An archeological site in Iran produced a statuette of a wooled sheep which suggests that selection for woolly sheep had begun to occur over 6000 years ago. The decision to visit the Virgin Islands was based on the following extract “the dominant type seen over the Islands is still a white faced, white bodied sheep with a very light, fine, short fleece. Post-weaning growth and carcass traits of St. Croix White and Dorper X St. Croix White lambs fed a concentrate diet in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The common features of today's sheep were already appearing in Mesopotamian and Babylonian art and books by 3000 B.C. In the U.S., we call them St. Croix sheep. Michael Piel of Maine first brought one ram and two ewe “Virgin Island White” sheep into the U.S. in the 1960s, for use in the formation of the Katahdin breed. Dodson. Most individuals are white, but tan and spotted animals occur. In 1975 Utah State University imported a small flock of Virgin Island White which is the basis for the present St. Croix breed in North America. Coat & Color: Most of the individuals are white, but tan and spotted ones exist. 2.2 WHITE VIRGIN ISLAND SHEEP. Virgin Island White sheep taking a break from the heat in the British Virgin Islands. The St Croix (Saint 'Croy') is a breed of domestic sheep native to the U.S. Virgin Islands and named for the island of Saint Croix.They are often also called Virgin Island White because those that were imported into North America were selected for white coloration. The breed most commonly found in the English speaking Caribbean is the Barbados Blackbelly . On the Island of St. Croix, they come in shades of brown, white and black. Both sheep breeds are used in the tropics for meat production and do not grow the heavy wool coat necessary for colder climates. 2003. The two sheep breeds most prevalent in the Virgin Islands are the Virgin Islands White Hair Sheep, developed on St. Croix, and the Barbados Blackbelly sheep. They are derived from West African hair sheep with some crossing with European breeds including the Wiltshire Horn. Henry Shuester said that a breeder got a lot of the white sheep in the 40’s and started selecting for the white polled traits. The rest of the island’s major breeders soon followed. Effect of supplemental nutrition around lambing on hair sheep ewes and lambs during the dry and wet seasons in thve U.S. Virgin Islands. Hair sheep populations are found on many Caribbean islands, in Central and R.E. Sheep Goat Res J 20:32-36. On the Island of St. Croix, they come in shades of brown, white and black. The St. Croix – also known as the Virgin Island White- was first brought into the United States by Michael Peil of Maine who imported 2 ewes and 1 ram in 1957. Sheep were among the first animals domesticated. The St Croix is a breed of sheep native to the U.S. Virgin Islands and named for the island of Saint Croix. They are often also called Virgin Island White because those that were imported into North America were selected for white coloration. Godfrey, R.W. sheep breeds found in the Caribbean are: Barbados Blackbelly, Persian Blackhead, Virgin Island White, West African and Corentyne White. They are a hair sheep. A second importation from the Island of St. Croix (US Virgin Islands) of 22 bred ewes and 3 rams was initiated by Dr. Warren Foote of Utah State University (USU), Logan UT in 1975. Most are free of wool and do not normally require shearing. The St. Croix was developed in the Virgin Islands and is also known as the Virgin Island White. ... and hardiness of the Virgin Island sheep with the meat conformation and rate of growth of wool breeds. Australian White sheep are a stabilized composite haired meat breed comprising White Dorper, Van Rooy, Poll Dorset and Texel genetics. 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