Hair sheep breeds in the Caribbean island developed from stock that other European explorers leave behind on their ventures to the New World in the 1500s . Small stock such as sheep , sloven and goats were leave to naturalize and put up solid food for late Explorer .
The livestock evolve to become landrace breeds well suitable to their new environments . One sheep breed was call the Virgin Island White , even though not all of the sheep were bloodless .
Move to St. Croix
In 1975 , Warren Foote , a professor at Utah State University , imported 22 bred Virgin Island Whiteewes and three ram to study from the island of St. Croix . The prof selected the sheep on physical attribute he considered suitable :
The United States require to give the sheep as a endowment to the Shah of Iran and needed research prove the sheep would be suitable for that climate . The Shah was force out before the sheep were sent , so their trip ended in the U.S.
Read more : Sheep are , quite peradventure , the ultimate minuscule - farm ruminant .
The New Breed
University personnel realize the Virgin Island sheep had useful characteristics :
before long , experimental mint crop up up at several other college and field stations . Foote set up a breed register in the former eighties name the breed the St. Croix Hair Sheep . After formation of the register , managers and owners of individual and public flocks part keeping detailed records of breeding and pedigrees for their St. Croix Hair Sheep .
financial support cutbacks , stave turnover and change in inquiry focus saw many university St. Croix flocks dispersed from 1998 to 2006 . Most of the St. Croix went to private flocks , and the owner continued the recordkeeping of the registry .
Read more : determine more about how sheep experience the existence .
Two Registries
In 2013 , the St. Croix register split into two .
One group want to register only pure - white St. Croix . The other mathematical group sought to register purebred St. Croix , even if they had color do by the genetic characteristics that always existed in the sheep since before importation .
Both groups coincide that no horn St. Croix is eligible for registration . Scur growth on the heads are also discouraged .
In 2019 , St. Croix Hair Sheep move from Threatened condition to look on status on The Livestock Conservancy ’s Conservation Priority List . People looking for purebred and crossbred sheep are noticing the useful quality of the St. Croix sheep .
Small farm continue to enjoy St. Croix for their easiness of care .
large mess pore on meat production have also begun to look at using St. Croix - influenced Ewe and rams in their breeding flocks . When St. Croix are crossed with a heavy , quicker produce breed of sheep , the offspring broadly speaking take on the marketplace characteristicsof the other breed but maintain the excellent maternal traits and a good stage of the parasite - underground of the St. Croix .
For more information , contactSt . Croix Hair Sheep Breeders Inc.
This article originally appear in the March / April 2020 issuance ofHobby Farmsmagazine .
