Suffolk sheep

The Suffolk is a British breed of domestic sheep. It originated in the late eighteenth century in the area of Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk, as a result of cross-breeding when Norfolk Horn ewes were put to improved Southdown rams. It is a polled, black-faced breed, and is raised primarily for its meat. It has been exported to many countries, and is among the most numerous breeds of sheep worldwide.:923 The Suffolk originated in the area surrounding Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk in the late eighteenth century, as a result of cross-breeding when Norfolk Horn ewes were put to improved Southdown rams.:923 They were at first known as Black Faces or Southdown Norfolks; the first use of the name 'Suffolk' for these sheep dates to 1797. A breed society, the English Suffolk Society, was formed in 1886; a flock-book published in the following year recorded some 15,000 ewes.:923 The breed was later brought to the United States in 1888 by Mr. G.B Streeter of Chazy, New York. Suffolk sheep were the result of crossing a Southdown ram with a Norfolk Horned ewe, early names of the breed included Southdown Norfolks, and Black faces.