American Blackbelly Sheep

American Blackbelly are a truly unique multi-purpose breed, with many advantages over the wooly animals that most of us picture when we hear the word sheep. Created in the 1970's by the Y.O Ranch in Texas for the purpose of trophy hunting, they are the result of cross-breeding Barbados Blackbelly with Rambouillet and Mouflon sheep. The end result was an majestic horned breed self-sufficient enough to thrive on austere game-ranches of the arid mid-west, yet resilient enough to tolerate both sub-tropical silvopastures of the south-east as well as frigid tundras of Canada. 

Over the years, their adaptability has facilitated the spread of this breed across North America, and during that time it has taken on many different names including Corsican, Barbado, and American Blackbelly. This last label is typically reserved for sheep serving as farm-animals, while Corsican and Barbado are more often used by individuals in the exotic trophy-ram market. While close inspection may reveal subtle differences between the flocks being called by those various names, if you were to ask 3 different people what kind of animals are pictured in the photos on this website... you may very well get 3 different answers! No matter what you call them though, these animals are an amazing example of American ingenuity, heritage, and self-sufficiency. I often tell visitors to the farm that if my flock were released into the wild, I have full confidence they would survive and establish feral populations of horned Blackbelly in the mountains of north-central Alabama.

We acquired our sheep as BBSAI-registered American Blackbelly, and have continued to breed, raise, and sell them as such. In this market (i.e. livestock, not trophy-ram) they are competing mostly with other breeds of hair sheep such as the Katahdin, St Croix, Dorper, and Royal White. Despite the fact that the breed was originally created for trophy-hunting, the inherited traits from Barbados Blackbelly plus generations of breeding in small-farm meat-production settings has led to a truly amazing sheep that excels in a few notable ways:

Adaptability

As mentioned above, American Blackbelly are able to thrive in a variety of climates and environmental conditions. Thanks to their Barbados Blackbelly roots, they thrive in the hot, humid, and sub-tropical regions of North America that are historically notorious for being too harsh to raise "traditional" breeds of livestock without substantial chemical intervention (e.g. antibiotics, wormers, hoof treatments). They also do well in the arid mid-west, and unlike their ancestors from Barbados, they also thrive in frigid regions of Canada thanks in large part to their Mouflon and Rambouillet influence. Their ability to withstand harsh and variable weather makes them a suitable choice for shepherds from a wide variety of diverse environmental locations.

Disease Resistance

American Blackbelly get their strong inherent resistance to parasite and disease pressure from both the Barbados Blackbelly side of their family tree as well as their more exotic ancestors. This natural resistance reduces the need for chemical and medical intervention, which results in less stress and financial cost on your part.

Low Maintenance

American Blackbelly are renowned for their minimal maintenance requirements. Most notably, as a breed of hair sheep they shed what little wool they produce each spring, and therefore do not require shearing (a very time-intensive investment that wool-sheep producers have to commit to on a yearly basis). Additionally, Blackbelly sheep do not require tail-docking or extensive hoof maintenance (and if raised in the right environment, little-to-no hoof care is required by their shepherd).

Prolific Breeders

Like their ancestors from Barbados, American Blackbelly are a highly prolific breed of sheep. Ewes have a "non-seasonal" estrus, which means they are fertile year-round and thus lambing can be timed to align with market demand. Combined with their resiliency, this makes American Blackbelly ewes capable of producing twins or triplets as often as twice per year under intensive management. Though this is indeed an impressive benchmark, in our experience lambing every 6 months is hard on them. A more sustainable lambing timeline that we have settled on is every 9 to 12 months. Strong maternal instinct and ease of lambing makes orphans and lambing assistance a rare occurrence. Combined with their high fertility, American Blackbelly sheep are capable of rapid flock growth.

High-Quality Meat

American Blackbelly sheep produce lean mild-flavored meat, suitable for sustainable production in small-scale and local farming systems. Compared to pork and beef, lamb has a much more favorable nutrient profile when it comes to personal health and longevity. Compared to poultry, lamb has a much more efficient, affordable, and sustainable model of production when it comes to environmental health and longevity. As our food-system and market evolves, we've observed the demand for this type of meat increasing and foresee that trend continuing into the future. The quality of Blackbelly meat makes it a preferred choice for many culinary purposes, including many ethnic celebrations and holidays. Additionally, for those cultures less-keen on lamb as a dietary staple, the slow growth and low lanolin content of Blackbelly meat discourages the classic "mutton" taste that so many negatively associate with lamb harvested after 1 year of age. Not only does this produce better tasting meat, it also allows animals to be harvested well after the 12 month mark without developing the offensive muttony taste, making it a more widely accepted and cherished version of the classic "lamb" dish.

Grazing Efficiency

American Blackbelly sheep are efficient grazers, able to sustain on browse and thrive on low-quality forage that would starve many other breeds of sheep. Their ability to utilize a wide variety of vegetation reduces feed cost and prevents overgrowth of "undesirable" plants in pastures. American Blackbelly eat more like goats than traditional breeds of sheep, enjoying any opportunity you give them to munch on poison ivy, privet, and leafy briars. This atypical diet allows new shepherds without access to traditional lush pastures the opportunity raise sheep on property that may not sustain more traditional forms of livestock. It also expands marketing opportunities to include land management and native habitat restoration in areas that machinery, controlled-burns, or more delicate livestock can't effectively reach.  

Resilience, Hardiness, & Longevity

American Blackbelly sheep are known for their resilience and ability to bounce back from difficult challenges, as well as their hardiness and ability to thrive with minimal human intervention. They require less supplementation and are drastically more self-sufficient compared to other sheep. This not only makes for a more forgiving learning curve under the care of new shepherds, it also lends well to low mortality and morbidity in larger management systems of commercial operations. American Blackbelly ewes have a long reproductive lifespan, often producing lambs well into the double-digits. 

The last unique trait worth mentioning could be considered either a pro or a con, depending on who you ask. American Blackbelly typically do not grow as fast or as large as other meat-producing breeds of hair sheep. While this is a plus for novice and/or older shepherds who aren't looking to wrestle with 300lb rams, it can definitely be a drawback if you're planning the meat market to be your main stream of revenue. But with targeted marketing, most customers are easily swayed and understand that the slower growth and overall smaller animal size leads to better tasting and more sustainable meat. Plus, the need to butcher before 12 months of age is eliminated in this breed, which sits better with most people's stomachs when then think about eating "lamb".