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SHEEP PROJECTS 
mature early and fatten quickly. Twins are more common in this 
breed than in others. 
Hampshire sheep are larger and coarser and longer in body 
and the legs are longer than the Southdowns. The wool is of 
about the same length and fineness. The ears are large and droop- 
ing. The faces of rams often show the Roman nose. The legs, 
faces and ears are almost black. 
Oxfords or Oxforddowns are also much larger and coarser 
than the Southdowns being much higher and more rangy. The 
wool is coarser and longer than the other breeds of this mutton 
group. The face and legs are very dark. 
Cheviots are quickly distinguished from other breeds of the 
medium-wool group even by the novice, as the faces and legs are 
Fic. 274.—Dorset ewes and their winter lambs. This breed is used for early or 
“hot house ’’ lambs as they breed twice a vear. 
white and free from wool. The sheep are very hardy and active. 
The wool is long and soft and highly valued in the markets. 
Dorsets or Horned Dorsets (Fig. 274) are a little larger and 
the bodies longer and the legs longer than in Southdowns. The 
fleece is slightly longer and coarser than that of Southdowns. The 
breed is readily distinguished by the horns found in both sexes and 
by the white legs and faces. Dorsets are considered the most 
prolific of all sheep, breeding twice annually if desired. They are 
much used in the production of winter lambs for early market, 
called the hot-house lamb industry. 
Coarse-wooled Breeds.—Breeds of the coarse- or long-wooled 
types are more highly valued for their fleeces than for their car- 
casses. The chief breeds are the Cotswold, Leicester, and Lincoln. 
Cotswold sheep (Fig. 275) are the most popular of the long- 
wooled breeds in America. The males attain a weight of 250 
pounds or more and the breed is considered one of the largest. 
The lambs are much used for their flesh. These long-legged, large