Merino are small sheep from the thin tailed sheep group (scobie 20002). They are wool sheep, grown almost exclusively for their ultra-fine wool. Paradoxically, their fleece is not (usually) markedly long. Merinos possibly derive from North Africa, and are adapted to hot dry regions, with or without seasonal snow. They have been regarded as poorly adapted to more humid areas. They also have folded skin, which makes shearing more difficult.

They have one oustandingly important feature from the low-input orchard sheep standpoint - they are the smallest commercial breed available.

Merino are relatively lean animals. Typically, 85% of cull ewe or ram merinos of some age (mutton) are condition score 2 (lean). Pure Merino lambs grow up to 100 grams a day slower than lambs from a meat breed terminal sire. Pure merino have leaner lambs than crossbred merino x meatbreed lambs, and are much less likely to become overfat when carried through to heavier weights.

According to some commentators, the feral sheep on Arapawa island have some merino input, which may account for the prescence of both small (typical of merino) and large framed (typical of northern short tailed sheep) animals in this group.

It may be that feral merinos, especially those from more humid areas, may have many of the attributes of small size and easy care that the low input orchardist is looking for. As always, the wool trait can be bred out via shedding breeds. The biggest question is whether or not feral merino have any greater or lesser resistance to worm challenge and endophyte than any other nodal group.