St. Croix

The St. Croix is a hair sheep that originated in the Virgin Islands, where it is called the "Virgin Island White." The breed is believed to have descended from the hair sheep of West Africa, but some feel it is a cross of the Wiltshire Horn and the native Criollo. Most of these sheep are white with some solid tan, brown, black or white with brown or black spots.

Both sexes are polled, and rams have a large throat ruff. Exceptional parasite resistance compared to British sheep breeds has been documented in studies at several universities. The St. Croix is classified as a "rare" breed by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

Breed categories: hair (meat) / Distribution: Caribbean, North America