Breed Ledger
001. Breed guide.

Suffolk

Ovis aries

Premier market lamb breed in the United States, known for rapid growth and lean carcass quality. Large, black-faced breed with long, muscular body. Widely used as a terminal sire.

Breed referenceImage · pending
001Overview002Breed clubs003Personality004Traits005Breeders
001. Breed guide

The shape of the breed,
in plain English.

Premier market lamb breed in the United States, known for rapid growth and lean carcass quality. Large, black-faced breed with long, muscular body. Widely used as a terminal sire.

002. Breed clubs

Official breed clubs
for Suffolk.

Parent clubs and official breed organizations help buyers verify registry context before contacting a breeder.

United Suffolk Sheep Association

Primary

US

003. Personality profile

Owner-experience
across 7 dimensions.

Each bar is a 1 to 5 score from breed-knowledgeable owners. Read the bar labels for the trade-off the dimension captures.

Temperament

Flocking instinct
Independent. Scatters easily; harder to drive as a group.Strong flocking instinct. Moves cohesively with the flock.
Lambing ease
Often requires assistance. Best lambed in jugs with supervision.Lambs unassisted on pasture; rarely needs intervention.
Maternal ability
Modest mothering. May reject lambs or need supplementation.Excellent mothering. Strong milk, protective, twins or triplets common.
Parasite resistance
Susceptible. Requires regular deworming.Highly resistant. Tolerates parasite pressure with minimal anthelmintic.

Coat and maintenance

Wool quality / fiber fineness
No wool or coarse hair fiber.Fine wool (sub-22 micron). Premium fiber market.
Heat tolerance
Heat-sensitive. Production drops above 80 F.Heat-tolerant. Maintains condition above 90 F.
Foraging / forage efficiency
Requires high-quality forage.Easy keeper on modest pasture and rangeland.
004. Trait profiles

Heritable traits
in Suffolk.

Each row is one heritable trait. The frequency label tells you how often it appears across the breed.

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