how many different breeds of sheep are there worldwide
Counting sheep. Sheep breeds. It is difficult to know how many breeds of sheep there are in the world, as only developed countries usually maintain breed registries. However, it is believed that there are more breeds of sheep than breeds of any other livestock species, with the exception of poultry.Worldwide, it is estimated that there are more than 1000 distinct sheep breeds. There are more than 50 breeds in the United States alone.edium wool sheep account for about 15 percent of the world's sheep population. The most popular meat breeds in the U.S. are Dorset, Hampshire, Shropshire, Southdown, and Suffolk. Carpet wool sheep. The coarsest grade of wool (usually over 38 microns) is used in the manufacture of carpets.