Buyer question
How long do Columbia sheep live?
Our Animal Library gives the Columbia sheep a lifespan of 10–12 years.
Source: the Columbia sheep page in the Everybarn Animal Library. Columbia sheep in the Animal Library
The detail
Columbias were developed by the USDA starting in 1912 from Lincoln rams and Rambouillet ewes, for western range flocks. They are large, white-faced, dual-purpose sheep with heavy fleeces and good growth.
- Hardiness
- 5 out of 5 (Bred for the range)
- Origin
- Wyoming and Idaho, US
- Best fit
- Range and farm flocks
- Temperament
- Calm, flocking
What to weigh
Columbias are big and need plenty of feed and sturdy handling gear. Their heavy fleeces are valuable but take work to shear and skirt well.