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Breed · Sheep breed

Corriedale

The Corriedale is a dual-purpose sheep breed developed in New Zealand and Australia by crossing longwool rams with Merino ewes, producing both medium wool and meat; it is very numerous in South America.

Dated referenceLast reviewed: 2026-07-12Updated: 2026-07-12
Illustrative diagram · AgricultureID (original)

Record

Livestock breed
Breed of
Sheep
Species
Sheep (Ovis aries)
Type
Dual-purpose
Origin
Developed in New Zealand and Australia, New Zealand
Recognition
Registered
Conservation status
Not at riskReported per source and date (e.g. FAO DAD-IS); not a fixed property of the breed.
Registries
  • FAO DAD-IS · Global · as of 2026-07-12Corriedale and its national populations are recorded in the global breed inventory.
  • Corriedale breed associations (e.g. in South America, North America, and Australasia) · Multiple countries · as of 2026-07-12Herd books are maintained by national Corriedale associations; structures differ by country.
Adaptation
Suited to extensive temperate grazing systems, including the grasslands of South America.
Primary uses
Medium-fine wool, Meat (lamb and mutton), Crossbreeding

Registry listing or variety protection is jurisdiction- and date-specific and does not by itself indicate current commercial availability, universal cultivation approval, patent status, or a recommendation.

The Corriedale is one of the oldest of the crossbred, dual-purpose sheep breeds, developed in New Zealand and Australia in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It was created by crossing longwool rams, such as Lincoln or Leicester, with Merino ewes and then fixing an intermediate, dual-purpose type.

The breed combines medium-fine wool with useful meat characteristics and adaptability, and became widely distributed. It is especially numerous in South America, where it forms a large part of the flocks of countries such as Uruguay and Argentina, and is also kept in North America, Australasia, and elsewhere.

Origin and history

The Corriedale was developed by crossing longwool sires with Merino ewes and interbreeding the crossbreds to fix a stable dual-purpose type; the name derives from an estate in New Zealand associated with the breed’s development. It was among the first such fixed halfbred breeds and was exported widely, becoming a foundation breed in the temperate grasslands of South America in particular.

Physical and production characteristics

Corriedales are white-faced, generally polled sheep of medium to large size carrying a dense fleece of medium-fine wool that is intermediate between the fine Merino and the coarser longwools. As a dual-purpose breed they are managed for both a wool clip and meat.

Wool
Medium-fine fleece intermediate between the Merino and longwool parent types, used for a range of textile purposes.
Meat
Reasonable carcass conformation supports lamb and mutton production alongside wool.

Adaptation and distribution

The Corriedale is valued for adaptability and dual-purpose output in extensive temperate grazing systems. It is very numerous in South America and is also kept in North America, Australasia, and other regions.

Relationships

Evidence-backed connections in the knowledge graph.

Farming systems

Scope & limitations

Geographic scope: Global; developed in New Zealand and Australia, with a major presence in South America.

Climate context: Extensive temperate grazing; a widely adaptable dual-purpose type.

  • The Corriedale spans a range of types between its Merino and longwool ancestry; wool and carcass traits vary with strain and management.
  • Conservation and registry status is date- and source-specific and differs between national populations and registries.

Sources

This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.

  1. [1]DAD-IS — Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (opens in a new tab)

    FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Breed record, origin, and characteristics in the global inventory

    Type:
    Official registry
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  2. [2]CABI Digital Library — Crop Protection Compendium (opens in a new tab)

    CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International)

    High

    Cited for: Breed characterization and background

    Type:
    Reference database
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12

Related topics

Livestock

Farming Systems