The Barbados Blackbelly Sheep

This breed of sheep are thought to have originated in Africa and were brought to the New World by Spanish traders and were established in the Caribbean islands - principally Barbados. They were imported into the U.S.A. around 1900, and a large flock was established in Texas. Although originally polled (without horns) they were bred to other larger sheep after they became Americanized. As a result the rams are generally horned and the ewes will generally be polled, however may exhibit scurs on occasion.

Today there are two branches of the breed that are recognized: those native to the islands and diminishing as a purebred - known as a Barbados Blackbelly, and those in this country, known as the American Blackbelly. Although the majority of these sheep in the United States belong to the latter group, there are a few producers who specialize in the purebred Barbados Blackbelly.

In either case they are easily recognized. They generally
have a jet-black underbelly with a black stripe on their
chest area. They are all hair sheep, thus do no need to
be sheared of wool growth. They can range in color
from a dark brown to a light tan and even exhibit on occasion
some whiteness.

Left on their own they are shy and flighty, but if handled on a
regular basis they will be friendly and easy to coral. The advantage
of these sheep is their low maintenance, parasite resistance, tasty
flavor, and they do not require tail docking. In addition, because of their
smaller size they are easier to handle. They make ideal grass eaters and do
well in maintaining pastures.

Welcome to the world of the American Blackbelly Sheep!