South Africa	Meat, wool
Strong Wool Merino[note 5]
Transylvanian Merino[note 5]			Romania
Ming Black
Moghani
Montadale			United States	Meat, wool
Morada Nova		Brazilian Woolless	Brazil	Meat
Moles

N

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Najdi		Nejdi	Saudi Arabia	Meat, milk, wool
Namaqua Afrikaner			South Africa	Meat, pelts
Nali		Western India	India	Wool
Navajo-Churro sheep			United States	Wool
Nederlandse Bonte Schaap[104]		Dutch Spotted Sheep[105]	Netherlands	meat, wool
Nellore		palia, jodipi, dora	India	Meat
Newfoundland		Newfoundland Local	Canada
Nilgiri			India
Noire du Velay			France	Meat
Nolana sheep
Norfolk Horn		Blackface Norfolk Horned, Norfolk Horned, Old Norfolk, Old Norfolk Horned	United Kingdom	Meat
North Ronaldsay		Orkney	Scotland	Wool
Northern European short-tailed sheep (group of breeds)			Baltic states, British Isles, Scandinavia, Germany, Russia	Meat, milk, wool
Norwegian Fur

O

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Orkhon			Mongolia	Wool
Ossimi
Ouessant		Ushant, Breton Island Dwarf	France[106]	Wool, hobby
Oula
Oxford		Oxford Down	United Kingdom	Meat

P

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Pag Island		Paška ovca	Croatia	Meat, milk
Pagliarola
Panama			United States	Meat
Pedi sheep		Bapedi	South Africa	Meat
Pelibüey		Cubano Rojo	Caribbean, Mexico, South America	Meat
Perendale			New Zealand	Meat
Pinzirita			Sicily	Milk
Pitt Island			Chatham Islands, New Zealand	Wool
Polwarth			Australia	Meat, wool
Polypay			United States	Meat, wool
Portland			England	Meat
Pramenka		Lička, Istarska, Kupreška or Dubska pramenka	Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia	Meat, milk, wool
Priangan		Garut	Indonesia	Meat, ram fighting
Polish Heath			Poland
Poll Dorset			Australia	Meat
Polled Dorset			United States	Meat
Pomeranian Coarsewool Sheep		Pomeranian Sheep, Rauhwolliges Pommersches Landschaf	Germany	Meat, vegetation management

Q

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Qashqai			China
Qiaoke			China
Qinghai Black Tibetan			China
Qinghai Semifinewool			China
Quadrella			Italy
Quanglin Large-Tail			China

R

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Rabo Largo
Racka		Ovce cápová, Cápovice	Hungary	Meat, milk, wool
Rahmany sheep		El-rahmani	Egypt	Meat, milk, wool
Rambouillet		Rambouillet Merino, French Merino	France	Meat, wool
Rasa Aragonesa			Aragón	Meat
Red Engadine		Engadine	Switzerland
Red Karaman			Turkey
Red Maasai			East Africa	Meat
Rhoen sheep				vegetation management
Rideau Arcott			Canada
Romanov			Russia	Meat
Romney sheep		Romney Marsh	United Kingdom	Meat, wool
Roslag		Roslagsfår	Sweden	Meat, wool
Rouge de l'Ouest		Tête rouge du Maine	France	Meat
Rouge du Roussillon		Roussillion Red	France	Meat, wool
Rough Fell			United Kingdom	Meat
Roux du Valais		Walliser Landschaf, Roux du Pays	Switzerland	Meat, wool
Ruda			Albania, Croatia	Wool
Rya		Ryafår, Swedish Carpet Wool Sheep	Sweden	Wool
Ryeland			United Kingdom	Meat
Rygja

