The History of Polypay Sheep

Polypay is an American composite breed developed from Dorset, Rambouillet, Targhee and Finnsheep. The breeding goal emphasized prolificacy, maternal performance, adaptability and useful carcass and wool traits. Those practical characteristics make Polypay sheep a natural match for a rotationally grazed flock.

We use breed history as context, not nostalgia: the question is whether the animal performs in our forage, weather, terrain and family-scale management system.

Our Polypay flock is the source of the lamb cuts and lamb primals we sell, and we offer Polypay ewes, rams and replacement stock as available. Like our cattle, the flock is managed under rotational grazing on the mountain ground our family has worked since 1997.

Pasture-raised lamb is available as individual cuts through the shop, and chefs can build a menu around it through our restaurant program, which covers both beef and lamb.

The Polypay breed was developed in the United States starting in the 1970s through USDA and university research programs, with the name itself referring to the breeding goal: a ewe that "pays" more than once by lambing out of season. Crossing Dorset, Rambouillet, Targhee and Finnsheep brought together the Finnsheep's high lambing rate, the Dorset's out-of-season breeding ability, and the wool and hardiness of the Rambouillet and Targhee lines. The result is a ewe suited to more frequent lambing and strong mothering, which is a practical fit for a flock managed on rotational pasture rather than in a confinement system.