ABSTRACT
In Barbados, sheep traditionally have served as a source of ready cash for small households or farmers; they usually are kept on land that supports no other agricultural enterprise. The majority of sheep in Barbados are owned by persons whose major means of securing pasturage and roughage is by grazing their sheep on open lots, in parks, on other people’s pastures, or along roadsides. Barbados Blackbelly sheep are covered with hair that ranges in color from light brown to dark reddish brown. In 1973, some 720,829 kg of mutton and lamb meat were imported into Barbados. Objective comparison between the breeds is difficult because the Blackbelly animals were intact rams, while the crossbred exotics were castrated to reduce the likelihood of these rams being used for breeding. The performance of the Blackbelly breed was very good, particularly with regard to prolificacy.
