History of the Sheep

Domestic sheep were once wild Mouflon.

Sheep were domesticated 10,000 years ago in Central Asia for their use as pack animals, as well as for their hides and milk. It wasn't until the last 200 years that they were being bred for their meat. The domestic sheep arrived in North America in 1493 with Christopher Columbus. As more settlers arrived, so did more sheep. In the United States, there are more than 83,000 farms raising more than 5.8 million sheep of more than 50 different pure breeds (and crosses). Over 900 breeds of sheep have been developed throughout the world.