Red Meadow Ranch

Characteristics of St.Croix: The Easy Care Sheep 

St. Croix sheep are an attractive, hardy, medium-sized, polled (hornless), white hair sheep.  Their hair coat is smooth in summer, and thicker with mixed hair and downy undercoat in winter.  They naturally shed their coat, and never require shearing. Mature rams sport a lion-like mane that may fall down to the knees. Mature rams weigh up to 200 lbs, and ewes up to 150 lbs. Birth weights for twins average 7 lbs. St Croix sheep are active and vigorous without any tendency to be wild.  They demonstrate greater resistance to internal parasites than do both wool sheep and most other hair sheep breeds.  The ewes can breed back one month after lambing, and ewes can produce two lamb crops per year.  Ewes usually bear twins, with some singles, frequent triplets, and occasional quadruplets; lambing rates vary from 150-200%.

Carcass composition of St Croix is similar to that of Rambouillet, but the St Croix have a 23% higher carcass yield due to smaller bone and less fat. The meat is tender with a mild flavor. As an unimproved breed, the St Croix has slower growth rates than many meat breeds, which have been selected for rapid growth and large body size. St Croix are an ideal size, however, for many ethnic markets.

Globally, hair sheep comprise approximately ten percent of the sheep population and are located primarily in the tropical regions of Africa, South America and the Caribbean. Interest in hair sheep has risen since the loss of the Federal wool subsidy.  Caribbean hair sheep, such as the St. Croix, are prolific and breed throughout the year and thus are of value to the U.S. sheep industry.  With no shearing costs, strong parasite resistance, no fly strike, high lamb survivability, good mothering instincts and good flocking, the St. Croix Sheep has a lot to offer shepherds in the US . 

Courtesy of St. Croix H.S.I.A. 

The St Croix Sheep is classified as THREATENED by the American Livestock Breeds