Frequently Asked Questions

Here is the short answer: Barbados Blackbelly rams and ewes are polled (they have no horns). In contrast, American Blackbelly rams are horned, and the ewes may or may not have horns.

A barbado sheep is NOT a breed of sheep. It is a descriptive word that some people use to describe cross-breeds with one or more of the following Barbados Blackbelly characteristics: black bellies, black markings on legs, and facial bars. These cross-breeds may or may not have horns, and they may have white or cream-colored patches (which Barbados Blackbelly sheep do not have).

This simple decision tree may help you identify what breed of sheep you have.

The BBSAI’s Breed Standards provide greater detail:
Barbados Blackbelly Breed Standards
American Blackbelly Breed Standards

“Scurs” are horny growths on the skin on top of the head (in the area where horns would grow in non-polled breeds). They are not attached firmly to the skull. In contrast, “horn buds” are short, stumpy horns attached to the skull.

See the American Blackbelly Breed Standards and the Barbados Blackbelly Breed Standards for further details.

If he is an adult ram with 2-in. horns (called “horn buds”), he is not registerable as either an American Blackbelly or a Barbados Blackbelly. If he is a young ram lamb with 2-in. horn buds, give his horns time to grow out. If they don’t, then he is not eligible for registration.

The American Blackbelly Breed Standards specify that American Blackbelly rams have a substantial rack of horns and that each horn be equal in size and shape. The Barbados Blackbelly Breed Standards specify that Barbados Blackbelly rams be polled. Therefore, 2-in. horn buds are not acceptable for either breed, and a mature ram with these horn buds cannot be registered.

Hair sheep have hair, not wool. If they live in a very cold winter climate, they will have varying degrees of a woolie undercoat. This undercoat sheds out each spring, coming off in clumps or long strands
(like dreadlocks). Barbados Blackbelly sheep and Anerican Blackbelly sheep are both hair sheep.

Blackbelly lamb is very mild tasting compared to woolie lamb, and it is also lean and tender. Even intact (not castrated) rams butchered at 2 years of age retain a mild flavor.

No. American Blackbelly and Barbados Blackbelly sheep can be registered only if both its sire and dam are registered. The BBSAI does, however, have written policies governing exceptions to this to ensure that sheep who can make a valuable contribution to the very narrow gene pool are not excluded and can be registered. An overview of the exceptions policies and processes can be found in the BBSAI Standing Rules.

Please refer to the breed standards on this Web site for both the American Blackbelly and the Barbados Blackbelly sheep breeds.

The registration numbers include the breeder’s Flock Identification Code; birth month and year of each sheep; and the BBSAI number assigned to each sheep. Each ram registration number will include a suffix, either a “BB” for polled stock or “AB” for horned stock. Here’s an example:

Registration Number: CCR05041250AB
CCR = breeder’s 3-character BBSAI Flock Identification Code
05 = month of birth (May)
04 = year of birth (2004)
1250 = number assigned by BBSAI
AB = American Blackbelly

A Flock prefix is a unique 3-letter code that represents a breeder’s identity in a sheep’s registration number. When a person applies for BBSAI membership, he or she selects this 3-letter code and, after BBSAI approval, the code is then referenced on all BBSAI paperwork (membership certificates and sheep registrations).

Registering your sheep with the BBSAI documents its quality and that of all its offspring. Registering your sheep and keeping the paperwork current is the best way to establish validity of bloodlines and to trace the ancestry of your sheep. The registry helps potential buyers of your sheep identify suitable bloodlines and can contribute to increasing your sheep’s dollar value.

First, you must be a member in good standing of the BBSAI. After you verify that your animal meets the breed standards for either American Blackbelly or Barbados Blackbelly, you submit a Registration Application for each animal to be registered. The application must include a quality photo and the registration fee.

If you are registering lambs whose parents were not owned by you when the lamb was conceived, then you also must fill out a Certificate of Parentage/Service. When approved, you will be issued a Certificate of Registry for your animal.

The application can be obtained from the Registration Page or you can contact the BBSAI Registrar by email. For applications that don’t require a Certificate of Parentage, you can also log into the Members Area and use the Online Registration Application.

The BBSAI requires that the individual owner/breeder make the initial determination about whether or not a sheep is eligible for registration. The owner/breeder must carefully study the BBSAI breed standards for American Blackbelly or Barbados Blackbelly sheep. If the sheep meets the standards, or most of them, then the owner submits the application accompanied by a quality photo and registration fee. The BBSAI will then confirm that the standards have been met or reject the registration if the photo clearly indicates a lack of conformance to the breed standards.

The best way to support, improve, and promote these wonderful animals is to be part of an association that shares these goals. By working together, members are able to exchange information and ideas that are helpful in raising, preserving, and developing better markets for our breeds of sheep.

You can fill out the a membership application on this website and then 1) pay/submit it online, or 2) download a PDF of your completed form, print it, and mail it to BBSAI with a check for your membership fee. You can also ask the BBSAI Secretary to mail an application to you.

In the United States, the USDA requires Scrapie tags on sheep that are being sold and/or transported to another state. Producers are required to keep specific details about sold and purchased sheep for 5 years after an animal dies or leaves their premises.
See the USDA’s Nov. 2023 Animal ID and Record Keeping for Sheep and Goats PDF for details, including where to get tags, details on required records, and the few exceptions.
Other countries have different tagging and record keeping requirements. Check with the relevant authorities for your country’s official regulations and requirements.

North Carolina Extension’s “Lambing and Kidding Cheatsheet for Beginning Small Ruminant Producers” article has a detailed list of supplies, plus recommendations and instructions for things like lambing facilities, ewe behavior shortly before lambing, the lambing process itself, and newborn management.

You will want to have your supplies on hand before your ewes start lambing. That way you are covered when lambs arrive, even your local feed store is closed. Also before lambing starts, if you have supplies on hand that you have not used recently, check perishable powders for freshness (like milk replacer and colostrum), and make sure your other supplies are in working order.

The Maryland Small Ruminant Page’s “Getting Ready for Lambing and Kidding” article also has a good list of supplies and recommendations for the weeks leading up to lambing.

No, these breeds’ tails do not need docking because they do not collect feces like wooled breeds’ tails. Also, BBSAI will not register a Barbados Blackbelly or an American Blackbelly sheep if it has a docked tail.

BBSAI pages with links to sheep info and shepherding resources:

Articles
Books
Websites and Pages for Shepherds
How-To Videos & Webinars

For details about candidate selection, requirements, balloting and elections for the BBSAI Board of Directors, see the BBSAI Bylaws and the BBSAI Standing Rules.