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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Why are hair sheep more desirable than wool breeds?
What makes the St Croix superior to other hair sheep breeds?
Can a tropic sheep breed perform well in a cold climate?
How difficult is it to register my lambs?
Why are Hair Sheep more desirable than wool breeds?
The wool market is inundated with cheap, high-quality wool from Australia and New Zealand. These nations produce high quality merino wool, and currently have 2 years supply in storage. In the USA it can cost more to shear a sheep than the wool is worth, and while demand for lamb is growing, demand for wool clothing is declining. Wool sheep can be raised for lamb, but they don't taste as good as hair sheep which were specifically bred to make great cuts of meat. This specialization of purpose is found in other livestock as well. Black Angus make great beef but are poor performers as dairy cattle. Holstein make large quantities of milk but not the best beef. Guernsey cows make milk with high butterfat so they are one of the best breeds for cheese. Selective breeding caused the specialization seen in these breeds. However, when one trait is enhanced, it isn't uncommon to find that other traits suffer. Centuries ago many sheep breeds were bred to make great wool, so off flavors in the meat were tolerated. In the Virgin Islands there was little need for heavy wool clothing, so people concentrated on making a great meat sheep.
What makes the St. Croix superior to other hair sheep breeds?
There are a dozen or so different hair breeds in the world but only a few readily available in North America. All produce good quality meat. Blackbelly Barbados and Katahdin are the most common. The Barbados are from the Caribbean, as are the St Croix. Katahdin are a cross breed that is derived from the St. Croix (crossed with Suffolk and Wiltshire Horn). St. Croix demonstrate outstanding worm resistance, while Katahdin possess some resistance (because of their St. Croix lineage). Worm resistance is an important economic benefit of St Croix sheep, since wormer is expensive and labor intensive to administer, and resistance to wormer has developed in various parasite species. The only other breed with proven worm resistance is the Gulf Coast Native, which is a wool breed. Katahdin have some of the other qualities of St. Croix, but often retain some wool, occasionally grow horns (St. Croix are hornless), and come in all colors from white to dark brown. Barbados are usually horned, and this is considered an undesirable trait by many shepherds, as sheep with horns get tangled in fences and can die if not discovered quickly. The easy care hair sheep breed is the St. Croix. For more information about the resistance of St Croix to parasites, go to "Research", read; Mazzola, V. 1990 "St. Croix Sheep resist worms" Agricultural Research Oct. 1990 pg 27, or contact H. Ray Gamble Helminthic Diseases Laboratory USDA-ARS, BARC East Beltsville Md. 20705.
St. Croix are built to tolerate heat. Fat deposits are internalized to keep them cool on hot summer days. Their body temperature is 1.8 degrees F lower than that of other sheep breeds. This makes them an ideal breed for the southern tier states in the US. Though well suited for hot weather, many of our members keep St. Croix in Canada and the upper Midwest. They grow a thick winter coat in the fall that sheds off in spring. With the appropriate shelter, St. Croix thrive in colder climates.
How difficult is it to register my lambs?
To be registered, St. Croix must be white. White sheep may have dark coloration around the eyes or lips, and dark hair spots smaller than the size of a US quarter dollar are permissible, as are dark ear tips. Some St. Croix have a recessive gene that can produce brown or black coloration; if the area of dark coloration is larger than a US quarter, the lambs cannot be registered as St Croix. The Dam and the Sire of the lambs must be registered with the Association, and you must be a member before you can register your lambs. However, you don't have to be a member to have a registered sheep transferred into your name. See the Breeders Handbook for all detailed registration criteria. A registration form may be downloaded or you may contact the Association for applications for registration.They are easy to fill out and the fee is nominal.
When do St. Croix sheep lamb?
European sheep breeds are receptive in the fall and lamb 5 months later in spring. Estrus is triggered in the fall when the angle of the sun is lower and days are shorter. St. Croix sheep evolved in the tropics where days and nights are equal in length throughout the year. They can breed year round, and can produce 3 sets of lambs every two years. Prolificacy rates of 212% have been reported. Lambs reach puberty at 6 months old, and typically deliver twins or triplets after the first lambing. For information about year round lambing, contact Dr. M Brown, USDA Grazing Lands Research Lab, 7207 West Cheyenne St., El Reno OK. 73036.
How big are the St. Croix?
St. Croix have the genetic potential to produce a sizeable sheep. Ewes can weigh 150 lbs while rams reach weights of 200 lbs. The size of the sheep depends primarily on how well it is fed. The island of St. Croix averages 30 inches of rain per year, but there is little green grass in the dry season. The sheep are able to handle these harsh conditions and low-grade forages. When St. Croix were first brought to the US by Dr. Foote in 1975, they were a little smaller than they are today, as a reflection of the harsh conditions they had grown up under. The older literature reports lower adult weights than those seen in St Croix flocks today. On lush grass and good quality hay, St Croix sheep fill out to their full genetic potential. Back to Top
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Last modified: 12 March 2008.