Shropshire Sheep

The Shropshire breed of sheep originated in the counties of Shropshire and Staffordshire in central western England. The first importation of Shropshires into the United States was made into Virginia about 1855. Did you know that by the 1920-30s the Shrop was the most popular sheep in the USA?

Why did we chose to raise Shrops? Shrops are a medium sized, dual purpose sheep which stresses soundness, carcass quality and breed type. Their adaptability to all kinds of pasture land, hardiness to withstand our variable climate, close and oily wool to shield them from the snows and sleet make them a great choice for New England climate. Shropshire lambs are hardy, vigorous and meaty. They have the ability to feed out to choice grade at an earlier age and with less investment in feed, thus producing greater overall profit.

The Shropshire is one of the heaviest wool producers among the medium-wool breeds. The fleece is dense and elastic to the touch, light shrinking and of a quality which is readily marketable. Rams may produce a fleece of 10-to 14 pounds while ewes will shear an average of 9 to 11 pounds.

The ewes are prolific and long-lived with wonderful mothering and milking abilities. There are seldom any lambing problems with Shropshire ewes. Lambing percentages of 175-200% are not uncommon in a flock of Shropshires.

We plan to continue to grow our flock, selectively culling and moving forward. We usually have feeder lambs available and occasionally breeding stock. Let us know if you are interested.  

​