​SHEEP, THE NATURAL WAY.

At Sunset Ridge Homestead, we raise heritage, endangered sheep breeds for meat and wool products in the beautiful Driftless region of southwest Wisconsin.  Our sheep graze on organic free-range pasture, and our lambs are 100% grass-fed, never grain finished, for the best quality meat.

 

HERITAGE BREEDS.

At Sunset Ridge our preference is for quality and taste over modern high-efficiency practices and breeds. By preserving and crossing heritage breeds, some of which are thousands of years old with a rich history, we offer rare wool and historically authentic, flavorful lamb.

Tunis

Tunis sheep are a medium-size sheep with distinctive red heads and legs and a double coat of light-colored wool. They hail from Tunisia going back thousands of years, and are even mentioned in the Bible as "fat-tailed sheep" for their distinctive tails. They are one of the oldest livestock breeds in America and almost went extinct in the Civil War but their numbers have been steadily improving. They are on Watch status by the LiveStock Conservancy.

Tunis are known for high quality meat and ivory cream wool.

Gotland

The Gotland is one of the oldest sheep breeds in Sweden, having been developed by the Vikings. 
They have a highly prized, tightly curled, silvery-grey fleece and black legs and head. They have not yet been established in America.

Gotland sheep are known for their high quality pelts and have tender, good-flavored meat.

Jacob

The Jacob is a rare breed going back millennia in the Middle East and Mediterranean region. They are a small, horned breed with variegated patchwork colors of brown, black, gray and white, and are named after the biblical account of Jacob's work with spotted or mottled sheep. They are on Threatened status by the Livestock Conservancy.

Their wool and pelts are highly desired for their rich textures and colors, and their meat known for its excellent taste and low fat content.