Hampshire Sheep Breed – Everything You Need to Know

The Hampshire sheep were primarily bred to keep the thin soil of various downlands in Britain fertile.
They are a medium to large sized breed that are excellent producers of meat, wool and good with landscape management. They are one of the top choices for junior/youth sheep exhibition competitions such as the 4-H and FFA.

HAMPSHIRE SHEEP QUICK PROFILE OVERVIEW
They are pretty sturdy and trim looking sheep with interesting facial features created by the rivers of wool on their faces.
Country of Origin:	United Kingdom
Other Names:	Hampshire Down
Breed Size:	Medium to Large
Main Purpose:	Meat, wool and landscape management
Can be used for	Breed, Meat, Skin, Wool **LSC (Landscape Management)
Temperament:	Alert, laid back, quiet and calm
Ideal Climate:	Most climates
Conservation Status:	Not Listed by the *ALC Status/ Rarity: Common
Health Issues?	No known health issues
Good Starter Sheep?	Novice to intermediate sheep farmers/keepers
Sheep Associations:	American Hampshire Sheep Association and the Hampshire Down Sheep Breeders’ Association
Sheep Clubs:	American Hampshire Sheep Association and the Hampshire Down Sheep Breeders’ Association
Note: ALC stands for American Livestock Conservancy * LSC stands for Landscape Management – the animal is used for controlling various vegetation growth

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

They are an active lively sheep breed with a longish body, medium length legs with are black. Their faces are partly covered by wool and usually a dark brown or black in color.

Color(s):

White

SHEEP ⇒	EWE	RAM
Breed Weight:	91 kgs	120 kgs
Breed Height:	Unclear they are a large sized breed	Unclear they are a large sized breed
Hair:	Uniform standard length almost smooth coat with not black fibers. The fleece is soft and springing to the touch	Uniform standard length almost smooth coat with not black fibers. The fleece is soft and springing to the touch
Ears:	Medium length and wide, they are usually black or dark brown with no wool on them	Medium length and wide, they are usually black or dark brown with no wool on them
Horns:	Polled	Polled
Matures at age:	10 weeks/15 months or 15 years	10 weeks to 15 months
Puberty Age:	5 to 12 months	5 to 7 months
Breeding Age:	18 months	1 year
Breeding Traits:	See Ewe Breeding & Milking Info.	Cover 5 to 10 Ewes in 1 season

EWE BREEDING & MILKING INFORMATION
They have an extended breeding period with high lambing percentage with hardly any birthing difficulties. They produce vigorous, fast growing and active lambs. They usually have a high percentage of multiple birthds
Breeding Period/cycle:	Usually lasts 16 to 59 hours
Estrous cycle:	Ave. 17 days/15 to 20 days
Gestation Period:	Usually, around 149 to 155 days but most gestation is 152 days
No. Lambs/Litter:	1 to 2 (twins) lambs in a season
Lactation Period:	Usually, around 150 to 240 day but most are milked for 180 days
Milking From:	4 to 6 weeks after lambing
Milk Quality:	Good, Quantity: Ave. 180 to 495 liters, Per: Lactation period
Milk Ideal for:	Lambs
You may Also Like:	10 Best Sheep Breeds for Milk

SHEEP MEAT PRODUCTION INFORMATION

They have an excellent grade quality with fast growing lambs that reach their targeted dead weights at around 12 weeks. They have longer, more muscled and leaner carcasses. Lean, succulent, tender meat with a fine flavor and grain.

Meat Production:

Yes, Quality: Excellent

SHEEP ⇒	LAMB	HOGGET/MUTTON
Approx. Maturity Weight:	18 to 25 kgs	90 to 120 kgs
Approx. Maturity Age:	12 to 15 weeks	1 year +

SHEEP WOOL PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Most sheep produce some form or wool. Some breeds are hair sheep and they are not used for their wool whilst other wool sheep have a low quality of wool that would be used for some form of production such as maybe Lanolin, etc.

Wool Production?

Yes, Quality: Medium with a spinning count of 46s to 58s

Wool is used to Produce:

Ideal and in demand for hand spinners. They are used for other garments, wools, etc.

SHEEP ⇒	EWE	RAM
Age they Produce from:	6 to 8 months	6 to 8 months
Approx. Length:	5 to 8.89 cm	5 to 8.89 cm
Microns:	25 to 33	25 to 33
Approx. Quantity:	From 2.7 kg up to 4.5 kgs a year	From 2.7 kg up to 4.5 kgs a year

SHEEPSKIN PRODUCTION INFORMATION

In years gone by their skin was used in leather production and was quite a fine quality leather used for skins, cloves and shoes. Their leather is still used but not as often as it once was due to the preferred sheep skin breeds.

Skin Production?

Yes, Quality: Fine

Skin is used to Produce:

Kid skin leather products such as shoes, car seats, fine leather coats, gloves, etc.
Chamois cloths, leather goods such as seats, shoes and other garments and leather materials such as furniture, etc.

SHEEP ⇒	EWE	RAM
Age they Produce from:	3 to 10 months for Kid skin 1 to 2 years old for Normal leather	3 to 10 months for Kid skin 1 to 2 years old for Normal leather

GOOD TO KNOW ABOUT THE HAMPSHIRE SHEEP
A few more interesting facts to know about the breed
Child-Friendly?	No livestock should be left unattended around children
Landscape Management?	They are excellent at landscape managers and were used to help with soil fertilization.
Where to buy them?	Please refer to the American Hampshire Sheep Association and the Hampshire Down Sheep Breeders’ Associationfor information on breeders

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Hampshire sheep breed has an excellent temperaments and is a very popular choice for juniors in 4-H and FFA competitions. Apart from their great temperaments they have a very beautiful appearance and carriage position.

HISTORY

The Hampshire sheep breed also known as the Hampshire Down sheep originated from a cross between Southdown, Wiltshire Horn and Berkshire Knot breeds of sheep over 150 years ago.
They became a breed that were vital to maintaining the thin downland soils fertility in Berkshire, Wiltshire and Hampshire.

Over the past few decades through carefully selected breeding for their meat with a fast growth rate, high muscling conformation and killing out percentage. They have been bred to have less back fat for better meat quality.

Hampshire sheep were first imported to America in 1840 although it is thought that not many, if any of the breed actually survived the Civil War. Thus, the first successful import of the Hampshire sheep breed to the United States was in 1879 and the American Hampshire Sheep Association was started in 1889.