Hampshire

The Hampshire comes from the chalk downs of Hampshire in southern England, from crossing the old Hampshire and Wiltshire horned sheep with Southdowns in the early 1800s.

Like the Suffolk it is a terminal sire, dark faced and fast growing, but it is built a little differently: shorter legged, deeper bodied, and carrying wool further down the face and legs. Hampshire lambs are known for early maturity, reaching finish weight young.

They are a mainstay of club lamb programmes and market lamb shows in the United States.

The trade is the same set of terminal-sire compromises. They need good feed to perform, the fleece is medium and short, and the wool on the face can grow over the eyes to the point of blindness if it is not clipped, a fault the breed has worked to select away from but has not eliminated.