ABSTRACT
The Barbados Blackbelly sheep in the United States are thought to have been introduced by the US Department of Agriculture in 1904. The original Barbados Blackbelly was apparently a polled animal, but in the United States it has been converted to a horned animal, with characteristics similar to those of finewool sheep. With the development of sport hunting and game farming as an industry in Texas, Barbados producers tended to shift their objectives toward that use. As game animals, the male Barbados-like sheep may be hunted on the ranch where produced. Although the actual numbers of Barbados Blackbelly introduced into the United States are not known, it can be assumed that there were few and that the population has been increased by crossing with other breeds. Most flocks have had some infusion of Mouflon breeding to provide a more suitable game animal.
