Hair coat, seasonal change and maternal function

St. Croix Hair Sheep Breeders describes a seasonal coat that sheds smoothly in summer and develops a thicker mixture of hair and downy undercoat in winter. Mature rams may grow a conspicuous mane. A winter coat therefore need not mean that a St. Croix has become a conventional wool sheep.

The association describes most animals as white and most as polled, while acknowledging occasional coloured animals and scurs. Its characteristic mature-weight ranges are 150–200 pounds for rams and 120–150 pounds for ewes. These describe the population’s type; registration eligibility should be checked against the association’s separate standard.

Maternal behaviour, flocking, vigor and the ability to raise multiple lambs are central to its account of the breed. It also describes early sexual maturity, making age alone a poor reason to assume that young males and females cannot reproduce. St. Croix’s parasite resistance and reproductive potential are useful inherited resources, but neither establishes that a particular flock can dispense with monitoring, suitable nutrition or planned breeding.