Meat
St Croix
C tier
St. Croix is a white hair sheep developed on the island of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands from tropical stock selected for parasite resistance, heat tolerance, and maternal performance. Animals shed cleanly and need no crutching, suiting humid climates where wool breeds struggle. St. Croix lamb is mild, pale, and lean—popular with producers targeting easy-care grass systems in the southern US and similar latitudes. Flavour stays gentle even when pasture-finished; it works for everyday chops and roasts, while research flocks continue selecting for growth without losing parasite resilience.
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Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
White hair sheep on St. Croix were managed under Caribbean small-farm conditions.
USDA and university programmes imported and studied St. Croix for parasite resistance.
A breed association promoted pure St. Croix for commercial warm-climate flocks.
Hair-sheep expansion put St. Croix among leading easy-care maternal options.