About the Romney Breed

Romney sheep are a dual-purpose breed used for growing meat and fiber. They are well acclimated to wet climates and are rugged enough to handle a variety of different management systems. Romney sheep are known to be easy-keepers and have calm dispositions.

The Romney breed of sheep is an old one, first developed in the marsh near present-day Kent, England. Originally referred to as “Romney Marsh” or “Kent” sheep the breed was recognized fairly early in the 1800s and initially improved through the use of Robert Bakewell’s Leicester rams. Once established as a breed, they become well known for their long lustrous and durable wool and ability to thrive in high precipitation areas. From there they were exported to numerous countries across the world, most notably to New Zealand, where they continue to play a predominant role in their sheep production.

Romneys were first imported into the United States from New Zealand into Oregon in 1904 by William Riddell. From there through various individuals, the breed increased in popularity across the nation. Since then, there have been numerous imports over the years, predominantly from New Zealand, but some from England as well, to create a balanced blend of English and New Zealand bloodlines in the North American Romney gene pool. This diversity allows for Romneys to meet most local market conditions.

Today Romneys remain widespread across the world with the largest proportion located in New Zealand. They are also sizable populations of Romneys in England, Uruguay, Australia, Brazil, and the United States. Here in the United States, Romneys are found across the country, present in nearly every state, with larger concentrations found in New England, the Pacific Northwest, and the Great Lakes regions.

Romneys are fortunate to come in a large variety of base pigments and color patterns making them ideal for the fiber artist seeking natural fiber colors or a shepherd seeking to meet that demand.

Romneys in the U.S.A. are fortunate to have many options available when it comes to color. The first of which is to understand there are base colors which include black or brown, oftentimes referred to as moorit. These base pigments underlie any additional patterns which may be present on top of them. It is important to know that brown is recessive to black, which is why moorit (brown) is less common than black sheep. A sheep needs to have two copies of a moorit allele in order to be physically moorit. This base color is determined by a single gene and is often referred to as the B-locus. If a breeder knows the B-locus genetics of their sheep, a shepherd can reliably produce brown or black sheep to meet their flock goals.

Coat color patterns in sheep are varied and can be complex. However, most of the patterns observed in sheep can be attributed to a single gene, the Agouti-locus. This locus is where the white pattern is located. Most white sheep you see are a result of the white pattern at the Agouti gene. Beneath white, there are numerous patterns which have various amounts of white, resulting in a number of shades and tones available to breeders. Some of these alleles have been designated and include Black & Tan, Light Blue, Blue, Gray, English Blue, Dark Blue, and Midnight Blue. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list as up to as many 30 alleles have been attributed to the agouti locus across many different sheep breeds.