Coolalee
The Coolalee is an Australian short wool, meat sheep breed, developed from an eight-year breeding program commenced in 1968. The breed resulted from the crossing of the Wiltshire Horn, Suffolk, Hampshire Down, Poll Dorset, Lincoln and English Leicester sheep breeds. The first Coolalee rams became commercially available in 1983. These rams are used as terminal sires for prime lamb production. Coolalee sheep have shown considerable promise in an independent central progeny testing system for prime lambs. The system is designed to identify outstanding meat sheep sires and their ability to sire elite lamb with a carcase weight of more than 22 kg and a fat score of 2–3. The testing also showed significant reductions in fat depth, which is an important consumer requirement, on first cross Coolalee lambs.
| Life Span | 10-12 years |
| Weight | 45-160 kg |
What to Know Before Buying a Coolalee
Finding a responsible Coolalee breeder requires more than browsing classified ads or responding to social media posts. The USDA requires any breeder who sells sheeps commercially — especially those selling online or through third-party dealers — to hold a federal license and submit to regular inspections. A legitimate breeder should be willing to provide their USDA license number, invite you to visit their facility, and show you where the animals are housed and socialized.
Before committing to a purchase, ask the breeder for veterinary health records, vaccination documentation, and any genetic testing results relevant to the Coolalee. Reputable breeders will also ask you questions in return — about your living situation, experience with animals, and ability to provide long-term care. A breeder who asks no questions and is eager to ship an animal immediately is a significant red flag.
Use the search tool below to check whether any USDA-licensed facilities breeding Coolalees appear in our database. If they do, review their inspection history carefully. Look for patterns of violations, pay attention to severity levels, and compare their compliance grade with other breeders in the same state. This due diligence takes minutes and can save you from supporting a facility with documented animal welfare problems.
Looking for a Coolalee breeder?
Search our database of USDA-licensed facilities to find inspected breeders and check their compliance history.
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