I'll expand on my answer in your other post a bit, with the thinking we had for the other breeds we've had. Suffolks were the traditional E Ontario meat sheep hardy to our winters and good all round sheep. Too bad the rest of the world isn't as patient as Suffolk sheep. They simply don't grow fast enough or in proportion. Bone first then hang meat on the big frame. Hampshires came as the sovereign of meat production, big sheep mean big lambs and great milk mean plump milk fed lambs that can sell any time. I like Hamps but they drive me nutz. There's just no way to escape from being cornered except to plow right though you, yet one runty Cheviot lamb can drive them from a feed bunk to starve in a land of plenty. They got sick first (but bounce back well) and almost always needed that extra TLC. I'll bet a flock of Hamps is a joy, but you have to like really big sheep. Really big dumb sheep. We milked them by machine and they produce gallons of milk...... if my Rideau Arcotts didn't do the same on less feed I'd think twice about not having Hamps. Rideau Arcotts are the breed of choice here to cross in prolificy and fast growth on milk. The wool is OK too. Nice friendly sheep with an above average intelligence (it helps to have co-operative, sheep, wise enough to avoid coyotes here) they milk easy grow very fast. We've had Dorsets and still have a few PB's modern Dorsets are much better than the frumpy little things of 30 years ago. Their good sheep just not spectacular IMO. we also have Polypay and crosses, much like the Dorset except they seem to do that little bit better and stay healthier. Just a notch above the Dorsets and bigger than the Rideau. Our next breed will either be Lincolns or Wensledales (if we can find them) primarily for the wool but also the decent meat. We would like to have three lines of sheep Polypay, Rideau Arcott, and either the Lincs or Wensleys totally around 150-250 ewes. We're at 200 now if we stay here it'll be 150 if we relocate it'll be 250.