Meat
Hampshire
B tier
Hampshire Down sheep combine Southdown refinement with larger Wiltshire and Berkshire stocks, yielding a dark-faced, open-woolled terminal breed that grows quickly to heavy lamb weights. They are common in the United States and Britain wherever producers want bold loins and legs from a single finishing sire. Hampshire lamb is juicy and full-flavoured with a slightly richer fat than ultra-lean Continentals—suited to thick chops, bone-in legs, and barbecue-style shoulders. Carcasses can carry more cover when grain finished, so butchers often prefer moderate finish for retail trim yield.
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Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Breeders in Hampshire crossed Southdown rams with local larger horned ewes to create a heavier down type.
Early American imports made Hampshire a cornerstone terminal sire in Midwest and eastern farm flocks.
The Hampshire Down Sheep Breeders’ Association opened a flock book for the dark-faced type.
Performance testing refined growth and muscling for commercial lamb feeders.