Rambouillet sheep
The Rambouillet is a breed of sheep (Ovis aries). It is also known as the Rambouillet Merino or the French Merino. It is a mixed-use breed, raised by farmers for both its wool and its meat. It is most commonly raised in Western North America, where its strong flocking instinct helps protect flocks from predators such as coyotes.
History
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The development of the Rambouillet breed started in 1786,[1] when Louis XVI purchased 366 Spanish Merinos from his uncle-in-law Charles III of Spain. The flock was held at the king's estate in the domain of Rambouillet. Eventually, the flock spread to other locations in France as well as Germany.[2] The breed was outcrossed with English long wool breeds.[3] differing in several points from the original Spanish Merino. The size was greater, with full-grown ewes weighing from 150 to 200 lb and rams from 250 to 300 lb. The wool clips were larger and the wool length had increased to greater than 3 in (80 mm).
In 1889, a Rambouillet Association was formed in the United States by Larmon Bronson Townsend & Larmon George Townsend in Ionia, Michigan, with the aim of managing the breed.[4] A 1989 book estimated that 50% of the sheep on the US western ranges include at least some Rambouillet descent.[5][2]
Despite their French origins, Rambouillet and half-Rambouillet crossbreeds are most commonly raised in Western North America, for a variety of reasons. Western North America favors external grazing in large, somewhat dry areas where predators such as coyotes are a threat. This makes it less suitable for rapid-growing meat sheep that can wander. The Rambouillet's hardiness aids in an arid environment and their strong flocking instinct helps deter predators such as coyotes. As the importance of wool has fallen, a common adaptation has been to keep purebred Rambouillet ewes as a longer lived breeding flock, and then using meat-favoring rams (such as Suffolk sheep) for a proportion of the herd and sending the crossbred lambs to market as meat.[2]
Various other breeds include Rambouillet ancestors, such as Debouillet sheep and Panama sheep.[2]
Characteristics
Rambouillets are somewhat larger than Spanish Merinos. Both polled and horned variants of the Rambouillet exist. It seems that the trait for being polled is a dominant gene. They enter puberty and sexual maturity somewhat later than other breeds of sheep, and usually are lambed in their second year. The gestation period for a pregnant ewe is around 150 days.[2]
Like Merinos, Rambouillet wool is considered to be "fine" (rather than "medium" or "long").[2]
Uses
The breed is dual-use and known for its wool, but is also raised for lamb and mutton meat. This breed was also used for the development of the "Barbado" or American Blackbelly sheep, which was crossed with Barbados Blackbelly and mouflon for their horns at hunting ranches.[6][7]
References
- ↑ Henry Stewart (1898). "The Varieties and Breeds of Sheep". The Domestic Sheep: Its Culture and General Management (First ed.). Chicago: American Sheep Breeder Press. pp. 44–46. OCLC 613100659. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ensminger, Marion E. (2002). Sheep & Goat Science (6th ed.). Interstate Publishers. pp. 25, 41–42, 68–69, 84–85, 154, 184–185, 293, 303–304, 308, 417–418. ISBN 0-8134-3116-6.
- ↑ Paterson, Mark (1990). National Merino Review. West Perth, Australia: Farmgate Press. pp. 12–17. ISSN 1033-5811.
- ↑ "Breed History, Standards, Facts". The American Rambouillet Sheep Breeders Association. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ↑ Ross, C.V. (1989). Sheep production and Management. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. pp. 26–27. ISBN 0-13-808510-2.
- ↑ Baker, Frank H.; Miller, Mason E. (2019). Sheep And Goat Handbook, Volume 4. CRC Press. p. 419. ISBN 978-1-000-23954-6.
- ↑ Dohner, Janet Vorwald (2001). The Encyclopedia of Historic and Endangered Livestock and Poultry Breeds. Yale University Press. p. 150. ISBN 978-0-300-13813-9.
External links
Media related to Rambouillet sheep at Wikimedia Commons