Polypay Sheep

Polypay Sheep

The Polypay sheep breed is a breed that was created by the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station in the 1970’s in Nicholas Farms in Sonoma, California, and Dubois, Idaho. The Polypay sheep breed was the product of combining the Dorset, Targhee, Finnsheep and Rambouillet sheep breeds to produce a versatile and productive breed of sheep.

Unique Characteristics of Polypays

The Polypay is an average sized sheep that boasts a longer season for breeding and features a white face.

They are good mothers, known for doting on their lambs and producing plenty of milk (the product of their genetics – Finnsheep, Dorsets and Rambouillets are all known for being prolific and for their excellent mothering instinct), as well as lambs of high quality carcass and growth rates.

It is hard to distinguish the various traits such as body size, fleece, and type due to the fact that the Polypay sheep breed is still a relatively new breed and as such it is still undergoing observation.

Polypay Sheep Breed Information

MATURE BODY WEIGHTRam: 190-250 lbs.
Ewe: 140-180 lbs.
AVERAGE FIBER DIAMETERMicron: 24-31
USDA Wool Grade: 48’s-60’s
GREASE FLEECE WEIGHTEwe: 7-10 lbs.
YIELD50-60%
STAPLE LENGTH3-5″

Featured image courtesy American Polypay Association website, which you can visit to learn more about the breed and to find a breeder near you.