CHAPTER VIII 



BREEDS OF SHEEP AND GOATS 



Sheep are classified according to their wool into the fine 

 wool, the medium wool, and the long wool breeds. The 

 medium wool and the long wool breeds constitute the 

 mutton breeds. The breeds commonly belonging to the 

 fine wool class are the American Merino, the Delaine 

 Merino, and the Rambouillet. Those belonging to the 

 medium wool class are the Shropshire, Oxford, Hampshire, 

 Southdown, Cheviot, Suffolk, Dorset, and Tunis. The 

 breeds belonging to the long wool class are the Lincoln, 

 Leicester (pronounced Lester), Cotswold, Black Faced 

 Highland, and Kent or Romney Marsh. 



Fine wool sheep do not mature until the age of three 

 years, but the medium wool breeds are mature at the 

 age of two years. 



THE FINE WOOL BREEDS 



American Merino. — This is the name applied to one 

 type of the Merino sheep which originally came from Spain. 

 In form, these sheep are of poor mutton type, having been 

 bred for the fineness of wool alone. They are narrow over 

 the back, sharp at the withers ; and the legs, which stand 

 close together, are crooked and often long. The skin is 

 wrinkled and lies in folds, especially on the neck and in the 

 region of the flank. In the western part of the country 



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