With the industrialization of farming, a few breeds of livestock have been standardized for maximum productivity. This expansive growth of the few breeds resulted in the critical endangerment of many other breeds, with several becoming extinct. These pre-industrial breeds, known as heritage breeds, possess a priceless genetic diversity that can help farmers, and society at large, adapt to variable conditions, ranging from new consumer tastes to varied landscapes.

The Barbados Blackbelly is a hair sheep breed, which means they do not grow wool but have course hair instead. Thus, they do not need to be sheared.

These sheep evolved on the island of Barbados in the Caribbean.  The breed descends from crosses of African hair sheep and European wooled breeds that were brought to the island beginning in the mid-1600s.

These domestic sheep range in color from light tan to a dark mahogany red, with black breed markings on the face, legs, belly, inguinal region, chin, and chest. The shape of the head is oval to triangular with a typical “roman” nose.  The ears are pointed and, when alert, stick out from the side of the head parallel to the ground. The eyes are almond shaped. The neck is strong and muscular, clean cut, and without loose folds of skin. The tail is long and reaches to the top of the hocks. The coat consists of coarse hair that lies flat against the skin. Barbados Blackbelly rams and ewes are polled (they have no horns).