Hampshire sheep have dark colored ears, noses, and legs while their bodies tend to be white. They grow quickly, have light wool growth, and tend to be a hardy breed. They are solid white, including their heads, unlike Dorper sheep. The White Dorper sheep breed was created by sheep breeders using the Dorper breed. White wool is the popular color in the fabric industry because it can be dyed any color, whereas other colors cannot. Since sheep primarily are used to produce wool, the color preference in wool plays a big role in the kind of sheep wool producers tend to raise. White is by far the most commonly seen color in sheep and there is a reason for that. Some other sheep breeds that can produce gray-colored sheep include Icelandic, Romanov, and Gotland. The lambs are born solid black but their wool and bodies gradually lighten over time to a beautiful shade of gray. Herdwick sheep hail from England and are a tough breed that sport solid white faces but undeniably gorgeous light gray bodies of coarse wool. They originate from Persia and are used for wool production as well as meat production. Some sheep in the Karakul breed can have dark heads with sometimes light gray bodies, almost creating an ombre effect from their heads and back. Gray is a gorgeous color on sheep, although it may not be as profitable in the wool market.ĭarker colored livestock is often less targeted by predators, so if predators are an issue, gray sheep may be the answer. Sheep can also come in various shades of gray, almost appearing silver or even slightly blue in color. They hail from Europe and are currently sitting on the endangered sheep list. They are also born red, a shade much darker than the California Red breed, and their wool also lightens as they age, while their heads and legs remain dark red. They are absolutely adorable!Ĭoburger Fuchsschaf is another sheep breed that produces sheep with red-colored heads and legs. Their heads, necks, and legs retain the rustic red color, hence their name. The California Red sheep breed produces sheep that are born a rusty-red color, but their wool lightens to a creamier color as they age. Some lambs are born red and their color fades to tan or cream as they age. While they will not be red-red like the color of a tomato, they often have rust-colored or fox-red-colored heads and coats. Sheep can also have a gorgeous red tint to their coats or bodies. The patterns can include stripes, speckles, piebald, and spotted.Ī post shared by Gravel Road Farm, Waupaca WI Red They can be light, dark, solid, multi-colored, and patterned. The most common colors seen in sheep are white, red, black, gray, silver, brown ( moorit), and cream. A sheep’s color can determine its value if the intention is to sell the wool or hair for profit as certain colors can generate more or less money. Sheep can be a variety of colors depending on their breed and genetics. The more you know about sheep and their possible coat colors, the more prepared you will be to enter the sheep raising world. Genetics play the main role in determining what color a sheep will be and, over the years, sheep breeders have finely tuned many sheep breeds to produce specific colors. It really all depends on their breed, bloodline, and genetics. They can be solid or have an interesting pattern of colors on their coats of wool or hair. Sheep can come in a number of different shades of various colors including white, black, red, cream, gray, and brown.
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