Royal White facts for kids
The Royal White is a special type of domestic sheep from the United States. It was created by William Hoag on his farm in Hermleigh, Texas. This sheep is a mix of different sheep types. It was bred to produce more meat that is lean and tender, with less fat and less wool.
Royal White sheep are known for being strong and healthy. They are good at resisting diseases. These sheep grow faster and produce more meat than goats. They also produce more meat than other sheep breeds like Dorper and Katahdin sheep. The meat from a Royal White sheep is soft and has a slightly sweet taste. Their skin can also be used to make high-quality leather for clothes.
This breed was developed by combining good traits from St. Croix and Dorper sheep. Over many years, breeders carefully chose sheep to remove any less desirable traits. One cool thing about the Royal White is that it grows a coat of hair with a soft undercoat in the fall. Then, it naturally sheds this coat in the spring. This means farmers don't need to shear (cut off the wool) these sheep, which saves time and money! The Royal White was the first new sheep breed in the U.S. in over 25 years, designed to be easy to care for and perform well.
What Makes Royal White Sheep Special?
The Royal White is known as a "hair breed" of sheep. This means it grows hair instead of wool. These sheep are bred to have a body shape that is close to the ground. This helps them stay warm when the weather is cold or wet.
Appearance and Size
Royal White sheep are always pure white. Their ears are held out to the sides, and they naturally do not have horns. This is called being "polled."
- Male Royal White sheep, called rams, usually weigh between 185 and 235 pounds (about 84 to 107 kg).
- Female Royal White sheep, called ewes, typically weigh between 175 and 210 pounds (about 79 to 95 kg).
Fast-Growing Lambs
The baby Royal White sheep, called lambs, grow very quickly. They are strong and produce a lot of lean meat. When they are about 110 pounds (50 kg), about 54% of their body weight is meat. Scientists are also studying how resistant these sheep are to certain diseases and parasites.
