Signed in as:
Signed in as:
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".
Regal, tough, thrifty, & easy to handle. American Blackbelly rams stand apart from those of other breeds. Their self-sufficient nature decreases the need for shepherd input, and flavorful low-lanolin meat can convert even the most stubborn hold-outs in to lamb-enthusiasts. When it comes to looks, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more handsome animal than a mature AB ram, and despite their wild appearance the horns make them easier to handle (as they make great handles when needed). Parasite resistance and thrift keeps these sheep thriving even with poor pasture and low shepherd input, making them a great option for new shepherds, small homesteads, or low-acreage meat operations.
Strong maternal instinct, hardiness, and non-seasonal estrus set American Blackbelly ewes apart from other breeds. Non-seasonal estrus gives you the ability to time lambing and weaning with seasonal market demand, while their hardiness allows you to worry less about harsh weather or supplementation during gestation, lambing, and lactation. Typically producing twins and occasionally triplets, AB ewes rarely require assistance with lambing and in our experience do extremely well rearing their own (we have yet to bottle feed an AB lamb on our farm). Despite their wild reputation, we've found AB ewes (and rams) remarkably docile and easy to work with once they get used to their shepherd.
While every year we strive to produce sheep that excel in all of the traits mentioned above, over the years we've learned that narrowing our focus to 1 or 2 goals per breeding cycle is more productive. When we started with American Blackbelly, we were enamored with their exotic look and our breeding efforts focused on "perfecting" these aesthetics. While we certainly haven't perfected those traits in our sheep, we've now shifted our focus to the more functional goals of parasite resistance and carcass size. When you buy BBSAI registrable sheep from us, we do our best to provide animals that rank among the top in parasite resistance, carcass size, conformation, and aesthetics. While we do sell unregistrable sheep, some of which are considered "culls" because they don't meet our registration standards, often times those unregistrable sheep are superb AB that simply came out of unregistered dams (& thus cannot be registered). Keep in mind though: just because a sheep doesn't meet aesthetic criteria for BBSAI registration, doesn't mean it isn't an extremely functional, parasite resistant, and productive sheep. On the flip side, occasionally we have lambs that technically meet the BBSAI criteria for registration, but don't satisfy our personal criteria (eg weight, disease resistance, etc). We try to be picky when it comes to registering our stock, as once they're in the BBSAI registry book that sheep is associated with our breeding program forever.
American Blackbelly excel as a multi-functional breed. Whether your looking for breeding stock, meat sheep, lawn mowers, livestock companions, pasture managers, habitat restoration employees, training stock for trial-dogs, show sheep, or just a functional pasture ornament... we're confident that we can compete with any other American Blackbelly breeder in the country when it comes to meeting your needs. Don't hesitate, reach out to us today to see if we can help you find the right sheep for your flock!
In 2022 the BBSAI updated the American Blackbelly Breed Standards. These guidelines detail the conformation, pattern, and function that sheep must meet to be registered as a BBSAI certified American Blackbelly. We strive to meet or exceed these standards in every regard, and while we can't claim perfection we try to get a little bit closer with every lambing! Follow the link below for access to the full BBSAI AB Breed Standards guide.
We currently have a wait list to buy sheep, with an average waiting time of 1-2 years for registered ewes. Please don't let that timeframe discourage you from adding your name though, as occasionally folks drop off the list or timing just isn't right and they rain-check to the next lambing. Sometimes we make it to the bottom of the list much quicker than expected. At the very least we can try to connect you with another breeder if our wait time is longer than you're willing to wait. Whatever your situation is, if you're interested in purchasing American Blackbelly sheep let us know and we'll do what we can to help you find the right sheep for your flock!
Pricing fluctuates with the market, but right now we're selling registerable weaned ewe lambs for $300 each and registerable weaned ram lambs for $200 each. For lambs that don't meet BBSAI registration criteria, we typically knock $50-$100 off the asking price, depending on what factors preclude their registerablitliy. Occasionally we have unregistrable lambs that we feel are worth just as much, or more, as our registerable lambs... and their sale price will reflect that judgement. We try to be transparent when it comes to determining a price point, and our rationale is always up for discussion... so if something doesn't sound right, please ask!
We don't sell bottle babies, though that could change in the future if we ever have a ewe that doesn't make it through child birth or rejects a lamb (there's a first time for everything).
Occasionally we sell older ewes and rams, and the price on those depends on age, conformation, registration status, and past performance. Quality adults may sell for anywhere from $700-$2100, while cull sheep may go for as low as $100.
Lambs are typically ready to leave the farm after weaning at around 3-4 months old. We prefer pickup on the farm, but occasionally can squeeze a delivery into our schedule. Delivery fee is depends on current fuel prices and how busy we are (typically $5 per loaded mile).
We love talking sheep, and are always more than happy to answer questions or discuss management strategies. No matter what your experience level, we'd love to hear from you!
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.