American Kerry Hill Sheep Society Breed Up Program Explained

The AKHSS Breed-Up Program aims to preserve the breed's distinctive characteristics while expanding the population through careful breeding practices. By implementing a structured "Breed Up" process, breeders can gradually increase the percentage of Kerry Hill genetics in their flocks, ultimately achieving purebred status.

Structure

The Breed Up Program is designed to ensure the long-term survival of the Kerry Hill breed in America. To qualify for the percentage registry, offspring from non-Kerry Hill foundation ewes are bred through Artificial Insemination with pure bred Kerry Hill ram semen imported from the UK.  This process allows breeders to gradually increase the genetic percentage of Kerry Hill in their flocks over several generations.

AKHSS oversees three primary registry categories: 

• Kerry Hill Fullblood Registry. Sheep with 100% Kerry Hill genetics 
• Kerry Hill Purebred Registry Sheep with at least 96.87% Kerry Hill genetics
• Kerry Hill Stock Registry.  Sheep with at least 50% Kerry Hill genetics. 

The "Breed Up" Process

Breeding a grade (0%) ewe to a 100% Kerry Hill ram will result in offspring with 50% Kerry Hill genetics, which can then be bred to another purebred ram to produce 75% Kerry Hill sheep in the next generation. After several generations of this process, usually over a span of many years, the offspring will reach 96.87% Kerry Hill genetics and can be registered as an American purebred.

Classification Categories:

• F1- 50% Kerry Hill
• F2- 75% Kerry Hill
• F3- 87.5% Kerry Hill
• F4- 93.75% Kerry Hill
• F5- 96.87% Kerry Hill (American Purebred)

Our Goal

The ultimate goal of the AKHSS is to preserve this remarkable heritage breed while encouraging breeders to contribute to its future by participating in the Breed Up Program. This initiative helps maintain the distinctive traits of the Kerry Hill breed while promoting genetic diversity, ensuring its survival for generations to come.