The Shropshire breed of domestic sheep originated from the hills of Shropshire, and North Staffordshire, England, during the 1840s. The breeders in the area used the local horned black-faced sheep and crossed them with a few breeds of white-faced sheep (Southdown, Cotswold, and Leicester). This produced a medium-sized polled (hornless) sheep that produced good wool and meat. In 1855 the first Shropshires were imported into the United States (Virginia).[1] This breed is raised primarily for meat.[2]
- ^ "Shropshire Sheep". Breeds of Livestock. Oklahoma State University, Dept. of Animal Science. Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
- ^ "Shropshire/United Kingdom". Breed Data Sheet. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System. Retrieved 8 September 2009.