S

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Sahel-type
Sakiz		Çesme	Turkey	Wool
Saraja[107]			Turkmenistan	Wool, meat
Santa Cruz			Santa Cruz Island, United States	Wool
Santa Inês			Brazil	Meat
Sardinian		Brabei Sarda, Pecora Sarda	Italy	Milk
Sardi (Moroccan sheep)			Morocco	Meat, milk, wool
Schoonebeker
Schwarzköpfiges Fleischschaf
Schwarzes Bergschaf
Scottish Blackface		Blackfaced Highland, Kerry, Linton, Scotch Blackface, Scotch Horn, Scottish Highland, Scottish Mountain	Scotland	Meat
Scottish Dunface		Scottish Tanface, Old Scottish Short-wool	Scotland (extinct)[108]	Meat, wool
Serrai		Serraika, Serron	Greece, Serres	Meat, milk, wool [109]
Shetland			Shetland Islands	Meat, wool
Shropshire			United Kingdom	Meat
Sicilian Barbary			Sicily
Skudde		skudden	Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Switzerland [110]	Meat, vegetation management, felting
Soay			Scotland	Meat
Somali		Berbera Blackhead	Somalia	Meat
Sopravissana			Italy	Milk
South Devon			United Kingdom
South Dorset			United Kingdom
South Hampshire			United Kingdom
Southdown			United Kingdom	Meat
South Wales Mountain			Wales
Spælsau		Old Norwegian Short Tail Landrace	Norway	Meat
Spiegel
St. Croix		Virgin Island white	Virgin Islands	Meat
Steigar
Steinschaf
Suffolk			United Kingdom	Meat
Sumavska			Czech Republic	Meat, milk, wool
Swaledale			United Kingdom	Meat, wool
Swedish Fur			Sweden
Swifter
Schweizer Schwarzbraunes Bergschaf
Schweizer Alpenschaf
Såne			Denmark	Meat, pelt

T

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Taleshi			Iran	Meat
Tan [zh]			China	Hides, meat
Targhee			United States	Wool
Tautra
Teeswater			United Kingdom	Meat
TEFRom			New Zealand	Meat, wool
Texel			Netherlands	Meat
Thalli
Ţigaie			Romania	Meat, milk, wool
Tiroler Steinschaf		Pecora della Roccia Tirolese	Austria	Meat, wool
Touabire
Ţsurcană			Romania	Meat, milk, wool
Tukidale			Tuki Tuki in New Zealand, then Australia	Meat, specialty carpet wool[111]
Tunis		Tunisian Barbary	Tunisia	Meat
Tuj			Turkey
Türkgeldi			Turkey

U

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Uda			Chad, Niger, northern Cameroon, northern Nigeria	Meat

V

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Valachian sheep		Native Wallachian sheep	Czech Republic	Meat, milk, wool
Valachian Improved sheep			Czech Republic	Meat, milk, wool
Valais Blacknose		Wallis Blacknose, Walliser Schwarznasenschaf, Blacknosed Swiss, Visp, Visperschaf	Switzerland	Meat, wool
Van Rooy		Van Rooy White Persian	South Africa	Meat
Vendéen			France	Meat

W

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Waldschaf
Waziri			Pakistan	Meat, wool
Weißes Bergschaf
Welsh Hill Speckled Face			Wales
Welsh Mountain sheep		Defaid Mynydd Cymreig	Wales	Meat
Badger Face Welsh Mountain[note 6]		Defaid Idloes, Badger Faced Welsh Mountain, Welsh Badger-faced	Wales	Meat
Balwen Welsh Mountain sheep[note 6]			Wales	Meat
Black Welsh Mountain sheep[note 6]		Defaid Mynydd Duon	Wales	Meat
South Wales Mountain[note 6]			Wales
Wensleydale			England	Meat
West African Dwarf		Djallonke, Fouta Djallon sheep[112]	West Africa and Central Africa[112]	Meat
White Horned Heath
White Karaman		Akkaraman[113]	Located in Central Anatolia, provinces adjacent to Eastern Anatolia and Southern Anatolia, the Black Sea region, and the Mediterranean regions close to Central Anatolia.[113]
White Suffolk			Australia	Meat
Whiteface Dartmoor			United Kingdom	Meat
Whitefaced Woodland		Penistone sheep	England	Meat
White Maritza sheep			Bulgaria
Wiltipoll			Australia	Meat
Wiltshire Horn			United Kingdom	Meat

X

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Xalda			Spain	Meat[114]
Xaxi Ardia			Spain[115]
Xinjiang Finewool			China	Meat, wool [116]

Y

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Yankasa			Nigeria	Meat
Yellow sheep			Yorkshire
Yemen White			Yemen
Yiecheng
Yoroo
Yunnan Semifinewool			China

Z

Name	Picture	Alternative name	Origin	Purpose
Zackel
Zaghawa
Zaian
Zaïre Long-Legged
Zakynthos
Zeeland Milk
Zel
Zelazna		Zeleznienska	Poland	Meat
Zemmour
Zeta Yellow
Zlatusha
Zoulay
Zwartbles			Netherlands	Meat, milk, cheese
Zulu sheep		Nguni	South Africa	Meat

Notes

1. Arabi subtype
2. Cheviot subtype
3. Han subtype
4. Heidschnucke subtype
5. Merino subtype
6. Welsh Mountain subtype

See also

• Animals portal

• List of cattle breeds
• List of domestic pig breeds
• List of goat breeds
• Lists of domestic animal breeds