About the Suffolk

Physical Description

The Suffolk is the leading terminal sire breed. It is polled (hornless), with a distinctive all-black head and legs and single colour close-cropped white wool.

Origin & Predominance

The breed evolved from mating Norfolk Horn ewes with Southdown rams. It is now a familiar sight all over the United Kingdom and is also found in many other countries throughout the world.

The Suffolk was first recognised as a pure breed in 1810. Since then it has been carefully and steadily improved over its many years to produce quality terminal sires for use on commercial lowland flocks, producing lambs for slaughter rather than for further breeding. It is the United Kingdom's leading terminal sire breed, being used in seventy per cent of flocks.

Suffolk cross lambs mature early at good slaughter weights, allowing commercial producers to sell finished lambs at between ten and fourteen weeks of age. The breed is ideally suited to the tough economic demands of modern sheep meat production as the rapid rate of growth from birth to slaughter keeps production and management costs to a minimum. The early maturing abilities of Suffolk crosses allow commercial producers to market lambs ahead of the annual seasonal glut. However, Suffolk crosses can also be grown on to heavier weights without getting fat, once again providing lamb producers with the freedom to choose the best time to sell.

Although primarily a terminal sire breed, Suffolk cross ewes are also very popular with commercial producers.

More Suffolk sheep breeders than any other breed have enlisted on DEFRA's NSP (National Scrapie Plan) to rid the national flock of scrapie. More than 90% of Suffolk sheep tested under the NSP scheme to date are totally or predominantly resistant, being genotype RR or RQ.

This information was supplied by the Suffolk Sheep Society

Breed Points