The Berrichon du Cher is a French breed of

domestic 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 ...

. It is one of two breeds derived from the old

Berrichon Berrichon ( or ) is an Oïl language very closely related to French or a dialect of it traditionally spoken in the historical area of the French province of Berry. The word is also used as a demonym and as an adjective meaning "pertaining to B ...

of the Berry region of central France, the other being the Berrichon de l'Indre. The Berrichon derived from the Boischaut, Brenne, Champagne and Crevat breeds, all of which are now considered to be extinct. Images of the Berrichon from the sixteenth century show a horned long-woolled sheep; by the eighteenth century the Berrichon was polled and had wool of

Merino The Merino is a breed or group of breeds of domestic sheep, characterised by very fine soft wool. It was established in Spain near the end of the Middle Ages, and was for several centuries kept as a strict Spanish monopoly; exports of the bree ...

type. In the nineteenth century some breeders crossbred the Berrichon with British breeds such as the

Cotswold The Cotswolds (, ) is a region in central-southwest England, along a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper Thames to an escarpment above the Severn Valley and Evesham Vale. The area is defined by the bedrock of Jura ...

, Dishley Leicester, Romney and Southdown with the aim of improving its meat qualities; there was also some intromission from the Charmoise. The Berrichon du Cher derives from these crosses. From French stock imported some 40 years ago, British breeders have developed what they regard as a distinct sub-breed which they have named British Berrichon. Breed sales are held several times a year. and many of the top agricultural shows, including the Royal Three Counties, the Royal Bath & West, the Royal Highland and England's biggest show,

Great Yorkshire Show The Great Yorkshire Show (GYS) is an agricultural show which takes place on the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate, North Yorkshire in the North of England annually from the second Tuesday of July until the following Thursday. It is organi ...

, hold separate classes for British Berrichons. The British breeders are mainly based in the West from Devon up to Scotland.

Characteristics

Both sexes are polled (hornless). The sheep have medium

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. ...

and are white. The rams weigh and ewes weigh on average. At the withers, rams grow to and ewes to .

References

Sheep breeds originating in France Sheep breeds {{sheep-stub