Not all sheep breeds are cute, woolly and cuddly. Some have horns just like their wild ancestors, and domestic sheep can use them for all of the same purposes!

As a shepherd, you’ll want to be aware of which breeds will always have horns, and which might possibly grow horns- even in a polled breed.

But on the other hand, you might want a fancy, horned heritage breed for decorative or competition purposes. Some of these animals are truly magnificent!

In any case, below I’ll be talking about 18 domestic sheep breeds that typically have horns. Keep reading and you’ll learn all about them.

Table of Contents:

1. Afrikaner

If the name wasn’t tipoff enough, this is a horn-bearing breed hailing from South Africa. Once again we see that both males and females are always horned.

Thanks to their thick, dense wool they’re a good choice for certain textiles, and they’re sometimes kept for meat as well.

The meat is said to be truly delectable thanks to the particular fattiness of this breed.

This isn’t a genetic defect, either, as the tendency to store fat helps them survive lean times and arid conditions in their homeland.

6. Mouflon

This is a wild sheep species that has nonetheless been intermittently domesticated to the degree that it’s thought to be the true ancestor of most of the modern breeds of sheep we keep today.

The Mouflon sheep possesses beautiful, short and tightly crimped copper-colored wool with black accent markings, and males and females alike sprout huge, lengthy and elegantly circular horns.

Kept as domestic animals sporadically throughout much of Europe and some of Asia, they’re also quite popular as game for hunters considering their agility and athleticism in the wild.

10. Jacob

Well known among sheep fanciers, the Jacob sheep is another breed hailing from the UK and one that is famous for its multiple massive horns.

Adults usually have four horns that can grow in various directions, giving them a ferocious appearance that is offset only by their black and white coloring that looks just like a stereotypical dairy cow.

Even more impressively, some individual sheep might sprout a whole six horns from their head!

There are hardly any sheep alive with a more impressive rack, and for this reason, they’re incredibly popular among certain owners on show circuits.

They’re also surprisingly competent when it comes to the production of wool and meat, making them a true multipurpose breed.

11. Alai

Hailing from the Alai mountains in Uzbekistan, and sometimes referred to as the Alai Merino, the Alai is a big domestic breed of sheep, with rams tipping the scales at more than 175 pounds (80 kilograms), and packing big corkscrew horns to match.

Ewes also have their own horns, but they are nowhere near as impressive as the males.

Alais also possess beautiful white, cinnamon or tan wool which is dense, of medium crimp and typically of excellent quality.

The athletic build of these sheep also make them great producers of high-quality lamb and mutton.

An inspired all-around choice, but one you’ll have to handle carefully thanks to those huge horns!

12. Algarve Churro

An ancient, small but stocky and robust Portuguese breed that’s truly at home in the mountainous and rocky regions from whence it came.

They’re also totally at home dishing out some damage with their big, curving horns that can grow to be more than two feet in length each!

Despite the horns, these sheep tend to be good-natured and easy to handle, and they produce wool that comes in all kinds of colors, including every shade of brown, white and black.

They’re also historically kept as dairy sheep thanks to their rich, smooth milk, and are also kept for mutton and lamb production. Another good all-purpose breed for sure.

13. Icelandic

Among the most popular and most important wool-producing breeds in the world, and possessing a unique double-layered fleece, the Icelandic breed is a hardy and extremely cold-resistant specimen.

Icelandics don’t always grow horns, though, as various lineages are polled, but most examples of the breed will.

Although short and not very impressive compared to many of the other breeds on this list, the Icelandic horns are noteworthy for being slender, gently curving and surprisingly sharp and pointy.

Wool is the obvious selling factor for these sheep, but they are a true multipurpose breed, and likewise kept for meat and also as dairy sheep. Truly an excellent breed all around, horns or not.

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