The St Croix is a breed

Breed

A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...

 of domestic sheep

Domestic sheep

Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...

 native to the U.S. Virgin Islands and named for the island of Saint Croix

Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Saint Croix is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Formerly the Danish West Indies, they were sold to the United States by Denmark in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies of...

. They are often also called Virgin Island White because those that were imported into North America were selected for white coloration. On the Island of St. Croix, they come in shades of brown, white and black.

The breed is believed to be descended from African sheep that were brought to the Caribbean on slave ships, and is a breed of hair sheep which does not grow wool

Wool

Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....

. The St Croix is a hardy tropical breed known for its parasite resistance, and is raised primarily for meat production. Breeders have crossbred the St Croix with other breeds to impart these important traits into their bloodlines. The St Croix breed is the foundation breed for Katahdin

Katahdin (sheep)

The Katahdin is a breed of domestic sheep developed in Maine, USA, mostly in the second half of the 20th century. This breed was originated by Michael Piel who after reading an article in the February 1956 National Geographic imported selected St. Croix sheep chosen by Dr...

 and Royal White

Royal White

The Royal White is a new breed of domestic sheep in the United States privately funded and developed by William Hoag. This sheep is a hybrid breed that produces more meat, less fat, and less wool, to optimize the meat per feed pound ratio. Lean, tender meat is the purpose of this breed. The breed...

breeds.

Characteristics

Most St. Croix are white with others being solid tan, brown, black or white with brown or black spots. Ews and rams are polled, and rams have a large throat ruff. Mature ewes weigh 68 kg (150 lbs) and rams weigh 90 kg (200 lbs). Birth weights average 2.7 kg (6 lbs) to 3.1 kg (7 lbs). They are generally more resistant to internal parasites than conventional sheep. The ewes can breed back one month after lambing and can produce two lamb crops per year. Twins are common, however, some singles, often triplets and occasionally quadruplets are produced.

External links

• St Croix Sheep Breeders Association