Heritage Sheep Breeds

Shetland Sheep

Gulf Coast Sheep

Santa Cruz Sheep

We have three primary breeds we raise at Tranquil Morning Farm. All three are on The Livestock Conservancy priority list. Shetland Sheep Listed as "recovering" by The Livestock Conservancy, Shetlands originated on the Shetland Islands off the coast of Scotland where they continue to thrive. Brought to the US in the mid 1900s, their numbers were not enough to sustain and flourish, so they were added to the priority list. They have done well and there are now many breeders raising them and a wide enough gene pool for them to thrive. The focus now is conserving the many colors and patterns that are found in the Shetland breed. Gulf Coast Sheep Also known as Gulf Coast Native Sheep, they are a landrace breed developed in the deep southern US in the early 1700s from breeds brought to America by the Spanish and English. Genetically a breed of their own, they are known for being heat tolerant and having a higher resistance to parasites than most breeds. Being a landrace breed, their fleeces can vary greatly in softness and fineness. We have found GC rams to be mellow and gentle compared to some breeds. They are found primarily in white, but also colored fleece. They are listed as "critically endangered." Santa Cruz Sheep Also known as Santa Cruz Island Sheep, have an interesting history. Originally brought to Santa Cruz Island off the coast of southern California by ranchers in the early 1800s these sheep were a mix of English leicester breeds and merino rams, they thrived on the ranches in spite of the harsh conditions on the island. Eventually the ranchers abandoned the island and some sheep were left to fend for themselves in the wild. The strongest survived, and the sheep adapted to shed their wool and survive on little food. By the mid 1900s the sheep were taking too much food away from native wildlife and needed to be removed from the island. A handful were put in the hands of a few breeders. There are only a couple hundred Santa Cruz Sheep in the US, though the number of breeders involved in their recovery is increasing. They are still listed as "critically endangered." Their fleece is short and fine, next to skin in softness. They have an unusually elastic attribute, stretching to almost three times its length when stretched. We occasionally have lambs available in the summer months.