The South African Meat Merino or SAMM is a wool and meat sheep originating in South Africa, but now found throughout the world. The SAMM has been developed as a versatile, hardy, polled dual-purpose breed. Ewes have a good maternal instinct and high milk production. Mature ewes will grow up to about 210 lb and rams… Continue Reading
Katahdin are an improved breed of hair sheep, the first hair breed to meet North American industry standards for carcass quality. They are hardy, adaptable, low maintenance sheep that is naturally tolerant of climatic extremes and is ideal for pasture lambing and grass/foragebased management systems. They are medium-sized and efficient, bred for utility and for… Continue Reading
Hampshires are a large breed, with black faces and legs and wool on the legs and head. Hampshire sheep have the genetic ability to efficiently convert forage into meat and fiber and are adaptable and productive in various geographic regions of the United States. Their fast growth rate and superior carcass merit make them a… Continue Reading
Finnsheep are a multi-purpose breed. In their native Finland, where they are known as Finnish Landrace Sheep, they are raised for meat, wool and pelts. In the United States, their primary use has been in cross-breeding programs to increase the lambing percentage of commercial flocks. Most of the Finnsheep in the USA are pure white. They… Continue Reading
Dorsets are adaptable to all types of sheep enterprises, from the large, full-time commercial producer to the small, part-time purebred farm flock operation. The Dorset breed was originally developed as an extremely versatile sheep that thrived and excelled in a variety of environments, under various nutritional and management regimens. Due to their moderate size and… Continue Reading
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NSIP is proud to offer the American Sheep Industry with news and resources to help them make better decisions about their flocks. Learn more by visiting our NSIP Resources Page or from these links. • NSIP Board of Directors Continue Reading
EBVs are science-based, industry-tested measurements of heritable traits that can be tracked and measured. For those familiar with Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) used in cattle, EBVs are very similar. EPDs denotes the breeding value of an individual animal’s progeny whereas EBVs denote the value of the individual animal. More simply, EBVs equal EPDs times two. Continue Reading