HAMPSHIRE SHEEP
History &
Standards
View the
American
Hampshire
Sheep
Association
"handbook".
*ATTENTION
STUDENTS*
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free
to
copy
or
print
out!
HAMPSHIRE BREED STANDARDS (pdf)
HAMPSHIRES
HISTORY
The
Hampshire
sheep
acquired
its
name
from
the
agriculture
country
of
Hampshire
in
Southern
England
where
they
were
developed.
The
Hampshire
Down
evolved
from
the
mingling
of
different
strains
of
kindred
blood
from
sheep
in
co-existence
along
the
borders
of
Hampshire
County.
The
Old
Hampshire,
Bershire
Knot,
Willshire
Horn
and
Southdown
sheep
were
believed
by
most
writers
to
be
the
original
breeds
found
in
and
along
the
borders
of
Hampshire
County.
Mr.
John
Twynam
made
a
valuable
contribution
to
the
Hampshire
Down
through
the
use
of
an
improved
Cotswold
ram
and
Mr.
William
Humphrey
by
the
introduction
of
two
of
the
largest
and
most
outstanding
Southdown
rams.
the
sheep
farmers
in
the
district
of
Hampshire
continued
through
selection
to
improve
the
Hampshire
down
which
was
considered
far
superior
to
any
other
sheep.
In
1889
the
Hampshire
Down
Sheep
Breeder's
Association
was
established
in
Salisbury,
England,
where
it
is
still
active.
During
that
same
year
(1889)
the
American
Hampshire
Down
Sheep
Association
was
also
organized,
now
known
as
The
American
Hampshire
Sheep
Association.
Hampshire
sheep
were
reported
in
the
US
around
1840
although
there
were
no
records
to
indicate
that
any
survived
the
Civil
War.
Around
1865
to
1870
Hampshire's
were
again
imported
from
England
but
the
first
authentic
record
of
importation's
was
made
in
1879.
For
over
a
century,
U.S.
breeders
have
bred
and
selected
Hampshire's
to
fill
specific
sheep
industry
needs.
Hampshire
sheep
have
the
genetic
ability
to
efficiently
convert
forage
into
meat
and
fiber
and
are
adaptable
and
productive
in
various
geographic
regions
of
the
United
States.
