Comparison · breed
Meat sheep breeds: Suffolk vs Poll Dorset vs Texel vs Hampshire Down
Compare meat/terminal-sire sheep breeds.
| Dimension | Suffolk | Poll Dorset | Texel | Hampshire Down |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Sheep (Ovis aries) | Sheep (Ovis aries) | Sheep (Ovis aries) | Sheep (Ovis aries) |
| Type | Meat | Meat | Meat | Meat |
| Origin | Suffolk and East Anglia, England, United Kingdom | Developed from the Dorset Horn, Australia | Island of Texel, North Holland, Netherlands | Hampshire, southern England, United Kingdom |
| Primary uses | Market lamb (meat) production, Terminal-sire crossbreeding | Prime-lamb (meat) production, Terminal and maternal crossbreeding | Lean carcass lamb production, Terminal-sire crossbreeding | Market lamb (meat) production, Terminal-sire crossbreeding |
| Climate adaptation | Suited to temperate pasture-based and mixed farming systems; kept across a wide range of temperate regions. | Kept in temperate pasture-based systems across several continents. | Suited to temperate pasture-based and mixed farming systems across many regions. | Suited to temperate pasture-based and mixed farming systems. |
| Conservation status | not-at-risk | not-at-risk | not-at-risk | not-at-risk |
Methodology
Attributes read from each entry.
Limitations
- Descriptive only; carcase traits are system-dependent.
Sources
This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.
- [1]DAD-IS — Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (opens in a new tab)Authoritative
FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
- Type:
- Official registry
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12