The Gulf Coast Native is a breed of

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...

native to the

U.S. states In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

bordering the

Gulf Coast The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Mississ ...

. Also occasionally known as the ''Louisiana Scrub'', ''Pineywoods Native'' or simply ''Gulf Coast sheep'', the breed is a mix of many of the sheep varieties which populated the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

during the European colonization of the region. It is now an exceedingly

rare breed In modern agriculture, a rare breed is a breed of poultry or livestock that has a very small breeding population, usually from a few hundred to a few thousand. Because of their small numbers, rare breeds may have a threatened conservation statu ...

, but one valuable for its ability to adapt to the hot humid climate of the Gulf Coast.

History

The bloodlines of Gulf Coast Native sheep can be traced back to the original proliferation of Churra sheep in the New World during the 15th century by the Spanish. Later, these Criollo-type sheep mixed intermittently with British and French breeds. Some strains may also show

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

influence. Thousands of Gulf Coast sheep roamed free range over pastures in the South, except for regular roundups. In an age before modern husbandry methods, these sheep adapted to the climate of the South or perished, breeding in decades of resistance to the conditions of the region. Eventually special strains the breed appeared based on the area, such as for Louisiana, Texas, or Florida. By the mid 20th century, Gulf Coast Native sheep supplied nearly all the raw wool for the Southern United States and hundreds of thousands of them were in existence. However, post-

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

deworming Deworming (sometimes known as worming, drenching or dehelmintization) is the giving of an anthelmintic drug (a wormer, dewormer, or drench) to a human or animals to rid them of helminths parasites, such as roundworm, flukes and tapeworm. Purg ...

medications and other advances were widely introduced to the sheep industry in the United States, meaning more modern breeds with greater production capacity could be introduced to the South. This led to a precipitous decline in the numbers of Gulf Coast Native sheep. Since 1994, there has been a breed association for Gulf Coast Native sheep. Gulf Coast Native sheep are listed "critical" on the conservation priority list of the

American Livestock Breeds Conservancy The Livestock Conservancy, formerly known as the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) and prior to that, the American Minor Breeds Conservancy, is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving and promoting rare breeds, also known as "h ...

, and are included in

Slow Food USA Slow Food is an organization that promotes local food and traditional cooking. It was founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986 and has since spread worldwide. Promoted as an alternative to fast food, it strives to preserve traditional and regi ...

Ark of Taste The Ark of Taste is an international catalogue of endangered heritage foods which is maintained by the global Slow Food movement. The Ark is designed to preserve at-risk foods that are sustainably produced, unique in taste, and part of a distinct ...

. Research flocks have been kept by the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...

, and by the

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

Agricultural Research Service The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). ARS is one of four agencies in USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area. ARS is charged with ext ...

in Arkansas.

Zoo Atlanta Zoo Atlanta (sometimes referred as Atlanta Zoo) is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoological park in Atlanta, Georgia. The current president and CEO of Zoo Atlanta is Raymond B. King. History Zoo Atlanta was founded in ...

has also acquired a flock.

Characteristics

Gulf Coast Natives are small fine-boned sheep, with ewes weighing no more than 180 pounds and rams 200. They are often much smaller, especially on poor grazing land. They may be polled or horned in both sexes. Though primarily a meat breed, Gulf Coast Natives carry a light wool that may have some hair in it, with a staple of 2.5-4 inches long. It is usually white, but may be brown, black, or spotted occasionally. Gulf Coast sheep do not have wool on their faces, bellies or legs, which is an adaptation to the heat of the South. The most notable characteristic of Gulf Coast Native sheep is its resistance to parasites and diseases that flourish among sheep in hot humid climates. Compared to other breeds, they are especially known for their ability to resist

foot rot Foot rot, or infectious pododermatitis, is a hoof infection commonly found in sheep, goats, and cattle. As the name suggests, it rots away the foot of the animal, more specifically the area between the two toes of the affected animal. It is extreme ...

(

Fusobacterium ''Fusobacterium'' is a genus of anaerobic, Gram-negative, non-sporeforming bacteria belonging to Gracilicutes. Individual cells are slender, rod-shaped bacilli with pointed ends. Strains of ''Fusobacterium'' cause several human diseases, includin ...

) and the dreaded ''

Haemonchus contortus ''Haemonchus contortus'', also known as the barber's pole worm, is a very common parasite and one of the most pathogenic nematodes of ruminants. Adult worms attach to abomasal mucosa and feed on the blood. This parasite is responsible for anemia ...

'' which are both more common in warmer climates.

References

External links

Gulf Coast Sheep Breeders Association
{{Sheep breeds of Canada and the United States Sheep breeds originating in the United States Sheep breeds Conservation Priority Breeds of the Livestock Conservancy Sheep landraces