Breed Standard

RSA Romney Breed Standard

This breed standard is intended as a guide for those registering purebred Romney sheep within the RSA as well as to judge Romney sheep in competition.  Romney sheep judged by this standard will be judged 50% on wool quality & 50% on body conformation.

 

OVERALL

Overall: Romney sheep are a dual purpose breed who exhibit the essential qualities found in all good meat-producing sheep.  They are sturdy, correct animals with strong bone structure, large body capacity and a uniform fleece which is characteristic of the breed.

Weight: This will vary as breeders raise Romneys to meet varying local conditions.  A variety of types of Romneys have been developed to adapt to the climate, feed, location and type of soil on which they are grown and one type is not superior to the other.

a. Rams approaching maturity should be 175 lbs. or more.

b. Ewes approaching maturity should be 125 lbs. or more.

Height: Mature rams should not exceed 36” at the shoulder.  Mature ewes should not exceed 34” at the shoulder.

Form:  The top line should be straight with a smooth transition from neck to shoulder and a solid, well built hip.  The body should be wide and deep with adequate pin set to support the animal’s bulk.  The front shoulders should be narrower than the back hip and leg creating a wedge shape.

Quality:  Bone should be strong and adequate to the frame size of the animal.  Rams should look masculine and ewes feminine.  Fine hair should be found on the muzzle, lower leg, and ears.  Minor discoloration in the hair on the legs is acceptable.

Color: Romney sheep may be white, black-based (silver to velvet black), and moorit based (taupe to dark chocolate). Moorit based animals have brown nostrils.

 

HEAD

Head:  Eyes should be large, alert and clear.  Face should be adequately broad with good width between the ears.  The poll should be fleece covered and free of horns, scurs, and hair.  Fleece may spread to the edges of the cheeks extending from the neck.  The head should be carried high and be level between the ears.  Ears should be rather thick and covered in fine hair or short wool.  Black spots are allowable although not excessive in number.  Nostrils should be black, brown or dark, mottled gray.  Solid pink noses should be discriminated against.  The face should be relatively free of wool.  Sheep with wool on the face must not be wool blind.  Smut is strongly discouraged.

Neck:  The neck should smoothly join with the shoulders and head and be of moderate length.

 

FRONT 1/3

Shoulders:  Smooth, compact, and well joined with the neck and body. Not rough, sharp, or bulging.

Brisket:  Chest floor is not overly deep, but well developed and balanced for the animal's skeleton.

Legs:  Front legs shall be solid and reasonably well set to match the rest of the skeleton.  Legs may not bow in or out and should be correct will all 4 hooves facing forward. Pasterns should be strong and upright.  Hooves should be black although some light colored variations are acceptable with most of the hoof remaining dark.

 

MIDDLE 1/3

Chest:  Deep and well set.

Ribs:  Well sprung, long, and showing adequate capacity.

Back:  Broad although somewhat narrower in the front than the rear; straight, long without a dip at the shoulders or hip.

Loin:  Wide and long and well-muscled.

 

BACK 1/3

Hips:  Level, smooth, and wide apart.  

Rump:  Long, level, and wide.  Should not be a sloping rump.

Thighs:  Deep and full.

Legs:  Rear legs straight and wide set apart from a rear view; not post legged; should have a slight natural curve from side view.  Pasterns should be strong and upright.  Hooves should be black although some light colored variations are acceptable with most of the hoof remaining dark.

Scrotum:  The ram’s testicles should be large, even in size, and well developed.

Udder:  The ewe’s udder should be well formed, large with good attachment, and soft with evidence of two good teats.

 

WOOL

Quantity:  Ewes should shear 8 pounds or more, and rams should shear 12 pounds or more per year with a yearly staple length of five inches or more.  When shown, fleeces need to be adequate length to display the Romney fleece characteristics and quality.

Quality:  Romney wool is dense and free opening in nature with a well-defined crimp from tip to tip.  Uniformity over the entire body and breed standard micron are most important.  The fleece is lustrous; it hangs in separate locks with minimal cross fibers between the locks.  Animals possessing kemp (hair-like fibers) should be discriminated against.

Grade:  Wool with a spinning count of 50 to 44 inclusive (equivalent to a fiber diameter of about 29 to 36 microns) is within the breed standard.  No preference should be given to a coarser or finer fleece as long as it is within the breed standard.

Condition:  Fiber should be strong, clean, soft, and bright with good luster