ABSTRACT
The mountains of western North Carolina range in elevation from less than 610 m to well over 1,830 m above sea level. Summer temperatures are relatively mild and seldom exceed 29°C at the higher elevations. These mountains have ample rainfall, and cool-season forages are the main source of feed; there are no serious environmental constraints on sheep production. Heat stress is the most serious factor limiting sheep production in the Piedmont and Coastal Plains areas. Some breeds of sheep appear to have natural resistance to gastrointestinal parasites. The addition of the Barbados Blackbelly and the Finnish Landrace to the Agricultural Research Service flock presented an opportunity to investigate parasite resistance in sheep with widely different points of origin and genetic backgrounds. A crossbreeding program was begun using two “exotic” breeds of sheep, the Finnish Landrace and the Barbados Blackbelly, to improve ewe productivity so that market lamb production could become a profitable enterprise.
